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Sometimes, there’s nothing worse than sitting in a crowded movie theater fighting for the armrest with a stranger as a film drags on for three hours.
Lake County residents can avoid that hassle this weekend when films as short as two minutes long are shown in a 552 acre theater.
The Lake County Forest Preserve District in conjunction with the Friends of Ryerson Woods is hosting the Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival from 8 to 11 p.m. on July 26 at Ryerson Woods. Environmentalists and film lovers alike are welcome to picnic under the stars and watch 10 short environmental-themed films.
The Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival is a traveling festival based in Nevada City, Calif. According to the Web site, the festival is the largest of its kind in the country. The films cover a variety of topics ranging from global warming and hybrid vehicles to organic farming and endangered wildlands in the Western United States. Fest goers are encouraged to set up blankets and lawn chairs while viewing the films, which run from two to 33 minutes.
Ryerson Woods is one of only 70 venues the film festival will tour in 2008, said Deb Donnelley, assistant director of Ryerson Woods. She encourages movie goers to take the opportunity to view the films in Lake County’s natural scenery.
Each of the films being shown will relate to water/irrigation systems in one way or another to coincide with this year’s program theme at Ryerson Woods: Freshwater and the Great Lakes.
“Most of the films have to do with water, so what we’re hoping is that people not only come out and enjoy the event, but that they’ll go home and think more critically and extensively about water,” Donnelley said.
One of the festival’s participating filmmaker is Isaac Brown of Jacksonville, Fla. He co-directed “Gimme Green,” with his friend Eric Flagg in 2006 as part of their thesis for the University of Florida’s Documentary Institute. The 27 minute film takes a close look at America’s obsession with residential lawns and the $40 billion a year lawn irrigation industry.
In a phone interview, Brown said he hopes that by taking “Gimme Green” on the road, more people will become aware of their carbon footprints.
“It’s an entertaining and fun documentary and easy to watch without being preachy, but [delivers] a really poignant environmental message,” he said. “If we did our job right as filmmakers, you won’t walk away thinking exclusively about lawns. Lawns are a symbol of a greater phenomenon.”
Along with “Gimme Green,” there will be nine other films including, “The Good Fight” by Mark Fraser, a film about a 90-year-old man’s attempt to save the Grand Canyon from being altered by dams, and “The Price of a Cup of Coffee” by Hypatia Porter, which in 15 minutes takes viewers on a journey of the life cycle of a paper cup.
Seth Warren, of Missoula, Mont. said his film, "Oil + Water", was originally supposed to be a home video of he and his friend traveling from Alaska to Argentina in a retro-outfitted Japanese fire truck without using a single drop of petroleum. After a year of documenting the journey, the film didn’t end up sitting on a shelf with other home movies, instead the film and its creators were honored with the Advocates Award at the 2007 Everest Awards. The Everest Awards are considered the Oscars of the Outdoors, recognizing outdoor sports enthusiasts.
Warren said that the message of the 33-minute film is to live sustainably, and “if you can dream it, you can do it.”
“I hope that people who come to the fest will be able to have the chance to see what others are doing in the world to take a step toward sustainability,” he said. “That’s the main message: We live in this world and we have to protect it.”
Donnelley hopes people come to the event and enjoy the open and natural space in Ryerson Woods, a place she considers one of Lake County’s natural treasures.
“I think this will be a really important, but fun learning experience for residents, considering we live on the Great Lakes,” she said. “Ryerson Woods is a beautiful community resource, and this will be a great way to spend time with your family and be in nature.”
Tickets for the Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival are $10 for Friends of Ryerson Woods members and $15 for non-members. Children 12 and under are $5. To register or purchase tickets, call 847-968-3321.
