The James Redford Campus at True West Film Center
On September 22nd, our team was honored to attend the True West Film Center’s special James Redford Campus groundbreaking event, celebrating the power of film, community, and the life and legacy of our beloved late cofounder, James Redford.
True West Film Center is a state-of-the-art film center removing barriers to film and media arts by supporting artists, educating students of all ages, and creating joy through entertainment. After reaching a critical threshold of $3.1M in the campaign’s total fundraising goal of $5.6M, the Board of Directors approved breaking ground on the construction of the new True West Film Center in the summer of 2024. The community has raised the cost needed to begin construction on the physical space and are now working to fulfill the vision of True West Film Center, which includes the James Redford Campus.
This campus represents a new chapter in James’s dream — having a place where community, filmmakers, and activists can come together, inspire one another, and build the momentum we need to address the myriad social and environmental challenges we face.
Congratulations to Emmy Winner ‘Path of the Panther’
We are sending a warm and celebratory congratulations to the incredible team behind our Redford Center Grantee film, Path of the Panther, for taking home the Emmy Award for Outstanding Nature Documentary!
This powerful story has captivated hearts and made waves in the fight to protect our planet’s wildlife, and we couldn’t be more proud of the amazing team that brought it to life. Join us in celebrating this extraordinary achievement and the impact of this remarkable film.
Films That Move Presents: Impossible Town
We’re excited to share that Redford Center Grantee, Impossible Town will be the featured film for the month of October in our Films That Move Series. Co-presented by DC Environmental Film Festival (DCEFF), the screening window will begin on October 15th and end on October 25th at midnight.
In addition to our virtual screening window, we will be hosting a live, virtual event featuring Impossible Town’s directors Meg Griffiths and Scott Faris and other special guests! Stay tuned for more updates and announcements.
15th Annual Fist Up Film Festival
Redford Center Grantee Filmmaker, Eli Jacobs Fantauzzi, will be hosting his annual Fist up Film Festival in October!
Taking place from October 4th – 14th, the Fist Up Film Festival presents films that are intended to create impact, inspire discussion and foster understanding. By placing emphasis on the connected experiences between global and local communities, Fist Up Film Festival creates visual parallels between people’s lived experiences and stories from around the world.
Upcoming Screenings
Bring Them Home
Bring Them Home tells the story of a small group of Blackfoot people and their mission to establish the first wild buffalo herd on their ancestral territory since the species’ near-extinction a century ago, an act that would restore the land, re-enliven traditional culture and bring much needed healing to their community.
Mollie’s Pack
On January 12, 1995 wolves returned to Yellowstone, 50 years after their extirpation. Mollie Beattie, the first female director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, carried the first Canadian born wolf into The Park’s experimental acclimation enclosure, Alpha Female Wolf No. 5. From that day forward, their lives would be forever connected. This is the true story of Mollie’s Pack.
Standing Above the Clouds
When the world’s largest telescope is set to be built on their sacred mountain, Mauna Kea, three Native Hawaiian families dedicate their lives to defending it. Through the lens of mothers and daughters, Standing Above the Clouds explores intergenerational healing and the social and emotional labor of retaining ancient ceremonies while putting your body on the line to protect a sacred mountain.
Te Puna Ora (The Source of Life)
‘Te Puna Ora’ follows three exceptional Tahitian women who unite to protect their cherished beach from privatization, determined to prevent their island from facing the same challenges as Tahiti. Their journey uncovers the hidden impacts of unsustainable development, the lingering effects of colonialism on indigenous voices, and issues surrounding land and ocean exploitation. It poignantly illustrates that true progress is inseparable from the preservation of cultural heritage.
Standing Above the Clouds (APAture 2024 Film Showcase)
A film showcase featuring the works of Teao Sense, Sophia Perez, Angelique Kalano Axelrode, Joyce Keokham, Elaine Nguyen, and featured artist Jalena Keane-Lee. These varied and poignant works explore cultural knowledge and belonging through a variety of different lenses: educational shows and music videos that foreground the lived experience of the AAPI diaspora, reflections on cultural belonging and embodiment, and a documentary that highlights Indigenous Hawaiians’ righteous struggles for self-determination.
Giants Rising (Featuring Guided Redwood Tour in the Presidio)
Telling the epic tale of America’s most iconic trees, Giants Rising reveals the secrets and saga of the redwoods — the tallest and among the oldest living beings on Earth. Living links to the past, redwoods also hold the power to impact our future. Through the voices of scientists, artists, native people, and others, the film explores the wonder and plight of these awe-inspiring forests, offering insights that could help sustain us all.
The filmmaking team behind Giants Rising doesn’t just want you to see the film. They want you to get out into the woods! To that end, they invite you to join them for a guided forest immersion in a redwood grove located in San Francisco’s Presidio.
Giants Rising (Followed by Q&A and Reception)
Revealing the superpowers of the redwoods like never before, Giants Rising tells the epic tale of these extraordinary trees, including the mission to help them rise up from the past — and help us all face the challenges of the future.
Brought to you in partnership with The Redford Center — Sundance Nature Alliance is thrilled to welcome producer, director, writer, Lisa Landers for a screening and discussion of her documentary film Giants Rising.
About The Redford Center
Co-founded in 2005 by activists and filmmakers Robert Redford and James Redford, The Redford Center is a nonprofit that advances environmental solutions through the power of stories that move. As one of the only US-based nonprofits solely dedicated to environmental impact filmmaking, The Redford Center develops and invests in projects that foster action and strengthen the reach of the grassroots efforts powering the environmental movement. Over the years, The Redford Center has produced three award-winning feature documentaries and more than 40 short films, supported over 150 film and media projects with grants and other services, inspired the creation of 550 student films, and disbursed more than $20 million to environmental film projects, amplifying change-making environmental solutions to millions of people worldwide.