World Premiere of the 2026 Southern Exposure Films
Join Alabama Rivers Alliance and our partners across the state and region for the FREE World Premiere of the NEW Southern Exposure Films! Don’t miss this eagerly awaited night of storytelling that will inspire, ignite and unite us all as we work together protect Alabama’s waterways, communities, land and air.
Friday, September 25
at The Altamont School Theatre map
Mix and Mingling at 5 pm
Films start at 6:30 pm
Q&A + Discussion After
Delicious Snacks & Drinks While It Lasts
After Party at Rojo in Highland Park!
Created in six weeks during the summer, the Southern Exposure Films celebrate special people and nature in Alabama, while discovering hidden treasures and exploring complex issues.
CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE FILMMAKERSJoin us on Alabama’s Dauphin Island, where dedicated scientists and conservationists are working to protect some of the coast’s most vulnerable residents – our ground nesting birds and turtles. We meet a brand-new-to-this-world Snowy Plover, as she takes her first steps in the sand, and we trudge through that same sand searching for hidden Diamondback Terrapin nests. We’ll meet the special people working together to keep Alabama’s Gulf Coast a haven for humans and critters alike. Alabama’s Wild Coast directed by Ethan Kauffman
Along the Tombigbee River, the small town of McIntosh, Alabama, has lived for generations in the shadow of massive chemical plants. Residents claim they have been sickened through both decades of exposure to legacy chemicals in the environment and direct exposure from modern leaks. Now, as environmental protections for air and water are being rolled back at both the state and federal level, McIntosh residents are left with even fewer options to protect their health and their community. CHEMICAL TOWN Directed by Anna Lueck
RECKONING WITH THE SUN
Every single day, the sun provides Alabamians with more energy than we could ever use – all for free! So why aren’t we using more of it? As solar energy takes off around the world, Alabama is left behind, with most still using dirty fossil fuels to power our communities. This film explores the exciting possibilities of harnessing the sun to meet increasing demand, and the complicated choices that come with it. Can we make room for solar without giving up the wetlands, waterways and wildlife that make Alabama special? Directed by Callie Mejia
ROOTED IN THE RIVER
The Cahaba River is home to an iconic botanical oddball that can only grow in the middle of a rushing, rocky river. The beloved Hymenocallis coronaria (or, Cahaba Lily, to those who know), has inspired thousands of plant lovers all over the nation, but none more than the folks who have found themselves rooted in the river, spending their summer days protecting this unique plant and the wild waters it calls home. Directed by Moses Aubrey
THE DEEP SOUTH
Out of sight, out of mind? Beneath Alabama’s feet lies a hidden world of aquifers, ancient water reserves and, of course, a few tall Southern tales about where our groundwater comes from. The Deep South goes below the surface with well drillers, farmers, scientists and advocates to learn why this hidden resource is so important to both people and nature in Alabama. Perhaps it is not as endless as we think? State leaders in Southeast Alabama share how adequate oversight and management are helping protect and sustain their water resources, while the rest of Alabama could be at risk without a statewide water management plan in place. Directed by Grace Sullivan