For our Ontario audience, the Pursuits Film Fest fundraiser returns on Friday, January 10 at Meaford Hall.
Georgian Bay Community School’s Pursuits program is a four-credit high school program that focuses on outdoor and environmental education through experiential learning. The official literature for the long-standing program describes things like a sense of community, critical thinking, teamwork and transferable skills; in everyday terms, it’s a semester filled with backcountry camping and in-classroom planning.
Pursuits takes kids on multi-day, education-focused paddling trips in Killarney Provincial Park, on the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula and elsewhere. The students do all the prep, planning and business end of their adventures under the leadership of Ian Carr. It’s an awesome opportunity.
“My brother, sister and I all took the Pursuits program,” says Josh Fletcher, a program alumnus. “We learned so much and really bonded as a group. Georgian Bay is lucky to have something like this; it’s a one-of-a-kind experience that builds community. The program and the film festival showcase how many epic adventures have been had—and can be had—so close to our home.”
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Of course keeping a program like this alive requires funding. And that’s where the seventh annual Pursuits Film Festival comes in. Taking place at the Meaford Hall on Friday, January 10, this year’s instalment promises to be a good one. With outdoor-focused movies, guest speakers and a silent auction, the event is always a good time with some of the coolest locals around. Snacks and beverages keep the conversation flowing before the show, and donated items for the silent auction include local experiences and wicked outdoor gear. With acclaimed international films on slate, this is an inspiring evening of outdoor adventure not to be missed. Grab your tickets at meafordhall.ca before they sell out. –Colin Field
Doors open and Silent Auction at 6 pm, showtime 7 pm.
Program
shorts »
Saving Silence
Saving Silence explores mental health and the importance of public lands by investigating the people and places surrounding the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of northern Minnesota. We follow pro photographer Emily Tidwell as she returns home to explore how nature saved her life while talking with local characters such as Arctic explorer Lonnie Dupre and Sawbill Canoe Outfitters owner Clare Shirley about why this area is essential to protect. Furthermore, Emily investigates, in collaboration with Desert Research Insitute in Reno, Nevada, the status of microplastics around the world, and if we are finding them in the most remote places on the planet, how many exist in one of the most pristine and least visited wilderness areas in America?
Whatever Floats Your Goat
Nico Castellano lives in her Sprinter van with two goats, three chickens and a dog. Spend a day with Nico goat-packing a raft up to a high mountain lake in this quirky short film. Take a dive into her lifestyle, the goats’ personalities, and Nico’s deeper mission to use her unique lifestyle for sustainability education.
There’s Good In Everything
Join whitewater legend Aniol Serrasolses while he kayaks the rivers of Chile. In this short whitewater film, Aniol shows us how mindset on the river sets paddlers apart and allows us to find the good in everything.
Save Solace
An environmental group embarks on a canoe trip to investigate the construction of a new logging road set to dissect the Solace Wildlands, the last unprotected and roadless forest in Ontario’s Temagami wilderness.
Features »
Canada Vertical
Follow along on an eight-month ski, canoe and bike expedition covering an area equivalent to 19 percent of the Earth’s circumference. The journey travels from Ellesmere Island in Nunavut to Point Pelee in Ontario and is one of the longest wilderness expeditions in Canadian history. Challenged by polar bears, freezing temperatures, injuries, equipment failure, windstorms, food shortages, 2,000 kilometres of mostly upstream paddling, and numerous re-routings, the Canada Vertical expedition is a testament to resilience and creativity in the face of challenge.
Drop
This new film from POW Alliance member and fly-fishing guide Hilary Hutcheson follows a drop of water from its source high in the mountains of Montana to its final destination of the Pacific Ocean. Throughout the film, we meet the people who live, work and play on these rivers—people who work tirelessly to ensure that these waters, and all they support, are healthy. Through this dedication, hard work and passion, Drop illustrates how water connects us all.
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