Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country | Founded 05-05-05

July 10, 2008 issue

Patagonia’s Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival Screenings Sunday


The country’s largest environmental film festival makes a stop at An Appalachian Summer Festival on Sunday, July 13, with a two-part presentation at Farthing Auditorium. Footsloggers Outdoor and Travel Outfitters sponsors Patagonia’s Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival, a project of the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL), a watershed advocacy group located in Northern California. Now celebrating its 7th year, the film festival took its name in celebration of SYRCL’s achievement of the Wild & Scenic designation for 30 miles of the South Yuba River, and is now an annual event held in Nevada City, Calif.

The film festival’s national tour will reach more than 60 towns and cities across the country, and the selection of films from the annual festival held in Nevada City is designed to help communities find environmental solutions to their own local situations. They highlight the “tipping points” that our planet is reaching, and portray the “turning of the tides” as communities respond with creativity, resolve and heart.

The July 13 program is a two-part series with a special, 50-minute family show starting at 6:00 p.m. that features short films made by and about kids. The kids’ program is recommended for children ages 8 and up and features seven films ranging from 2 to 12 minutes in length.

One of the films is Rita, the true story of a 7-year-old girl who travels around the world with her adventurous parents and unexpectedly befriends a 7-year-old Sherpa girl named Rita. The two young girls embark on a wild and touching adventure over an 18,000-foot pass near the base of Mt. Everest.

The full-length program begins at 8:00 p.m. and features six films ranging from 2 to 53 minutes. One of the films is by John Grabowska and entitled Ribbon of Sand. This film, narrated by Meryl Streep, profiles the seascape and the transitory islands of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Both an exaltation and elegy, Ribbon of Sand explores the slim and moving line of sand in the open Atlantic.

Tickets for the family series are $5.Tickets for the full-length program are $10 for adults, $8 for students and $5 for children 12 and under.

For tickets and information, call 800-841-ARTS(2787) or 828-262-4046 or click to www.appsummer.org.

Want To Go?

Date: Sunday, July 13
Time: 6:00 p.m. kids’ series/8:00 p.m. full-length program
Location: Farthing Auditorium/ASU
Cost: $5 for kids’ series/$10 adults, $8 students, $5 children for full-length program