Filmmakers
Nicolas Brown – The Serengeti Rules
Nicolas is one of the UK and USA’s leading documentary filmmakers. He’ll join us to accept his ACFF Green Fire Award and will discuss his film about a band of pioneering environmental biologists after the screening at 6pm on Saturday, October 13 at the Frank Center.
Sara Matasick – Rancheros del Jaguar
Sara is a wildlife filmmaker and ecologist who recently finished her MA in wildlife filmmaking at the University of the West of England but is now back in the states. She’ll be joining us for the screening of her student film about a program that helps ranchers in Mexico co-exist with rare jaguars which begins at 1:30 PM on Saturday, October 13th at the National Conservation Training Center.
Sriram Murali – Saving the Dark
Sriram is a filmmaker and public education volunteer for the International Dark Sky Association. His work has been published in National Geographic, Time, and several other magazines. He’ll be speaking after his film about light pollution which begins at 2:30 PM on Saturday, October 13th at the Frank Center.
Michelle Bauer Carpenter – Enough White Teacups
Michelle is an Associate Professor of Digital Design in the College of Arts & Media at the University of Colorado, Denver. She’ll be joining us to accept her ACFF Foreign Film Award after the screening of her film about design for sustainability which begins at 5:30 PM on Friday, October 12 at the Frank Center.
Eric Liner – Bird of Prey
Eric Liner is a director and cinematographer with Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology’s Multimedia Unit. He’ll join us to accept his ACFF Green Spark Award for Highlighting Conservation Heroes after the screening of his film about the rare Philippine Eagle which begins at 3 PM on Saturday, October 13th at the National Conservation Training Center.
David Schumacher – The New Fire
David is a producer and director, drawn to environmental activism. He’ll join us for the screening of his revelatory film about the new nuclear 2.0 movement which begins at 11 AM on Sunday, October 14th at the Frank Center.
Aditi Desai – Surviving the Wild: Cats and Birds
Aditi is a digital storyteller skilled in producing, editing and shooting documentaries with a diverse background in counseling, legal advocacy, and environmental conservation work. She’ll join us for her film about the threat that domestic cats pose to wild birds which screens at 1:00 PM on Sunday, October 14th at the Frank Center.
Eddie Mostert – Walk on the Mountain
Eddie specializes in documentary cinematography and is the director of photography for Walk on the Mountain about a young anti-coal activist in southern WV, which won ACFF’s Student Film Award. Eddie will accept the award on behalf of the entire student filmmaking team from Ithaca College that collaborated on the project. Congratulate him after his screening which begins at 7:15 PM on Sunday, October 14 at the Frank Center.
Mike Cullen – Calm, Quiet Strength
The director of this poignant tribute to a 200-year-old witness to American history: an Appalachian Mountain tulip poplar tree. Mike will join us for the screening at 11:00 AM on Sunday, October 14th at the Frank Center.
Crystal Berg and Sirjaut Kaur Dhariwal – Healing Baltimore’s Harbor: A Pipe Dream?
Crystal Berg is pursuing her Masters of Fine Arts in environmental and wildlife filmmaking at American University and is currently working as an associate producer at National Geographic. Both she and Sirjaut will join us for the screening of their film which begins at 1:30 PM on Saturday, October 13th at the National Conservation Training Center.
Sirjaut is a zoologist pursuing her MFA in Wildlife and Environmental Filmmaking at American University and is currently producing a film about agricultural practices in Punjab, India. We’re so excited she’ll be joining us on Saturday, October 13 for the 1:30 PM screening of her student film about efforts to clean up Baltimore Harbor.
Conservation Speakers
Leda Huta, Executive Director of the Endangered Species Coalition will speak with us after the film Rare: Creatures of the Photo Ark on Saturday at 8:30 PM at the Frank Center. Learn how you can help protect vulnerable species near and far.
Dr. Belinda Burwell, wildlife veterinarian of 30 years, will bring 5 species of *live owls* to NCTC on Saturday. She’ll talk about the important role raptors play in ecosystems. She’ll speak after the Bird of Prey film which begins at 3 PM on Saturday, October 13th at the National Conservation Training Center.
David Lillard, longtime resident of Jefferson Co, WV works with West Virginia Rivers Coalition to empower communities impacting by natural gas development, involve the public in drinking water protections, and safeguard the headwaters in the mountains of West Virginia. David will share ways we can help on Sunday at the Frank Center after the film, The Devil We Know which screens at 7:15 PM on Sunday, October 14th at the Frank Center.
Mark Frondorf, Shenandoah River Keeper with the Potomac River Keeper’s Network will join us to talk about defending our local waterways after the film, The Devil We Know which screens at 7:15 PM on Sunday, October 14th at the Frank Center.
Dan Conant – CEO of Solar Holler will join us to speak about green energy solutions after Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution which screens Saturday at 4pm at the Frank Center.
Film Stars
Edward Hurme is a conservation biologist featured in the film Mexican Fishing Bats. He’ll join us for the screening which begins at 1:00 PM on Sunday, October 14th at the Frank Center.
Sue Post, the mother of Bucky Bailey, had been an employee of DuPont for several years and worked directly with the chemical components that make Teflon. Evidence has been shown that DuPont knew about the harmful properties of the chemical in relation to the fetus. Both she and her son, Bucky will join us to speak to the audience on Sunday night after The Devil We Know screens at 7:15 at the Frank Center.
Bucky Bailey, was born in Parkersburg, WV with severe birth deformities including one nostril, serrated eyelid and a keyhole pupil after being exposed to toxic chemicals in utero. He and his wife struggled with the decision to have a child knowing that the chemical exposure is persistent and could impact the health of their own child. Bucky and his wife will join us for The Devil We Know which screens at 7:15 at the Frank Center.
