Mesquite is very fortunate to receive a showing of the Wild and Scenic Film Festival again this year. It’s a treat normally saved for big cities! This collection of short films promise to be enlightening, educational, and entertaining. Have a wonderful night out and join us on Wednesday, November 7 at the Mesquite Community Theater on 150 North Yucca. Doors open at 6:30 for raffles and socializing. Films begin promptly at 7pm. Tickets available in advance at the theater box office for $5.00 or on the day of the show for $8.00.

Here is a list of the films being shown:

WSFF Intro -

Eagle Among the Swarm -

Seasons: Spring – As the snow melts and makes it way to the ocean, Jesse Murphy becomes reinvigorated by the river.

One Plastic Beach – Richard Lang and Judith Selby Lang have been collecting plastic debris off one beach in Northern California for over ten years. Each piece of plastic Richard and Judith pick up comes back to their house, where it gets cleaned, categorized and stored before being used for their art. The couple make sculptures, prints, jewelry and installations with the plastic they find washed up, raising a deeper concern with the problem of plastic pollution in our seas.

BYA: Alex Epstien and Tania Pulida – Six beautiful films highlight the activism of The Earth Island Institute’s 2011 Brower Youth Award winners, today’s most visionary and strategic young environmentalists. Meet Girl Scouts Rhiannon Tomtishen and Madison Vorva, 15 and 16, who are winning their fight to green Girl Scout cookies; Victor Davila, 17, who is teaching environmental education through skateboarding; Alex Epstein and Tania Pulido, 20 and 21, who bring urban communities together through gardening; Junior Walk, 21 who is challenging the coal industry in his own community, and Kyle Thiermann, 21, whose surf videos have created millions of dollars in environmentally responsible investments.

Chasing Water – Follow the Colorado River, source to sea, with photographer Pete McBride who takes an intimate look at the watershed as he attempts to follow the irrigation water that sustains his family’s Colorado ranch, down river to the sea. Traversing 1500 miles and draining seven states, the Colorado River supports over 30 million people across the southwest. It is not the longest or largest U.S. river, but it is one of the most loved and litigated in the world. Today, this resource is depleted and stressed. Follow its path with an artistic, aerial view on a personal journey to understand this national treasure. McBride teamed up with his bush-pilot father to capture unique footage and also shadowed the adventure of Jon Waterman who became the first to paddle the entire length of the river.

The story of Bottled Water -

Timber – I used MY natural resources to make a film about OUR natural resources! This short animated film uses the trimming of a beard to make a point about irresponsible usage of everything the Earth has to offer.

Oktapodi -

Seasons: Winter – Brian Ward discovers an unexpected and new-found love for water in its frozen and expanded form.

The new environmentalist- troubled water

Dark Side of the Lens – Dark Side of the Lens is one mans personal and heartfelt account of life as an ocean based photographer. This short film takes you on an eerie, stunning and moving journey amongst the epic oceanic grandeur of Irelands west coast. Renowned documentarian of the heavy salt, Mickey Smith, has succeeded in creating a visual poem of sorts, that offers a humble glimpse into his strange and magical world, reflecting insights that in turn ring true with many of our own lives.

An Ill wind – The Moapa River Indian Reservation, tribal home of the Moapa Band of Paiutes, sits about 30 miles north of Las Vegas and about 300 yards from the coal ash ponds and landfills of the Reid Gardner Power Station. Coal ash is the toxic ash and sludge left at the end of the coal burning process. It’s laced with arsenic, mercury, lead and other heavy metals. It’s the second largest waste stream in America and it’s currently unregulated. If the conditions are just wrong, coal ash picks up from Reid Gardner and moves across the desert like a toxic sandstorm sending the local residents running for their homes. The reservation has lung, heart and thyroid disease rates that are abnormally high and the power plant is currently seeking to expand its coal ash storage capability. The film An Ill Wind tells the Paiute Indians’ story.

Weed War – One man’s obsession to do his part for the environment using weed-eating goats to control noxious invaders in the Rocky Mountains. A profile on Mark Harbaugh, Patagonia fly fishing rep and goat rancher.

The Fisherman -

The Majestic Plastic Bag -