The Lookout Wild Film Festival continues to amaze
If someone had asked me when I first started at The Pulse if Chattanooga would ever have a long running film festival, I would have firmly expressed my doubts. The first few years of covering film in the area was nothing short of a desert. But around seven years ago, something changed.
Not only were there murmurings of a new film festival by pioneer Chris Dortch, but suddenly there was an additional festival, one with a specific focus in mind. The Lookout Wild Film Festival is technically the longest running festival in Chattanooga, as it started a few months before the CFF, and it’s been no less successful.
Every year, the LWFF brings films that highlight the wild parts of the world, places not seen and experiences not had by most. What it contains are beautiful celebrations of the outdoors, from everywhere in the world, appealing to anyone that cares about nature.
This year is no different. Passes are now available for the LWFF, scheduled for January 16-19 at the Tivoli. Here are just some of the selections for this year:
Brotherhood of Skiing, USA
The National Brotherhood of Skiers is an “organization dedicated to creating a welcoming place for people of color” on the ski slopes of the United States.
It’s no secret that certain sports have had a history of being inaccessible for minorities in the U.S. These sports are generally the ones that are favored by upper classes—money is the great separator.
However, the NBS has been working to change that since its formation “during the height of the black power” movement. This film tells a story of inclusion, of change, and a representation in American snow sports.
Gone Tomorrow, USA
The idea of ice climbing in the south is absurd on its face. While we’ve all driven across mountains on the interstate during the winter and seen some spectacular ice falls, we’ve likely never thought of climbing them.
Why would we? Winter is fleeting here. But, of course, there are crazy people everywhere. This film features some of them as they seek out new routes up a mountain that will vanish in a matter of hours.
Nigerians Fight to Protect the World’s Most Trafficked Mammal, Nigeria
There’s nothing familiar about a pangolin. They are dinosaur mammals, completely foreign and strange, which leads to a complicated problem. Their strangeness makes them one of the most trafficked mammals in the world.
Even with four different species, the pangolin population has dwindled in the wild. This short film introduces audiences to a few Nigerians who hope to protect them,
The Bee Rescuer, India
When I was in fourth grade, I signed up for a bee keeping class at 4H. While I was determined to overcome my fear of bees, I was unable to overcome my poor sense of direction and couldn’t find where the class was being held.
Hopefully, The Bee Rescuer can fill in some of the gaps I missed. The film is about an Indian man fighting to save bees in urban India, something that the world desperately needs given their important role as pollinators.
Wild Toddler Chronicles: Legacy, USA
One of the best pieces of advice I ever got as a parent was that children don’t have to change your lifestyle. As a parent, you can bring the children into your world rather than changing it to fit theirs.
Showing children your passions will foster relationships and open the child’s eyes to new experiences. This film shows how this might be done as a couple attempts to recreate their past adventures with a new family member.
Of course, these are just some of the films being featured at the festival. For a full schedule (and to purchase tickets), visit lookoutwildfilmfestival.org.
There are currently twenty-eight selections for the festival but more are being added every day. Rumor has it “Night Runners”, a short documentary film by Chattanooga State professor Chris Willis, has been selected as well.
You never know exactly what you’ll see at the Lookout Wild Film Festival, but it’s more than worth the price of admission. Chattanooga needs events like this. The more we have, the better we’ll be.
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