This was, without a doubt, the best Wild & Scenic we’ve ever had. Not only did we premiere our two best films to date, but we got to share a prime-time packed venue with Yvon Chouinard, Rick Ridgeway, and filmmakers Travis Rummel and Ben Knight. Spending time talking with these inspiring people and taking in their films gave us hope for the two campaigns we hope to amplify with our own films — saving Snake River salmon and protecting the Great Bear Rainforest. A couple of nuggets that got us inspired and thinking…
In the film [180º South}, Yvon says: “The solution may be to turn around and take one step forward. It’s not one step back if you just turn around 180º and take a step.”
And in the case of the Great Bear Rainforest, we think he’s on to something. If we allow Enbridge’s pipeline to expand the Alberta tar sands through the BC North Coast and if we allow oil super tankers to ply those pristine waters, disaster is inevitable. And not just for the people and wildlife who thrive in Great Bear, but for humanity as a whole. Because as we’re standing at the edge of a cliff that will define our future, instead of turning around and taking one step forward to save ourselves, we stepped forward off that cliff toward a future of ravaged ecosystems, mass extinctions and oil dependence.
In the film Eastern Rises by Felt Soul Media, one of the characters says: “Fly fishing may 
not benefit society as a whole… But your life is enriched. You’ve got to devote your life to something… And I’ve decided to devote mine to being in this moment.”
Thank you to everyone who has supported EP Films and these campaigns. Our goal for the festival was that viewers would leave feeling entertained and inspired and we know we found some new allies in Nevada City. It’s going to take a groundswell to sway the fate of the Snake River salmon and the Great Bear Rainforest ecosystem, and we hope that our films will help motivate people to act.
And a huge thanks to Emily Nuchols and Anna Brones of Under Solen Media for your help in the production of these films and throwing a rockin’ premier party on Saturday!
Both films will be on the Wild & Scenic world tour–so look for them coming to your home town and at other film festivals across the country!