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The Definitive List of River Movies

People often tell me that THE MEMORY OF FISH reminds them of A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT. Seeing one movie makes them want to watch the other. It always makes me smile, but it feels like an overly generous compliment to be compared to the 1992 classic. A big word enters my thought bubble when I think of that movie: Redford.

American Rivers has released The Definitive List of River Movies. It's an honor to see THE MEMORY OF FISH on it and in such great company. I'll let you guess the other movies that made the cut and I hope you get the chance to have a river movie marathon soon.

Read the full list here.

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Happy Holidays on Amazon!

THE MEMORY OF FISH is now available for rent + purchase.
Watch it with your friends and family this holiday season!

NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

COMING SOON TO DVD, ITUNES + GOOGLE PLAY

One story like THE MEMORY OF FISH can change the story for many rivers.
THE MEMORY OF FISH made 2017 feel a little more hopeful – completing an award-winning film festival run, screening twice for The American Fisheries Society, raising $11K for The Collider’s climate internship program, and closing out the year with a Pacific Northwest film tour in support of American Rivers. No matter where or who gathers to see it, THE MEMORY OF FISH allows Dick Goin’s legacy of love and persistence to live on in audience members far from the Elwha River.
 
I’m proud of this inspiring, independent film and hope that you’ll share it with your friends and family.

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On Tour For American Rivers

I am proud to announce that THE MEMORY OF FISH will be on a Pacific Northwest film tour to support American Rivers!

THE MEMORY OF FISH film tour aims to inspire communities near rivers at risk, encourage people to engage in political action and citizen science, and equip the audience to support American Rivers, whether through financial donation, service, or volunteering. 

All film tour proceeds directly benefit American Rivers’ work in the Puget Sound-Columbia Basin. Tickets are now available HERE. 

Tour stops include:
10/25 PORTLAND: Clinton Street Theater
10/26 SEATTLE: Northwest Film Forum
11/8     BELLINGHAM: Pickford Film Center
11/9     SPOKANE: Magic Lantern on Main
11/11     OLYMPIA: Capitol Theater

Find out more on THE MEMORY OF FISH Facebook page under Events.

Extra special thanks to graphic designer Begonia Lopez for creating our awesome tour poster.

Rivers connect us. I hope to see you on tour!

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Hat tip, Sydney!

What a wonderful honor to be awarded BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM at the Sydney Indie Film Festival. Thank you to the film festival jury and staff. I first traveled to Sydney in 1993 for a study abroad program at UNSW, which included working on the southernmost coral cay of the Great Barrier Reef, Lady Elliot Island. Spending time as a young woman studying marine science in-on-under these waters was inspiring to say the least. I only wish I could have attended the Sydney Indie Film Festival this year, but I had a good excuse: I was rowing around the island of Manhattan to raise money for Rocking the Boat. (I like islands). As a scientist and a filmmaker, Australia has had a big impact on my life, so this award has great sentimental value. Hat tip, Sydney!

Where once there were dams

With every new indicator of change for the Elwha, I find myself saying, "Dick told us this would happen." I only wish he was alive to see it. All of it.

Reporter Lynda Mapes, who can be seen interviewing Dick Goin in THE MEMORY OF FISH, has a new article in The Seattle Times entitled "At Elwha River, forests, fish and flowers where there were dams and lakes." The article features photos by John Gussman of lupine growing in what was once Lake Mills and data visualization describing Chinook runs past the old dam sites. With so much negative news these days, prepare to be inspired by the Elwha's second chance at life.

Read the full article HERE.

Lupine flood what used to be the former Lake Mills in 2017. The nitrogen-fixing flower is helping plants thrive. Photo by John Gussman.

Lupine flood what used to be the former Lake Mills in 2017. The nitrogen-fixing flower is helping plants thrive. Photo by John Gussman.

Observation + Persistence

We wanted to do something special for the hometown crowd of Port Angeles coming to our Magic of Cinema screening at Peninsula College (see previous blog post). We brainstormed all sorts of ideas that might help ensure that the legacy of Dick Goin live on in our audience. Giving out suspenders like the ones Dick wore daily didn't seem quite right, but they were on the list too. Dick always told us that there were two keys to his life-long work: observation and persistence. And so, in the spirit of Dick Goin, we made these notebooks and gave them out to everyone at our April 7th screening. During the Little Theater Q+A that evening, one audience member passionately described the fight to get the Elwha dams down as an all-out civil war that ripped the community apart. He felt that Dick's notebooks were golden, simple things filled with wisdom that brought all sorts of people together around the dam problem. We hope that THE MEMORY OF FISH notebooks inspire future citizen scientists with a deep love for where they live.

Behind The Scenes

One fun part of having your film on the festival circuit is getting to share your story too, especially with fellow filmmakers. Making films is hard – really, really, really hard. This film took me six years to make. People often ask, "Why did you make this film? How did you meet Dick Goin? Did you think the river would come back to life when you started the project? And, as a scientist, what inspired you to become a filmmaker?" I'm a fan of Q+As and talking about the storytelling process to find camaraderie in missteps and successes, and to learn big and small lessons for future projects. There's no sense in pretending documentary filmmaking is easy. Many thanks to the San Francisco Green Film Festival for expressing interest in my work and for conducting this interview. Read "Behind The Scenes: Filmmaker Jennifer Galvin" HERE. I'm proud that THE MEMORY OF FISH will screen at the San Francisco Green Film Festival on April 22nd for Earth Day.
 

After a long day shooting in-on-under the Elwha River.
Photo by the amazing Leah Hemberry Ricketts, Colchuck Media.

Goin is Golden

It's always exciting when the film heads to a landlocked state. It reminds me that rivers connect us all, coast to coast. If you're in Colorado this weekend, take a break from skiing and head to Golden. THE MEMORY OF FISH is playing at the Colorado Environmental Film Festival on Friday, February 24th in the CEFF Theater at the American Mountaineering Center. Thank you, Colorado!

Screening info HERE and HERE
Tickets HERE

Houseboats bring good luck

Thank you, Gig Harbor Film Festival! It was a great honor to win the award for Best Feature with such an incredible slate of independent films, both narrative and documentary. You can check out GHFF's full program here. Producer Emma Jones and I loved screening at the Galaxy Theatre -- the screen, the sound, and the seats were phenomenal. We were inspired by this festival's films and we made many new friends in what might be the ultimate film festival location (having a houseboat to stay on for three nights helped too). After the festival, we hit the road back to Port Angeles to share our award with Marie Goin. Seeing Marie was the perfect ending to our awesome weekend at Gig Harbor.

Forests echo with laughter

It's time for a little break from the successful film festival run to bring you some good news about what's happening on the Elwha River. As reported by Lynda Mapes of The Seattle Times, "More sockeye, chinook and bull trout have made it above the former Glines Canyon dam site so far this spawning season than documented in any year since the unprecedented dam-removal project completed on the Elwha River." Read the full article.

Dick Goin told us so. His dream for the Elwha is becoming reality, right before our eyes. His legacy lives on in scientists like George Pess, Sam Brenkman, and Jeff Duda, who all played a role in the making of this film. Dick never told me if he listened to Zeppelin, but he did predict that the forests would echo with laughter once those dams came down.

The Unforgettable Panda Awards

Well, I didn't bring home the coveted Panda Award, but I was deeply honored to be at the 2016 Green Oscars. THE MEMORY OF FISH was nominated for the Best Script Award by the Wildscreen Panda Awards, the highest accolade in the wildlife film and TV industry. The awards ceremony took place on October 13th at Bristol's Colston Hall before a sold out, rocking crowd. THE MEMORY OF FISH was 1 of over 900 entries – and then ultimately 1 of 3 films that was nominated as the best script of a wildlife documentary from the past two years. (Yeah, whoa!!) Surrounded by some of the world's finest storytellers, including Sir David Attenborough, this achievement was unforgettable. Not to mention, I got to share the evening with my mom and that's a prize in itself. Congratulations, again and always, to my phenomenal writing and editing partners, Erin Barnett and Fernanda Rossi. Brava, ladies!

It's gettin' HOT in here

Next week, I’m bringing THE MEMORY OF FISH to the oldest non-fiction festival in North America – Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival. I've always wanted to go to this festival and am thrilled that I'll be at HSDFF to celebrate their 25th anniversary. THE MEMORY OF FISH is up for the award 'Best of Environmental Stories' and I’m up for a trip to Arkansas. Hope to see you there!

Check schedule HERE
Purchase tickets HERE

Two, if by sea

What an incredible honor to earn not one, but two awards at the Woods Hole Film Festival. The film received Best Cinematography and Audience Award: 1st Runner-up Best Feature Documentary. I guess Longfellow's words can be applied to film festival award ceremonies too: Two, if by sea! Thank you to the Woods Hole Film Festival and their inspired audience for recognizing THE MEMORY OF FISH. I only hope to have more films to bring to Woods Hole in the future.

NPR Living Lab Interview

What a great way to honor Dick Goin on what would have been his 85th birthday.
On August 1st, I headed to NPR-WCAI for an interview with Heather Goldstone, science editor and the host of Living Lab.

Read and listen to the piece HERE

Happy birthday, Dick Goin.

Green Oscars, Here We Come!

I wish Dick Goin and David Attenborough could have met. But, in some ways they will very soon.

Thrilled to announce that THE MEMORY OF FISH is a Wildscreen Panda Award nominee – the highest accolade in the wildlife film and TV industry, dubbed the ‘Green Oscars’. What an incredible honor. Check out the full list of nominations HERE. You will find us in the Script Award category. Congratulations to our team and to all Panda Award nominees. See you in Bristol!

Panda Awards tickets: http://www.colstonhall.org/shows/wildscreen-panda-awards/

More about Wildscreen Festival HERE

 

 

Soundtrack Release

Excited to announce that the film's soundtrack is now available!

This electro-acoustic underwater journey by composer Gil Talmi features two Moog Mother-32 modular synths, a mandolin, lots of lush reverbs, and otherworldly sound design by Gisela Fulla Silvestre. An interview about our generative collaboration in sound-music-film to merge the sonic worlds of man, nature, and memory will be available soon too.

Buy the soundtrack on iTunes: https://t.co/mYHhBPTs85