JOIN US IN-PERSON AT IFC CENTER FOR A LIVE PITCH

Marking the first partnership between IF/Then Shorts (an initiative of Field of Vision at First Look Institute) and The Redford Center, the IF/Then x The Redford Center Nature Access Pitch celebrates stories that spotlight the social, emotional, physical, mental, and community health benefits of time spent outdoors.

The six films provide a deep look into the historical and ancestral connections to land, water, and nature held by Black, Indigenous, People of Color, LGBTQIA+, immigrant, and undocumented communities. These films also highlight the difficult yet resilient ways these communities navigate the residual impacts of forced displacement, generational trauma, and inequity and injustice. By showcasing these untold histories and circumstances, each film takes viewers through a unique journey towards one destination: equitable access to nature and healing.

TICKETING DETAILS:

RSVPs are required for this FREE event. Please note that registering does not guarantee admission. People will be seated at a first come, first serve basis until we reach capacity, so please arrive early.

PITCH DETAILS:

The pitch calls for original stand-alone short documentaries in production (no more than 30 minutes) that explore solutions-based environmental stories centered around restoring humanity’s connection with nature and the outdoors.

Six finalists will pitch their projects during a live, in-person pitch event at DOC NYC on Nov 16, 2021. Projects will have 7 minutes to pitch, followed by up to 8 minutes of feedback and questions from a jury panel made up of industry leaders, filmmakers, and environmental experts.

The winning filmmaker, chosen by the jury, will receive a $25,000 production grant along with a year of wraparound mentorship from IF/Then, including production support, creative feedback, distribution consultations, and festival strategy. Two honorable mention prizes will also be selected by the jury, consisting of $5,000 grants and distribution consultation from the IF/Then program staff.

SELECTED PROJECTS:

BETWEEN EARTH AND SKY | Directed by Andrew Nadkarni | Produced by Swetha Regunathan | Location: Virginia / Costa Rica

In 2015, renowned rainforest ecologist Nalini Nadkarni survived a near-fatal, life-changing fall from a tree. She thought she had fully recovered. Now, her mother’s death forces Nalini and her siblings to confront echoes of trauma across three generations of the family tree. As Nalini unearths her own tangled roots, she redefines her relationship with the rainforest and plants new seeds within her family.

FRUIT OF SOIL | Directed by Faith E. Briggs | Produced by Tracy Nguyen-Chung | Location: Portland, Oregon

The soil in Portland, Oregon is rich with a hidden history — what has grown here is rooted in racism, erasure, and neglect. Yet, a small group of Black farmers is thriving and reconnecting with ancestral knowledge and legacy. And through that soil, nourishing each other.

SOMETHING YET HIGHER | Directed by Nadia Gill | Produced by James Mills | Location: Utah / Idaho

As the few black faces in mountain spaces, a small cohort of snow sports athletes gather in this film to share their experiences in hopes of making the environmental conservation movement more diverse and inclusive. Linking their journeys to the legacy of Charles Crenchaw and his ascent of Denali is precisely the kind of narrative that could broaden our perspective upon the role that Black Americans have played throughout the modern era of adventure.

MAKANA O KE MELE (GIFT OF SONG) | Directed by Laurie Sumiye | Location: Hawai’i

Makana o ke Mele (Gift of Song) transports audiences into a memory of Native Hawaiian conservationist Mililani Browning, who was exposed to nature through an innovative Hawaiian outreach program, ʻImi Pono no ka ʻĀina. On the Big Island of Hawaii, she remembers learning the songs of Hawaiian birds at Hakalau Forest, a wildlife refuge on Mauna Kea volcano.

STAY THE COURSE | Directed by Mariel Rodriguez-McGill and Teresa Cebrián Aranda | Location: Bronx, New York

Fourteen-year-old William Capellan loves spending time outdoors. Twice a week after school, he learns to collect water quality data at Rocking the Boat, a youth development program in the South Bronx. Two years into the program, his classmate Nani Reyes, 16, is already plotting an environmental revolution. "Stay the Course" follows William and Nani as they navigate adolescence and discover new dreams along the banks of the Bronx River.

WATER IS OUR MEDICINE | Directed by Cathleen Dean | Produced by Thaddeus Gamory | Location: South Florida

Since the beginning, mankind has enjoyed a spiritual connection to water. Civilizations have fought over and revered water for its many wondrous powers, communities of color are no different in their desire to remain connected, but centuries of slavery and now a pandemic has made that fight even harder. This film explores the stories of five people during a pandemic, working through their trauma and stress by utilizing the pristine beaches of South Florida.

HEALTH & SAFETY:

All festival guests & staff (ages 12 and older) are required to show proof they are fully vaccinated (14 days past the final dose of the vaccine authorized for emergency use by the FDA or WHO), along with a photo ID in the same name, to attend DOC NYC screenings & events.

To learn more and register, visit Eventbrite