Far North Conservation Film Festival schedule

April 18, 2008 at 10:26AM AKST

Forget cable, the "real" shows begin this weekend when the Far North Conservation Film Festival hits town. The two-night showing features 12 films ranging from five to 56 minutes and covering such topics as magical landscapes, pollution in the Yukon, chickens and the Brooks Range.

The flicks are sponsored by the Alaska SeaLife Center and the National Park Service. Shows run from 7-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 18-19, at the Rae Building.

Admission is free.

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Friday, April 18

7 p.m. Introduction

7:05 p.m. " Past Whispers" 7.5 minutes

"Past Whispers" follows the adventures of three siblings who open a portal into a world of magical skies and menacing landscapes. They delve into the belly of a waterfall, take flight on the wings of a beetle and meet up close a disgruntled oak tree.

7:13 p.m. " Yukon Circles" 27 minutes

The 2,300-mile Yukon River flowing through Canada and Alaska is threatened by pollution from military installations, mining, manufacturing and settlement. This film documents the historic agreement by tribes and First Nations to work together to protect the river.

7:40 p.m. " Water’s Journey: The River Returns" 26 minutes

Explore up the St. Johns River, from the ocean to its headwaters in an Evergladed-like marsh. Experience the stunning beauty of a wild and scenic land and the difficult issues the locals face as they grapple with the reality of growth.

8:06 p.m. " Waterfowl Population Surveys" 8 minutes

Trace the history of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Waterfowl Population Survey program as it has evolved into the largest and most reliable wildlife survey effort in the world.

8:14 p.m. " Sipay Khorlo" 8 minutes

Lobsang Samten, formerly a Buddhist monk, uses the meticulous art of Tibetan sand painting to create to create an intricate mandala called the Sipay Khorlo or the Wheel of Life.

8:22 p.m. " Commute" 5 minutes

This short film portrays the oneness between man, nature, and work by following a businessman who commutes downtown through a forest via a rope swing and a lake.

8:27 p.m. " A World at Waste" 30 minutes

The day begins quite normally for Kevin, a young dedicated father. He takes his regular drive to the river, where he dumps his used motor oil and is launched, unknowingly, decades into the future to see the results of his actions.

Saturday, April 19

7 p.m. Introduction

> 7:05 p.m. " Sharing Circle: Back to the Land" 23 minutes

In the face of changing times and changing values, Nelson House elder Madeline Spence and her husband, Wellington, are making a concerted effort to pass their valued knowledge of Mother Earth to future generations.

> 7:28 p.m. " Chickens in the City" 7.5 minutes

"Chickens in the City" is a chicken-level view of backyard coops in San Francisco. The film playfully explores the ways in which keeping chickens has helped shape the philosophies behind what and how urban chicken-owners eat. When was the last time you looked your dinner in the eye?

7:36 p.m. " Last Journey for the Leatherback" 30 minutes

Witness the incredible life of the leatherbacks that can dive as deep as whales and migrate across entire ocean basins. Scientist predict that the giant Pacific leatherback sea turtle, which has survived unchanged for over 100 million years, could vanish in the next five to 30 years. What can be done?

8:06 p.m. " If the River Had a Voice" 5.5 minutes

If we would just listen, what would the St. Johns River say to us?

Feature Film

8:12 p.m. " Gates of the Arctic" 56 minutes.

Visit our wildest national park in the heart of the Brooks Range in Alaska. Meet the people who live in and near the park and learn the important role these wild lands played in the creation of America’s wilderness movement. Produced by Rory Banyard, executive producer of North Shore Productions.