Representation Matters Film Festival: Voices of Adventure - Outdoors & Activism (FREE)

Join POST and SYRCL’s Wild & Scenic as we host the Representation Matters Film Festival: Voices of Adventure at Devil’s Canyon Brewery in San Carlos on Saturday, September 27th,
from 6 – 9 P.M.

The films are selected from the Wild & Scenic Film Festival library and highlight stories about people with diverse experiences and identities in the outdoors. Film themes include recreation, activism, community, accessibility, finding belonging, and more! A list of the films is below.

Enjoy these inspiring films and discuss them with other passionate local people and environmental groups during intermission. Come meet our community partners Grassroots Ecology, Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance, Bay Area Ridge Trail, Canopy, Latino Outdoors, Things That Creep, and Climate Resilient Communities.

The event is free and in person, but please register by ordering tickets below! Kids and well-behaved pets are welcome. There will be FREE pizza and beer/drinks available for purchase. We will also provide a streaming option to watch virtually from Sept 27 – Oct 5.

The event will be hosted outdoors in the beer garden. Please stay home if you feel sick.

Agenda

6:00 P.M. Arrive early to order food and drinks and check out the booths of our sponsors and local environmental groups

7:00 P.M. Film begins

7:00 – 8:00 P.M. First half of film program

8:00 – 8:30 P.M. Intermission: Mingle with other guests and learn about our event partners

8:30 – 9:00 P.M. Second half of film program

9:00 P.M. Event conclusion


FILMS SELECTION:

Our film selections from the Wild and Scenic Library focus on themes related to recreation, activism, community, indigenous culture, finding belonging, and more! These stories highlight diverse voices in the outdoors.

Judy’s Creek – Discovering the Secret Life of the Streambed (6 minutes)

Follow ecologist, educator, and author, Dr. Judy Li, into the world of caddisflies, the artisans of the aquatic world. With contagious passion, Judy shares how her childhood curiosity led to a career in freshwater science, and how she has found ways to share the joys of science with audiences of all ages.


Mother River (7 minutes)

After pursuing and achieving corporate America career goals on the East Coast, Devin realized that life was not for her. Her childhood roots in paddling and connecting to nature brought her to Minnesota where she would pursue her dream to become the first black female to kayak the entire Mississippi river. Devin has overcome many complexities in pursuit of this dream, including the harsh realities of being a minority in the paddling community and the nuances of being a single Mother. The challenges continue as Devin listens to the river and follows her guidance.


Between the Lines (15 minutes)

A moving reflection on what it means to be connected… to the water, the fish, and one’s truest expression of self. The river has been woven in and out of Alex Obregon’s life. While working as a raft guide, Alex found his love of fly fishing by way of whitewater, and deepened his appreciation of all that a river holds.


Both & Neither | Ambos y Ninguno (9 minutes)

As a Mexican American, Natalie Connell spent her life balancing two cultural identities, with neither fitting quite right on its own, but through art and climbing, she’s found her rightful place as a bridge between the two.


How the Land Remembers Us (20 minutes)

Amidst Yellowstone National Park’s 150th anniversary, a precedent-setting event unfolds: “Yellowstone Revealed.” Indigenous artists, connected with their ancestral land, share projects steeped in traditional ecological knowledge, the act of rematriation, and ceremony. What surfaces is a profound revelation: how they exist in relation to this living, breathing landscape is interwoven with the memories of their ancestors and the legacies they are creating for future generations.


Above Sinai (13 minutes)

Join us as we blend culture, action and heart while visiting professional kiteboarder, Sarah Sadek at home on the Sinai peninsula of Egypt. In a world where women are not often found in athletic roles, nor in the water, Sarah shows us how she is opening the eyes of her local community and pushing the boundaries in a gracious yet badass way (and yes, the two go hand in hand!)


Nature Always Finds A Way (12 minutes)

The story of five women who boldly embark on a ten day trek with total strangers to conquer the iconic Tour du Mont Blanc. Their goal? To heal their past traumas, together. An uplifting tale of reliance, female friendship and the incredible power of using nature and community to heal and forge a brighter future.


Unseen Peaks (7 minutes)

Unseen Peaks follows Addie, a blind athlete who seeks freedom and belonging in the outdoor community through skiing, ice climbing, and rock climbing. Amidst breathtaking landscapes and personal challenges, Addie redefines perceptions of disability and resilience. Directed, produced, filmed, and edited by filmmaker Roo Smith, the film highlights the transformative power of adventure and advocates for inclusivity in the outdoors.


HOSTS:

Peninsula Open Space Trust protects and cares for open space, farms and parkland in the Peninsula and South Bay. Since 1977, POST has protected over 90,000 acres in San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties.

Wild & Scenic Film Festival inspires environmental activism and a love for nature–through film.
About our Event Partners

You’ll have the chance to meet representatives of these groups before the start of our films as well as during the film festival intermission:

Grassroots Ecology leverages the power of volunteers to create healthy lands across Silicon Valley. They restore native plants to open spaces and neighborhoods, steward creeks and watersheds and provide hands-on nature education. POST and Grassroots Ecology partner to lead LGBTQ+, Women, nonbinary, Spanish-speaking, and POC affinity group events.

Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance promotes the enjoyment, understanding, and protection of birds and other wildlife by engaging people of all ages in birding, education, and conservation. POST and SCVBA partner on the quarterly Queers of a Feather LGBTQ+ birding affinity group event.

Bay Area Ridge Trail plans, promotes and sustains a connected hiking, cycling, and equestrian trail on the ridgelines around San Francisco Bay—linking people, parks and open space for today and future generations.

Canopy plants and cares for trees where people need them most. Their mission is to grow urban tree canopy in Midpeninsula communities for the benefit of all.

Things that Creep provides accessible high-quality, hands-on science education to build an understanding of foundational STEM concepts, growing a connection to local ecosystems, and spark curiosity and passion for community-centered conservation.

Climate Resilient Communities provides community-based solutions that center local voices to empower community action.

Saved by Nature is an environmental and social justice organization that provides services for everyone through our Cultural Competency Project, with an emphasis on those who historically come from communities with fewer resources.