The first-ever Salmon Film Festival, co-sponsored by the Salmon Restoration Association, the City of Fort Bragg and North Coast Brewing Company, will take place Friday and Saturday, July 1 and 2, in Fort Bragg Town Hall.
The Salmon Film Festival is held in conjunction with the 40th Annual World”s Largest Salmon Barbecue in Noyo Harbor, a major fundraising event held by the Salmon Restoration Association to support local salmon education and conservation programs.
The first day of the festival is timed to coincide with the City of Fort Bragg”s monthly “First Friday” downtown art walk, and runs from 5 to 8 p.m.
The second day of the festival, scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., occurs simultaneously with the Salmon Barbecue, and is timed to allow barbecue attendees plenty of time to enjoy their salmon meal and still see plenty of films.
The Salmon Film Festival will show films focusing on salmon culture, ecology and conservation. Several short- and feature-length films will show community-based restoration projects and dam removals, Native American connections to salmon, the dangers of farmed salmon, and beautiful footage of salmon ecology throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Filmmakers, educators, scientists and local experts will accompany the films and lead the audience in question and answer sessions.
Film updates, programs, links to featured films and information are available online at http://salmonfilmfestival.wordpress.com/.
Fort Bragg”s annual celebration of the glorious migratory salmon turns 40 this year, attracting thousands of visitors.
The World”s Largest Salmon Barbecue in Fort Bragg”s Noyo Harbor on Saturday, July 2 is more than just a day of live music, delicious marinated barbecued salmon and great microbrews and local wines.
New films premiere at Salmon Film Festival
The list of feature-length films is being considered for the Salmon Film Festival on July 2 in South Noyo Harbor. The Salmon Restoration Association invites public input on the films being shown.
There is a form on the website to comment: http://salmonfilmfestival.wordpress.com/films/. About 20 films are expected to be chosen for showings on Friday and Saturday of the weekend of the 40th annual World”s Largest Salmon Barbecue.
– “Alexandra”s Echo” — 47 minutes: A personalized story of how a Canadian scientist uncovers a deadly threat to migrating salmon from aquaculture salmon farms established in otherwise pristine waters where she lives.
– “Red Gold” — 54 minutes: Bristol Bay in South East Alaska is at the confluence of the Kvichat and Nushagak rivers, the two most prolific sockeye salmon runs in the world. Salmon runs are threatened by proposed open-pit mining operations at the rivers” headwaters.
– “River of Renewal” — 60 minutes: Tells the story of conflict over the resources of California and Oregon”s Klamath Basin. The film follows Jack Kohler, a Yurok/Karuk Indian who grew up in San Francisco, on a journey of self-discovery to learn about the cultural traditions of his people and their modern-day struggles to defend tribal rights and the Klamath River.
– “Shadow of the Salmon” — 44 minutes: Produced by 360 Productions, the Northwest Straits Commission, Salmon Defense, the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission and the Potlatch Foundation, this film will introduce Cody Ohitika, a 15-year-old boy from Pine Ridge who comes to visit the Coastal Salish part of his family for the summer. In that summer, he learns about life in the Pacific Northwest, experiencing a First Salmon Ceremony and Canoe Journey. He learns about the environment and salmon management from his Uncle Ray and Aunt Fran and the tribal elders and ultimately helps respond to a tragic oil spill in the river.
Email Frank Hartzell at frankhartzell@gmail.com.
