Thank you to everyone who came out for the NO Mine Movie Night on November 19, 2022! It was a packed house.
The night was a celebration of community and grassroots activism. We watched seven short films, plus a surprise teaser for a film project about the IM Mine by award-winning filmmaker Lou Douros that is looking for donations. We also listened to a panel of filmmakers and experts.
Just in case you missed it, some of the films are available for public viewing.
FULL EVENT DESCRIPTION
Community Environmental Advocates Foundation and the MineWatch Campaign are partnering with the Wild & Scenic Film Festival to curate an inspiring collection of medium and short films.
Explore some of the environment’s most pressing issues
Experience diverse perspectives of people who love and steward nature
See hopeful solutions for a healthier planets
Held: Saturday, November 19, 6 to 9pm
Seaman's Lodge | 423 Nimrod Street, Nevada City, CA
Films screened included:
The Magical Forest And The Things
Dave Russo | 2020 | 5 min
As a Covid lockdown project, 6 year old Calliope narrates a story animated by artist Dave Russo depicting a critical yet child-like observation of human consumption habits and the social reinforcements that influence it (in her words, of course).
An Alaskan Fight
Brian Kelley | 2021 | 7 min.
Sometimes conservation can feel like an ultramarathon. In this short biopic, runner and wild fish advocate Sam Snyder fights against the Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska over the course of a decade and learns the meaning of home and place in the process.
Rise Beyond Gold
Jennifer Ekstrom, Catalyst Communications | 2020 | 13 min.
This is a film about a proposal to re-open the Idaho-Maryland Mine in Grass Valley, CA. The community faces a foreign corporation that would take the gold from under their property and leave a toxic legacy. Rise Beyond Gold raises bigger questions for the world at large. Why do we desire gold; and ultimately, is it worth it?
District 15
Anjali Nayar (Director) | 2019 | 23 min.
Award Winner: 2021 Honorable Mention, Wild and Scenic Film Festival
Communities for a Better Environment does critical work on environmental justice and empowers Californian communities to stand up to polluting industries and build a green energy future. This short film highlights the hope and tenacity of the young activists of Wilmington, California as they push the Los Angeles City Council to prohibit new and existing oil and gas drilling operations within 2,500 feet of homes, schools, and hospitals.
ReBuilding Butte
Amanda Lipp, Lipp Studios | 2021 | 25 min.
This is the heartfelt story of a tiny home building project for survivors of the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history, the 2018 Camp Fire. The film follows Alyssa Hofman, a survivor herself and mother of three who learned how to build by watching YouTube videos. This film features the builders and tiny home recipients.
Resilience Is In Our Nature
Brady Holden (Cinematographer/ Director), Dez Ramirez (Writer/Director) | 2020 | 2 min.
A snapshot of the Portland, Oregon community during the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter uprising, Resilience Is In Our Nature captures resilience that can be found within us and around us. Whether it’s putting a mask on and enjoying outside, learning how to thrive and grow in quarantine, maintaining balance physically and mentally in nature, or a small business adapting and staying afloat – this film centers the fabric of what makes Oregon’s neighborhoods, cities, and state a special place to live.
Water for Gold
Tom & Debra Weistar | 2015 | 12 min.
An alarming story about how international trade law is leading us to trade our most basic rights to clean, safe water for access to gold. In the 1990’s, a mine in nearby San Juan Ridge caused water to pour out of the aquifer scouring creeks and dewatering wells. This is the story of what a community can do when they decide that enough is enough, and that they will not trade water for gold.
Panel of Speakers
Our live panel of local experts will discuss and answer audience questions. Their diverse expertise and perspectives will help us better understand what 2023 looks like for the mine proposal and what we can expect in the longer term.
Martin Webb - Moderator, KVMR Radio Host
Martin has been in the renewable energy field for 25 years, as a business owner and solar expert, which translated into a life of environmental activism. Whether producing radio shows on KVMR as the host of “The Climate Report,” or on TV as the host of “Tipping Point,” a new monthly program on Nevada County Media, he has become a well-known voice for environmental awareness around a host of issues, including the proposed mine.
Menkin Nelson - Filmmaker
Menkin worked as a yacht captain abroad for a decade before starting an adventure travel business that raised money and awareness for small nonprofits around the world. An enthusiast for adventure and the great outdoors, she fell in love the Sierra's and now owns a home and business in Nevada County where she’s joined the fight to stop the mine and protect our resources with the production of 'Rise Beyond Gold'.
Lou Douros - Filmmaker
Lou is an award-winning writer and film director. He is currently working on a new movie titled: Shafted. Shafted explores whether Rise Gold Corp’s plan will devastate the people, the environment, and the economy of Grass Valley, CA.
Elizabeth Martin - Former CEO of the Sierra Fund
Elizabeth "Izzy" Martin is an organizer and advocate with more than forty years of experience working in rural communities to promote economic and environmental justice.
While serving as Nevada County Supervisor (1999 – 2003) Izzy led the fight in the legislature to put the Yuba River into the state’s wild and scenic river system, spearheaded the effort to clean up an abandoned mine in her district, and began a successful five-year campaign to establish the Sierra Nevada Conservancy. As the CEO of The Sierra Fund, Izzy conceived of and directed The Sierra Fund’s Mining Initiative, working to assess and address mining’s toxic legacy.
Ralph Silberstein - President, Community Environmental Advocates Foundation
Ralph is the President of the Community Environmental Advocates Foundation (CEAF). He is a retired software engineer. Ralph served as a Grass Valley Planning Commissioner and on the Nevada County Fish and Wildlife Commission. He is a retired software engineer, business owner, and former building contractor. With 20 years of experience working on mining issues, he is an invaluable resource in the MineWatch campaign.
Christy Hubbard - Impacted Homeowner
Christy is an impacted homeowner and a spokesperson for The Wells Coalition. She is a retired high-tech marketing professional who spent decades with Adobe (the Photoshop and PDF company). As a volunteer with CEA Foundation, Christy has been a leader in creating the MineWatch campaign website, social media presence, and other communications.
About MineWatch
Minewatch Nevada County is a community campaign sponsored by Community Environmental Advocates Foundation that brings together a coalition of nonprofit organizations, residents, and businesses, in the Grass Valley and Nevada City areas. Community opposition to the re-opening of the mine the long-shuttered Idaho-Maryland Mine in Grass Valley, CA has grown significantly over the last two years. A residential neighborhood has developed around the abandoned site. In July, community leaders delivered over 4,700 petition signatures from Nevada County residents who opposed the mine. 250 business leaders have signed a letter or a petition opposing the mine. Hundreds of lawn signs are displayed throughout Nevada the County. The Nevada County Board of Supervisors may consider vote on this issue in 2023. www.minewatchnc.org
About the Wild and Scenic Film Festival
The Wild and Scenic Film Festival was started by the watershed advocacy group, the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) in 2003. Each year the festival hosts a large 5-day event in Nevada City. This year’s home festival will be held in February. The festival’s namesake is in celebration of SYRCL’s landmark victory to receive “Wild & Scenic” status for 39 miles of the South Yuba River in 1999. This February’s 5-day event features over 150 award-winning films and welcomes over 100 guest speakers, celebrities, and activists who bring a human face to the environmental movement.
The home festival kicks-off the international tour to communities around the globe, allowing SYRCL to share their success as an environmental group with other organizations. The festival is building a network of grassroots organizations connected by a common goal of using film to inspire activism. With the support of National Partners: Peak Design, Hipcamp, EarthJustice, Miir and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, the festival can reach an even larger audience. For more information visit: www.wildandscenicfilmfestival.org