Chattahoochee Riverkeeper is inviting the community to grab some popcorn, find a comfortable place on the couch and help protect Georgia’s biggest water source.
The nonprofit’s seventh annual Wild and Scenic Film Festival will take place online this year, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 15. Tickets cost $12 per person, which includes virtual access to 14 short films for five days, a raffle entry and admission to the silent auction.
Mallory Pendleton, headwaters outreach manager in Gainesville, said the films range from two to 19 minutes. She shared that they aim to inspire and empower viewers, encompassing messages around nature, community activism, conservation, climate change and more.
People can expect to see “Disappearing Penguins,” which follows a team of scientists undergoing a penguin research expedition on a remote island off the Antarctic peninsula; “The Crown,” a film about Will “Akuna” Robinson, the first Black man on record to complete the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail; and many other environmental-themed pieces.
Pendleton said that the Wild and Scenic Film Festival is the headwater region’s biggest fundraiser of the year, drawing in hundreds of attendees annually. During last year’s virtual event, the nonprofit sold around 330 tickets. This year, Pendleton said the organization aims to reach or exceed that mount.
Wild and Scenic Film Festival
What: Online fundraising event for Chattahoochee Riverkeeper’s headwaters region
When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 15
Where: Online via a link sent by Chattahoochee Riverkeeper
How much: $12 per person; includes access to 14 films for five days, raffle, one-year Chattahoochee Riverkeeper membership and silent auction
More info/tickets: chattahoochee.org/wildscenic
Proceeds from the festival will go toward Chattahoochee Riverkeeper’s The Clean Lanier Equation campaign, which actively protects Lake Lanier by funding trash removal, outreach programs, water quality monitoring and environmental education.
As a new addition to the event, Pendleton said the nonprofit will host a silent auction through its website. It will go live on Friday, May 7, and close Thursday, May 20. Some of the auction items include packages for local beer and wine tastings, canoe and kayak trips and cottage rentals in the North Georgia mountains.
“A lot of people recreate on Lake Lanier, and especially much so during this pandemic,” Pendleton said. “That’s another great way to show support and love to our natural resource.”
For more information about the Wild and Scenic Film Festival, visit chattahoochee.org/wildscenic.
