The 2017 Wild & Scenic Film Festival line-up challenges, inspires, educates and provokes conversation. The selection of films for the 10th annual festival in Birmingham cover a variety of topics including local activism and community engagement, wildlife appreciation, family adventures and inspiration, plastic in our oceans and bays, exploration of land and so much more. Take a look at the selected film synopsis below.

Film Name	Film Synopsis
Coral Reef Rescue	An upbeat look at a downbeat topic, this film explores coral reefs, which are home to 25% of all marine species and protect the coastlines of more than 100 countries and provide 500 million people with jobs. They are also taking a huge hit from climate change, ocean acidification, and other pressures. The Mote Tropical Research Lab and the Coral Restoration Foundation’s ground breaking work with accelerating coral growth in the lab, creating nurseries in the ocean, and replanting back to the reefs is nothing less than fantastic. Their efforts create hope for the future of sustainable coral reefs around the globe.
Destiny's Bay	Destiny Watford organized her community to prevent construction of the nations largest incinerator in a Baltimore neighborhood less than one mile from her high school and won the Goldman Environmental Prize for her work in 2016.
Douglas Tompkins: Wild Legacy	Douglas Tompkins was a world-renowned adventurer, entrepreneur, and conservationist. The founder of The North Face and cofounder of Esprit, Doug spent the first half of his life building successful global brands, while simultaneously adventuring around the world, completing first descents of the world’s toughest rivers. In the early 1990s, Doug sold his part of Esprit and turned his entrepreneurial energies to land and wildlife conservation projects in South America. Over the last 25 years, Tompkins’ efforts have helped secure 4.75 million acres in new protected areas in Chile and Argentina including five new national parks
Forget Shorter Showers	Would any sane person think dumpster diving would have stopped Hitler, or that composting would have ended slavery or brought about the eight-hour workday; or that chopping wood and carrying water would have gotten people out of Tsarist prisons; or that dancing around a fire would have helped put in place the Voting Rights Act of 1957 or the Civil Rights Act of 1964? Then why now, with all the world at stake, do so many people retreat into these entirely personal “solutions”?
Growing Change	Jim Cochran arrived at work before dawn. He walked out into the strawberry fields. As the sun rose and light hit the field, he began to smell chemicals. His eyes watered. His head spun. He started to shake. He had just walked into a field that had been sprayed with pesticides. From this experience, Jim Cochran helped invent the organic strawberry industry. After pioneering and profiting from a healthier crop, he turned his attention to the health of his workers.
One Hundred Thousand Beating Hearts	Director Peter Byck’s short film One Hundred Thousand Beating Hearts tells the story of fourth generation cattleman Will Harris’s evolution from industrial, commodity cowboy to sustainable, humane food producer, whilst breathing new life into a community left behind and forgotten due to,
Our Wonderful Nature - The Common Chameleon	The feeding habits of the common chameleon as never seen before.
Pale Blue Dot	Set to the words of Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot situates human history against the tapestry of the cosmos through an eclectic combination of art styles woven seamlessly together through music and visuals, seeking to remind us that regardless of our differences, we are one species living on Earth.
Plastico	Beach communities around the world suffer from an abundance of plastic that tragically ends up in the oceans at an alarming rate – over 8 million metric tons per year. Join the founders of the Azulita Project, as they share information on how a small community is making a difference.
Role Reversal - Climbing in Spain	Emily Harrington traveled to Spain with her dad, Tim, to mentor him while he attempts to tick his first 5.12 at age 60. Tim and Emily learn from each other and relive the glory days in this heartfelt family climbing epic.
The Super Salmon	Proponents of a plan to construct a $5.2-billion hydroelectric mega-dam on Alaska’s Susitna River say it wouldn’t affect the watershed’s famous salmon runs because of its location – upstream of where fish usually swim. Tell that to the Super Salmon.
The Wild President	President Jimmy Carter, an unsung environmental hero, grew up in awe of nature’s wonder. But it wasn’t until he first paddled the Chattooga River’s Bull Sluice did he understand the power of a wild river. In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act, happening in 2018, President Carter urges all Americans to protect more wild rivers.
Things Find a Way	The country is in the midst of an unprecedented gas drilling rush—brought on by a controversial technology called hydraulic fracturing (or “fracking”). It starts when oil and gas companies take good water, mix it up with not-so-good stuff and shoot it into the ground to force out the gas. And that’s when things get really strange … Watch this video to learn how the more oil and gas companies frack, the more trouble is finding ways to happen.
Think Like a Scientist: Boundaries	Humans construct boundaries -- around our homes, our neighborhoods, and our nations -- to bring order to a chaotic world. But we rarely consider how these boundaries affect other creatures. Meet conservation photographer Krista Schlyer, who has spent the last seven years documenting the environmental effects of the U.S./Mexico border wall, and biologist Jon Beckmann, who studies how man-made barriers influence the movement of wildlife. Schlyer and Beckmann have seen damaging impacts of the border wall firsthand, but they remain optimistic. Humans probably won’t stop constructing walls and fences any time soon, but planning our boundaries with wildlife in mind can help prevent these structures from causing environmental harm.