First I will give the schedule of films briefly, and following I will give the film descriptions.
The website (with lots of photographs) is http://mainewcff.com/Home_Page.html
-L
Fri 5/18: 6:00 - Rare Falcons; Saving Jaguars; Coffee Canopy; Gulf Oil Spill
8:15 - Galapagos; Whale Photography; Amazon Biodiversity; Vernal Pools
Sat 5/19: 4:00 - Lioness Challenge; African Waterhole Conflict
6:15 - Whale Sharks; Cotton-Top Tamarin; Lion Family; Elephant Hospital
8:30 - Cheetahs; China Ecosystem Restoration; Jungle Water
Sun 5/20: 4:00 - Humpback Whales; Hawksbill Turtles
6:15 - Koala Hospital; Wombat Orphan; Cassowaries
8:30 - Rare Bird Search; American Wilderness; Rwanda Recovery
Mon 5/21: 6:00 - Sloths; Pantaneros & Jaguars; Coral Reefs; Silky Sifaka Lemurs
8:15 - Monastery Falcon Refuge; Shark Finning; Hawaiian Night Dive
Festival pass available: adults for $75; seniors & students w/ID $65
Individual programs $8, seniors & students w/ID $7 (no Big Tickets)
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Friday, May 18 6:00-8:00 PM
Al Maha: Through the Eyes of a Falcon 30 min * Maine Premiere
Christian Hermann, Producer, Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation, Country: Germany
This documentary is aimed to show the success of conservation in Al Maha, where the first region for conservation and reintroduction of rare and endangered species in Dubai was established. This is also the place, where young Saker-Falcons are captive bred to increase critically low population. For the first time ever, one Sheik had the vision to breed falcons for only one purpose: to release them into the wild to support the small population of this endangered species. The film follows these "special birds" from their hatch in Dubai, through their youth and their release into the wild, thousands of miles away in Uzbekistan
Living with the Jaguar 45 min * Maine Premier
Andrea Ruthlein, Producer, Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation, Country: Germany
The world's third largest cat has struggled for survival on the South American continent for years. Conditions for the feline predator only improved in Brazil after ratification of the Endangered Species Convention. Today, there are thought to be at least 8,000 Jaguars in the Pantanal, Brazil's huge wetland. A photographer and several researchers fight for the preservation of the Pantanal's animals.
Migratory Birds Shade Grown Coffee 45 min * Maine Premiere
Marshal T. Case, Producer, Trust for Wildlife
"Migratory Birds and Shade Grown Coffee" offers an opportunity to help slow down wildlife habitat destruction. Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world. Neotropical migrant birds depend on healthy and whole habitat on North and Latin America. The landscape is changing dramatically with increasing loss of rainforests and other critical habitat. Coffee is a shade-loving tree and it grows under the rainforest canopy. The canopy is habitat for birds, mammals, insects, reptiles and amphibians. Coffee is a sustainable crop and the rain- forest is being cut to grow high yield coffee in th sun, which requires excessive use of oil based fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. The natural habitat is destroyed, contributing to climate change and loss of wildlife habitat, especially for migratory birds.
After the Oil Spill: Impact on Wildlife 10 min * Maine Premiere
Marshal T. Case, Producer, Trust for Wildlife *** Q & A with filmmaker and President of Trust for Wildlife Marshal T. Case.
This film explorers the aftermath of the Gulf Oil Spill in Louisiana where there will be long-term problem for habitat and wildlife. This is a wake up call to protect our precious wildlife heritage in this bountiful area where oil still reins and ongoing awareness, public participation, and enforcement is necessary to protect and restore endangered bird populations, other wildlife and their habitats.
8:15-10:15 PM
What Would Darwin Think: Man vs Nature in the Galapagos Islands 26 min *Maine Premiere
Jon Bowermaster, Producer, Ocean 8 Films
After Charles Darwin first visited the island archipelago of the Galapagos in 1839, it took him another twenty years to decipher the scene he had witnessed, the most perfectly preserved biodiversity on the planet. His theory of evolution-published 150 years ago pulled back the curtain on a debate that had been simmering for years, and still percolates. Today Darwin would be surprised by the tourist mecca the Galapagos has become; 200,000 visitors a year, 40,000 permanent residents. The impact on the most unique collection of endemic wildlife in the world has been heavy; too many people bringing too many of their ways (and invasive species) from the outside world threatening the future of this one-of-a-kind place. What would Darwin think of how the Galapagos has evolved in the twenty-first century?
In The Eye of the Whale 20 min * Maine Premiere
Kate Miller, Producer
A documentary exploring the work of photographer, Bryant Austin. In his pursuit to end whaling once and for all, Austin sold everything he owned to follow his dream of creating high-resolution, life-size photographs of endangered whales to exhibit in whaling nations, Austin's journey is inspiring and is creating change,
Amazon Alive; Part 1: Jungle of the Mind 45 min * Maine Premiere
Christian Baumeister, Producer, County: Germany
This is the story of how we have struggled to make sense of the enormity and complexity of the Amazon rainforest. Using key animals such as the jaguar, leaf-cutting ant, giant otter, and the fresh-water stingray, we will show how we have turned past fears of the hostile and impenetrable jungle into an understanding of its unrivaled biodiversity. We discover that the forest is not just the result of millions of years of evolution. Its richness stems from struggle, upheaval and a remarkable event - the up-lift of the Andes - which changed the course of the Amazon River itself.
Borrowed Water 26 min * Maine Premiere
J. A. Dominguez, Producer, Country: Spain
Rain forms temporary pools and lagoons that dry out with the arrival of summer. Inside this cracked mud there is the beat of life. Fish and crustaceans wait for the first drops to revive. Amphibians and great numbers of birds join in the festivities.
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Saturday May 19
4:00-6:00 PM
The Lion Tree 50 minutes * World Premiere
Ralph Stutchbury, Producer, Camera Africa Productions, Country: Zambia
A giant wild fig tree stands at the center of a remote flood plain in north Western Zambia. It marks the territory of a pride of lions who have thrived here for years. Without warning or explanation, the pride male has vanished, leaving five females and their cubs to cope alone. Sooner or later, other lions will challenge this defenseless pride for this prime territory with its abundant food and water. Tragedy and drama envelop the lives of the Fig Tree pride as they fight for survival. The alpha female must guide her sisters and the cubs through treacherous times as two very different competing males attempt to take over the pride. The story unfolds against the backdrop of spectacular African scenery.
Crocs of Katuma 50 min
Evert van den Bos, Producer, Nature Conservation Films
Country: Netherlands
The remote floodplain of Katari National Park in the far west corner of Tanzania teem with incredible numbers of wildlife. All the animals in the park depend on the Katuma River and its flood plains for their survival. But during the dry season, the Katuma River dries up and pools of mud are the only visible evidence that water once flowed in the dry riverbeds. In the quickly disappearing mud pools, catfish, hippo's and crocodiles compete for the last space to escape the heat of the equator sun.
6:15-8:15 PM
White Shark Café 24 min
Sean Aronson, Producer
White Shark Cafe tells the curious tale of great white shark research. The film explores the new technology that allows researchers to track the shark's migration patters. The new findings are helping to change the image of sharks from scary creatures to fascinating animals.
Cotton-Tops 18 min [In Spanish with subtitles]
Frederico Pardo, Producer, Country: Columbia
The Cotton-Top Tamarin is endemic to Colombia's Caribbean Coast and it is critically endangered, near extinction. The socio-economic problems of the region are threatening the Cotton-Top and its habitat. For the past few years, however, the conservation group "Proyecto Titi's" has been working with the community to help preserve the Cotton-Top and give the people an opportunity to succeed. The will for development in the region may be the Cotton-Top's biggest enemy in the near future.
Deeper Than Blood 5 min * World Premiere
Monika Lynn Krach, Producer, Country: South Africa
As the only true social cat, family is important to the lion, but a battle between father and son threatens to drive Entabeni's lion pride apart. "Deeper than Blood" explores why a newly mature male lion, once tolerated by his father, now faces hostility from him. The outcome will be nothing less than exile for the defeated.
The Last Elephants in Thailand 38 min * Maine Premiere
Dr. Don Tayloe and Michelle Mizner *** Q & A with filmmaker Michelle Mizner.
"The Last Elephants in Thailand" is the story about how one woman's love of elephants led her to open the first elephant hospital in Thailand. It is also about the conflict in Thailand over the fate of the few remaining wild Asian elephants. On one side there are those who want to exploit these animals to perform tricks, give tourists rides in Bangkok and paint. On the other side are people who love elephants and are trying to prevent them from abuse and exploitation.
8:30-10:30 PM
Cheetahs: Against all odds 50 min * Maine Premiere
Evert van den Bos, Producer, Nature Conservation Films, Country: Netherlands
They are the world's fastest animal with the ability to accelerate from 0-60 mph in under four seconds, but on the rugged and inhospitable plains of Namibia an intense battle between man and cheetah is taking place. This film examines the possible solutions to the growing endangerment of these magnificent big cats and attempts to find new ways in which cheetahs can co-habit in the wild with native farmers and livestock.
Hope in a Changing Climate 28 min * Maine Premiere
John D. Liu, Country: China
This documentary demonstrates that it is possible to rehabilitate large-scale damaged ecosystems to restore ecosystems functions in areas where they have been lost, to fundamentally improve the lives of people who have been trapped in poverty for generations and to sequester carbon naturally. This approach has been dramatically proven on the Loess Plateau in China, the highland area spanning some 640,000 square km in north central China. It is the birthplace of the Han Chinese, headwaters of the Yellow River and home to a new environmental and economic paradigm: A degraded ecosystem of more than 35,000 square km of land now teems with life and supports the sustainable economic social and agricultural activities of its people.
Jungle Water (Episode from the Series Waterlife) 26 min * Maine Premiere
J. A. Rodrigues, Producer, Compania de Inventarios Naturales S.L., Country: Spain
Humidity monopolizes the atmosphere. Water overflows everywhere and more than half of the rain goes back to the clouds by the transportation of the leaves. It is the forest, where some plants grow on others and animals dress in very attractive colors to avoid being eaten.
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Sunday, May 20
4:00-6:00 PM
Where the Whales Sing 60 minutes * Maine Premiere
Andrew Stevenson, Producer, Country: Bermuda
Bermuda is the only mid ocean platform in the Northern hemisphere providing a window into the migratory social behavior of humpback whales. This one-hour film documents new evidence of the humpbacks lives with remarkable close-up underwater footage of humpback whales off the coastal waters of Bermuda, their winter breeding grounds in the Caribbean and their summer feeding grounds in the Labrador Sea off Eastern Canada.
Home for Hawksbill 30 min * Maine Premiere
Jordan Plotsky, Producer * Q & A discussion after films
The Hawksbill turtle has been swimming the southern oceans since the time of the dinosaurs. Over fishing is now threatening their survival, and has brought the Hawksbill to the brink of extinction. The Arnavon Islands are nestled in a far corner of the Solomon Islands Chain and are one of the Hawksbill's most important habitats in the Pacific Ocean. Three rival tribes claim ownership of the islands, but their need for resources is threaten the very environment they depend on. "Home for Hawksbill" tells the remarkable story of how these rival tribes overcame cultural conflicts and disputes over land ownership to protect the islands and save the turtles. The success here has inspired others, and is now a model for conservation throughout the world.
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6:15-8:15 PM
Koala Hospital 50 min * Maine Premiere
Susan Kelly, Producer & Director, Country: Australia
Koalas are now confronted by a maze of roads and human mayhem and with fewer places to live. They are becoming urban refugees. "Koala Hospital" presents the poignant and surprising life of koalas. For 40 years, the Koala Hospital has been caring for sick and injured wild koalas, giving them a second chance at life. Australian filmmaker Susan Kelly documented wild behavior and life at the hospital over three years, capturing unprecedented footage of koala communication, drastic rescues, heartfelt emotion and amusing koala antics.
Wombat 6 min * Maine Premiere
Dr. Kevin Baker, Producer, Country: Australia
"Wombat" is a short and true story of an orphaned baby wombat that was hand reared (from when it weighed less than six ounces), then released back into the wild three years later (as a sixty pound adult). It found its way back to the person who raised it and then dug a burrow 20 yards from their back door. The film poses a serious question: How much animals are compromised in their behavior when humans intervene in their lives.
Cassowaries 60 min * Maine Premiere
Bianca Keeley, Producer, Country: Australia
A prehistoric, six-foot creature moves stealthily through the ancient rainforest of Australia. A blazing, multi-colored neck flashes before one of the world's most bizarre and dangerous birds majestically appears - the Southern Cassowary. This film takes you on an intimate journey inside the rarely seen world of these flightless giants. Cassowaries can weigh up to 85 kg, swim across a crocodile-infested river and run at 40 kph... these are no ordinary birds.
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8:30-10:30 PM
Adventures with Birdman 25 min * Maine Premiere
Cortina Productions, Country: Ecuador
"Adventures with Birdman combines extreme eco-adventure travel with one wildlife cameraman's personal quest to find, film and share some of the world's rarest birds. Tim Barksdale (aka - birdman) seeks to create a lasting record of their behaviors, songs and habitats before they vanish. In Ecuador, Tim sets out in search of the Jocotoco antpitta, s shy are rare bird not discovered until 1997.
Forever Wild 60 min * Maine Premiere
Chelsea Congdon, Executive Producer, First Light Films
"Forever Wild: Celebrating America's Wilderness" captures the glory of the undeveloped, wild places through stunning images and the passionate tales of America's modern wilderness hero-volunteers from Maine to California who work to preserve a legacy of wilderness for all of us to enjoy forever.
Rwanda - Back to the Garden 30 min * Maine Premiere
John D.Liu, Producer & Director, Country: Rwanda
Can man-kind reverse the damage we have done to the planet, and restore the Garden of Eden we have inherited? Across the globe, landscapes have been degraded by over farming, conflict, and desertification. But now some countries in Africa are helping demonstrate that ruined landscapes can be regenerated, while also helping some of the poorest people on the earth "Back to the Garden" shows the story of how Rwanda has recovered from the 1994 civil war.
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Monday, May 21
6:00-8:00 PM
Meet the Sloths 60 min * World Premiere
Lucy Cooke, Producer / Blink films, 60 minutes, Country: Costa Rica
In a sleepy corner of Costa Rica, near the town of Cahuita on the Caribbean coast near the border of Panama there is a very peculiar sanctuary. This is the only sanctuary in the world devoted to saving injured and orphaned sloths. Filmed over the course of a year, "Meet the Sloths" is a humorous documentary following a handful of the resident sloths - a surprising soap opera of love, loss and lust. The film begins in spring and the sanctuary is bursting with adorably cute orphaned baby sloths. The staff, led by sloth whisperer Judy Arroya, must try and teach these babies how to be sloths. The whimsical style, produced and directed by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Lucy Cooke, takes you inside the mind of one of the planet's most enigmatic creatures and reveals the secret behind the sloth's smile.
My Pantanal 10 min * Maine Premiere
Panthera Foundation, Country: Brazil
"My Pantanal" is a film about a boy named Aerenilso who lives on a ranch in the Pantanal, the world's largest and wildest wetland region. Aerenilso show us what it is like to be a Pantanero (cowboy), riding his horse but also exploring this beautiful landscape that is that is home to hundreds of species, including the jaguar. Aerenilso lives on a conservation ranch where the cowboys and biologists work together to demonstrate that ranching and jaguars can co-exist together.
Coral Reefs: Living Cities Underwater 10 min * Maine Premiere
Save Our Seas Foundation, Caroline Brett, Producer
Coral Reefs are like underwater rainforests that are home to thousands of species and billions of tiny animals. Corals are complex, dynamic, mysterious organisms that build structures like marine high-rise buildings. The Great Barrier Reef stretches over 2,600 km and is the largest living organism on earth. Reef's provide homes, food and shelter for millions of other animals. 25% of all marine life live in or around coral reefs. These stone cities of the sea, abundant with life are fragile, vulnerable to damage, pollution, and suffocation through sedimentation. This film helps people learn more about reef communities and how to protect them from harm.
Angels of the Forest 30 min * Maine Premiere
Sharon Pierzenik, Producer & Director, Country: Madagascar
This film documents the science and conservation efforts surrounding the endangered Silky Sifaka Lemurs. An astonishing 98% of Madagascar's land mammals, 92% of reptiles, 68% of its plants, and 41% of the island breeding bird species exist nowhere else on earth. The silky sifaka is one such animal is one of the four most critically endangered primates in Madagascar and among the top 25 most endangered primates on the planet. The films follows Erik Patel a biologist from Cornell and the efforts of international scientists and the Malagasy conservation officers to save the silky sifaka and the irreplaceable habitat it lives in.
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8:15-10:15 PM
Falcons in Monastery 45 min
Dr. Weiland Lippoldmuller, Producer Country: Portugal
In south-eastern Portugal, overlooking the Rio Guadiana and surrounded by picturesque grassland scenery, stands a former Franciscan friary, the Covento SaoFrancisco de Mertola. It was abandoned by the monks in 1834, but over the past decades a Dutch family of artists has turned it into a miniature paradise for flora and fauna, a kind of Noah's Ark for endangered species. Chief among them is the Lesser Kestrel, characteristic of the Alentejo region, that has found an excellent breeding ground here. There are high hopes that this attractive bird will now thrive in spite of its many foes.
Save Our Seas - Shark Finning 50 min * Maine Premiere
WildAid Foundation
This documentary describes the modern day fishing industry practice of shark finning. WildAid created this film in the hopes of raising awareness about unsustainable fishing practices that are destroying global marine ecosystems at an alarming rate. Shark finning, dynamite fishing, shrimp farming, and whale hunting are all contributing to a severe reduction in marine biodiversity, with unforeseen consequences.
Pelagic Magic 30 min * Maine Premiere
Matt D'Avella, Producer
"Pelagic Magic" is a film of a remarkable deep water night diving adventure in Kona Hawaii. Off shore in water that is 7,000 feet deep and under the cover of darkness, the deep-water gelatinous pelagic animals come to surface to feed. The film is an evolutionary synopsis and time line separating the animals by phylum and listing with their scientific name, common name and size.
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