Puyallup River Film Festival

As reluctant as we are to support the use of the semantically-questionable phrase “first annual,” here’s a little event you might be interested in:

The University of Washington Tacoma, with a supporting grant from the Russell Family Foundation, will be hosting the First Annual first ever Puyallup River Film Festival: a Competition to Save Our Watershed.

The festival, focused on the Puyallup River Watershed, was inspired by the 2010 UWT documentary Water Undone: The Efforts to Save the Puyallup River Watershed. It will showcase the video-making talents of individuals, schools of all levels, and nonprofit organizations located or working in the watershed.

The 2010 documentary describes the pollution challenges to the health of the river, and lays out the case for cleaning up watersheds to help the overall health of the Puget Sound. But it’s an hour-long documentary, which is too long for use in most classrooms. This film festival asks the public to create shorter videos, using fresh approaches, that can be watched on YouTube or cell phones. Interested environmentalists and aspiring filmmakers can submit two to three minute videos “related to issues affecting the Puyallup River and its tributaries.” Originality and inventiveness is encouraged. Watch the trailer for inspiration:

All entries will be screened in a film festival open to the public in late October, with prizes awarded to winners in each category selected by the audience. All entries will then be on view to the public on a new website, which will showcase educational materials and outreach efforts in the Puyallup River Watershed.

To learn more about the festival view the UWT event poster (pdf), or contact Jim Gawel (jimgawel@uw.edu). To enter your team in the film festival competition, register at https://catalyst.uw.edu/webq/survey/jimgawel/192838
before May 1, 2013. Entries must be delivered on DVD by October 11, 2013.

You’ll be famous!!!