NEW WISCONSIN FILM FESTIVAL EXPLORES THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN PEOPLE AND THE LAND
Making it Home is a series of free, public festivals that explore the connections between people and place with a fresh collection of films from around the world. Organized by the Wisconsin Humanities Council and presented with the help of local organizations at four locations across the state, Making it Home film festivals will be held in Baraboo, Dodgeville, Milwaukee, and the Chequamegon Bay region (Ashland/Bayfield) in the spring of 2010. The festivals kick off during Aldo Leopold Days in Baraboo and close during Earth Day weekend in Ashland.
"The Making it Home initiative came from a simple idea," says Wisconsin Humanities Council Director of Public Programs Jessica Becker. "We wanted to ask people what it is they love about where they live. Specifically, in thinking about the history of humans in Wisconsin, we can see that people have a huge impact on the landscape, but also that the land itself impacts how people think, feel, act, and live. This has always been the case, and it continues to be important as we consider the ways our actions will shape our future here on earth."
The Making it Home film festival events invite everyone to come together, enjoy some great films, be entertained, and then pause for a few minutes together to take another look at the questions raised in the films.
What issues resonate? Do they have relevance to what's going on here and now where we live? In conversations after watching the Making it Home films, participants will discuss what it is that defines our homes and communities—both the cultural and historical ties that bind us together, as well the environmental and social justice challenges that we face in Wisconsin and beyond. All Making it Home festival events are free and open to the public.
Visit the Making It Home website for more details or see below for event and location overviews.
Baraboo: March 5-7
The Making it Home film festival tour kicks off on March 5, with an opening reception featuring locally grown and raised cuisine and an award presentation for home-town recycling heroine Milly Zantow. The UW-Baraboo/Sauk County and Aldo Leopold Foundation will present a collection of short films and host a conversation about the making of
Greenfire, a new documentary film about Aldo Leopold. Contact Liz Nevers, Making it Home program coordinator, at 608-355-7993 for complete details.
Dodgeville: March 11-14
Presented in conjunction with the Dodgeville Chamber of Commerce, Military Ridge Prairie Heritage Area, and Driftless Area Land Conservancy, the Making it Home festival will take place at the Dodge Theatre in the heart of beautiful downtown Dodgeville. Festival events include a land management workshop on Saturday, March 13, at nearby Folklore Village. Contact Katie Abbott, Making it Home program coordinator, at 608-935-2791 x134 (office) or 608- 341-6493 (mobile) for complete details.
Milwaukee: April 16-18
In Milwaukee the Urban Ecology Center and Milwaukee Film team up to present the Making it Home film festival. The weekend will begin with a public talk by best-selling author Bill McKibben, followed by a discussion about his latest book,
Eaarth. Festival events and film screenings will take place at the Urban Ecology Center. Contact T.J. Fackelman, Making it Home program coordinator, at 414-755-1965 x204 for complete details.
Chequamegon Bay: April 22-24
In the Chequamegon Bay region, the Making it Home festival is presented by the Chequamegon Bay community, which includes the Bay Area Film Society and a large number of local partners. Celebrating Earth Day 2010 in the Northwoods, festival film screenings and events will be at the Ashland's Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center. Contact Ruth Oppedahl, Making it Home program coordinator, at 715-685-2676 for complete details.
