2024 Film Festival Program

Welcome to the Idaho Sierra Club's 2024 Wild & Scenic Film Festival!

Thanks for joining us at the 2024 Wild & Scenic Film Festival! The Idaho Chapter Sierra Club loves hosting this event every year, and we're so excited to finally be back in-person to bring amazing films about our natural world to help connect communities and inspire action.

See Auction & Drawing Items!

All proceeds from the event support the local work done by the Idaho Chapter. If you'd like to continue supporting the chapter, please become a monthly donor!

 

Land Acknowledgement & Indigenous Justice

Please read and reflect on the following statement from the Indigenous Idaho Alliance, and visit their website to learn about several ways to support Indigenous Justice in Idaho and beyond:

"The sovereignty, well-being, cultures, and languages of Indigenous peoples are borne of their homelands, which makes these lands and waters precious to Indigenous communities. In the spirit of this statement please know that you are standing on the unceded lands of the Nuwe/Nume (Paiute, Shoshone, Bannock) people and reside within the territorial lands of the Niimiipuu, the Schitsu’umsh, the Ktunaxa.

We all have a responsibility to respect and care for this land respectfully as the ancestor it is, while creating sustainability for future generations. Please do your part and Land Back."

 

Part 1

print of salmon

I Am Salmon (3) | Whitney Hassett

Connecting humanity with salmon and the sea through the subtle art of poetry and Gyotaku (fish rubbing), Duncan Berry shares his experience as a longtime environmentalist and former captain of a salmon troller. In adopting the perspective of this transcendent fish, the beauty and power of the Oregon coast becomes the canvas through which the evolution of the salmon is illustrated. 

boy running on side of road

Bring The Salmon Home (14) | Shane Anderson

Bring the Salmon Home captures the emotions, courage, and determination of Klamath River tribal communities as they host a 300+ mile run from ocean to headwaters to cultivate support for the biggest river restoration project in history.

man standing at lecturn in a church

Green the City (5) | Kika Tuff

As pastor of the New Northside Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis, the Reverend Rodrick Burton champions many causes -- including renewable energy. Meanwhile, St. Louis Sustainability Director Catherine Werner pushes for energy efficiency and solar workforce programs that support underserved communities. Explore how these efforts come together to help a coal-powered city emerge as an environmental leader.

woman looking up with white helmet

Elevated (15) | Palmer Morse

In an effort to make the outdoor and rock climbing industry more inclusive, Deaf climber Sonya Wilson shares her testimony in overcoming barriers and gaining acceptance while hosting climbing retreats with both hearing and Deaf outdoor enthusiasts. Through the trials and traumas of her childhood, Wilson has become elevated — embodying the belief that being Deaf is a gift that does not make you less than.

person sitting on ground facing scenic mountain landscape

Rockies Repeat (20) | Caroline Hedin

Rockies Repeat grapples with the cultural impacts of climate change in the Canadian Rockies. The film follows a team of artists as they trek into the mountains to reinterpret the work of early Banff painter, Catharine Whyte a century later. Their journey is a heartbreaking meditation on a shifting sense of place in a rapidly changing climate.

 

Part 2

forest on fire

Big Basin Speaks (4) | Sarinah Simons

A forest speaks after experiencing a devastating wildfire. Of the areas touched by these devastating wildfires, was Big Basin Redwoods State Park, a place dearly loved by so many across the world for its lush beauty and impressive old growth forest. Inspired by the accounts of friends, neighbors, coworkers, and the natural and cultural resources that called the park home, Big Basin Speaks lends a feeling of hope to all those who have despaired at the hands of these fires by giving an artistic glimpse into the mind and heart of Big Basin itself.

group of water rights activists

Hasta la última gota (18) | Ben Derico

Hasta la Última Gota follows the fight of those working to change a national charter that has privatized Chile’s vast natural water supply. Following an uprising in 2019 that drew millions of protestors across the country, and against the background of a 15-year drought that has left over half of the country in an official water emergency, a popularly elected body has been tasked with rewriting the constitution from scratch.

2 people running on forest trail

Miles to Go (9) | Palmer Morse

In 2022 alone there have been over 300 anti LGBTQ+ bills proposed in various states across the country. Refusing to sit idly by, trans trail runner Perry Cohen formed a team of fellow runners, who identify as trans men, with an aim to compete in trail races in states proposing and passing hateful legislation. Miles to Go follows their journey into the world of trail running and the freedom to be themselves on the trail.

hiker with large pack bent over petting dog

Breaking Trail (30) | Jesse Roesler

Emily Ford sets out with Diggins, a borrowed sled dog, to become the first woman and person of color to thru-hike the 1,200-mile Ice Age Trail in winter. As the journey through subzero temperatures tests her physical and mental endurance, Emily and her canine protector develop an unbreakable bond as they embrace the unexpected kindness of strangers and discover they’ve become figureheads in the movement to make the outdoors more accessible for everyone.

 

Our Sponsors

Thank you to our community sponsors from across Idaho! A special thank you to our Borah Peak Sponors, The Modern HotelLorrelle Rau StudiosTri-State OutfittersParadise Creek Bikes, University of Idaho Swim Center, and Revolusun!

sponsor logos on tan background

Our Volunteers

We couldn't have pulled this off without our incredible team of volunteers, helping with film selection, advertising, sponsor outreach, event setup and coordination, and more!

Boise Volunteers:  Jenna, Sherlyn, Morty, Tim, Dave, Debi, Kelly, Brad, Jessica, Anna, Sally, Elsa, Chelsea, Lauren, Jean, Jeffrey, Sayed, Crystal, Jane, Jennifer, Fiona, Cory, Hailey, Allie, Pamela, Mercedes, James

Moscow Volunteers: Al, Liv, Jim, Mac, Rich, Margaret, Angela, David, Austin, Nicholas