In this post-screening Q&A discussion, Rick Miller (Emcee) speaks with filmmakers Adam Laity and David Abel about their films "A Short Film About Ice" and "ENTANGLED" and delves into how climate change is affecting the Arctic as well as the endangered species that is the focus of the film "ENTANGLED", the North Atlantic Right Whale.

THE 2021 BEST PROJECT - RUNNER UP

The students wanted to discover the differences between the impacts of biodegradable detergents and regular detergents on our water systems.

This short film shares the story of Layla Black on her path to reclaim her Mohawk identity. As a generational survivor of residential schools, they took her culture from her, but watch her story as she takes it back. And it all started with the water.

Water in the mountains, which gushes from the wellhead, becomes a stream, quenches the thirst of plants and animals. A fundamental element of life, its source and nourishment, but also - its antithesis - destruction. A constant sound which becomes jagged, harsh one moment and conciliatory the next, just like its pronunciation in various languages, open or hard.

Scuba diving is the cure for it all. Tourettes Syndrome is often misunderstood and ridiculed. COMPULSIVE DIVER will help to rid some of the stigmas surrounding the condition.

It's well known that water is a collective good and a free inexhaustible resource... false! THE COST OF FREE WATER (LA GOUTTE DE TROP) follows the journey of a drop of water through the whole Montreal water system. Overconsumption, waste, inadequate filtration processes... but there is still some hope as citizens take on the challenge of reducing their consumption.

The divers of Mostar fly from their bridge from generations, every day, risking their lives. They've been keeping on this tradition for the last 200 years, even when the bridge was destroyed by the war. Some keep in their minds and bodies the signs of conflict and pain, while the young ones look at the future, looking for the perfect dive. An exclusive and intimate look in the lives of a group of men, incarnating the feelings and the story of their country.

“The Drop”, a swiss documentary film, confronts the audience with the topic of water not uniquely as a necessity, but rather as an indicator of social justice, racial inequalities and a trigger for social transformative change. Following a young swiss student through the USA, Canada, Guatemala and Bolivia, different stories and interviews illustrate how a drop of water can highlight the drop of a global system that fails to consider its people equally.

THE 2021 BEST PROJECT

A class's journey to save a local wetland from development through amplifying Indigenous voices and taking political action.

ENTANGLED chronicles the efforts to protect North Atlantic right whales from extinction, the impacts of those efforts on the lobster industry, and how the National Marine Fisheries Service has struggled to balance the vying interests. There are now estimated to be about 350 right whales, making them among the planet’s most endangered species.

At Brixham quayside, workers hose down boats, gut fish and pack boxes as the sun rises over England’s south-west coast. But most of the fish landed here will be loaded onto trucks and sent straight to markets in France, Italy, Spain and Germany, as most British diners are put off by the fish with bones.

Florida’s artesian springs are a natural wonder of the world. As unique as the geysers of Yellowstone and as mesmerizing as Vernal Falls in Yosemite, these blue jewels surrounding the north Florida landscape are considered a treasure by many who see them. But today, the future of Florida’s springs is uncertain.
With flow levels declining and nitrate pollution on the rise, the springs today bear the scars of a profound struggle. Florida's own government continues to approve permits for large companies that want to pump water from the springs and their springsheds, for nominal permit fees that often cost less than a day pass to Disney World. The Fellowship of the Springs takes viewers behind the scenes of the fight to save Florida's springs, from the halls of the state capitol in Tallahassee to deep caves of Ichetucknee spring.

More severe weather in California's central valley is threatening one of the world's most important food producing regions. Efforts are underway to replenish the water below ground, the 'savings account' that farmers and small communities rely on to eke through the dry periods. What is the future of this promising technology?

First Nations on southern Vancouver Island are working to protect their territorial waters, these young divers are leading the way... FINDING THE BALANCE.

In the semi-arid village of Malolo in Singida, Tanzania, Adija and her surrounding community rely on one water source, a single hole in the ground no larger than the size of an average puddle. From the Ground Up takes a look into Adija’s daily routine and provides a powerful understanding of the localized impact of the increasingly dire global water crisis.

Girls in some provinces of Iran have to go far away from their villages to bring water from a pond because of the lack of a fresh water source nearby. The people still treat the Gandos with respect because they believe where there is a Gando, so too, there is water. GANDO tells the story of a nine-year-old girl who has lost her hand to a Gando.

The story of the Indigenous Gitanyow people and their struggle to protect their traditional lands and "food table" in the face of climate change, industrialization and colonization in Northern British Columbia.

Samuel has been fishing on Clement’s boat for about ten years now. Samuel’s dream is to become a captain and Clement is more than ready to retire. The two fishermen agree on the terms of the boat’s sale. HOMEPORT (PORT D’ATTACHE) shows that the road to this seemingly simple handover is actually a very tortuous one.

Does an ice fishing expedition really count if there isn't any safe ice to stand on, or is it more about drinking beer with your buddies in a cold cabin in the woods? A look back at a yearly tradition gone awry with the hindsight of living through a global pandemic.

IMMERSION is an exploration of the human mind's ability to overcome adversity and find a balance in a seemingly inhospitable environment.

A group of dedicated woman swim in these waters all year round. They believe that cold sea swimming is physically and mentally transformative... a spiritual connection between humans and the natural environment.

In this post-screening Q&A discussion, Rick Miller (Emcee) speaks with filmmakers Ana Llacer, Jeremy Williams, and Kristy Franks, about the connection and respect to water that our Indigenous brothers and sisters hold and what we might learn from this. Whitney Miniquaken, a Wemindji youth, speaks to her experience gained from travelling to Australia and helping create the film.

Rick Miller chats about the issues raised in the film "Water be dammed..." with Dr. Romila Verma, co-creator of the film and Vanita Khanna, director of the film, in this fascinating discussion.

INVISIBLE HAND is a “paradigm shifting” documentary about the creation of ‘Rights of Nature.’ The defining battle of our times where nature, democracy and capitalism face off in rural America.

From Executive Producer Mark Ruffalo comes INVISIBLE HAND, the world’s first documentary film on the Rights of Nature Movement. A “paradigm shifting” story about the fate of capitalism and democracy where we find out "Who speaks for Nature?"

Like many that live in inaccessible terrain, Rama Bahadur Sunar lacks water for his basic needs. KEHI CHAINA depicts the lament as well as the fortitude of this 76-year-old man who trudges up and down hilly trails to fetch water from the nearest source. Each walk of one hour, with containers of water in a doko strapped to his forehead, will last him only two days.

KOA TALKING TO ME by the National Park Service, follows a Hawaiian man's love for one of the rarest and most threatened trees in the world. Junior's connection with koa trees on his native island compels him to conserve and honour the spirt of fallen trees that would normally be wasted. His way of using the trees connects him to one of the oldest Hawaiian traditions.

KWANDO tells the story of a young Angolan fisherman, haunted by his past as a child soldier and unsure of his future, who joins a team of international scientists to explore one of Angola’s last unexplored rivers. Through hardships, scientific discoveries and his own growing interest in birds, he finds hope for a new future for his homeland.

LAST PADDLE? 1000 RIVERS, 1 LIFE is an inspirational & visually stunning film that chronicles the amazing lifetime journey of renowned Canadian river advocate Mark Angelo who has paddled more than 1000 rivers in well over 100 countries, perhaps more than any other individual. Spanning the globe, the film chronicles his life-long commitment to river conservation & restoration.

2-year-old Leon experiences his 1st solo rainshower.

Following a series of abstract photos called LIGHT ON WATER, the artist made this meditative, experimental short film to observe nature in an abstract way, and to combine moving images with abstract and ambient generative music. This version of LIGHT ON WATER is a capture of a moment and place in time, as he floated in his kayak in the Atlantic near Rockport, Maine.

The recording of our livestreamed event "In Conversation with Paul Hawken" on the sixth and final day of our ReSurge Festival - Nov. 14, 2021. Paul is interviewed by Melanie Hoffman and then has a frank and interesting discussion with Melanie, Allie Rougeot, and Bryanna Brown. This special event was presented in partnership with Drawdown Toronto, Drawdown BC & Drawdown Alberta.

The recording of our live streamed event - Indigenous Perspectives - on the second evening of our ReSurge Festival - November 10, 2021. Stay tuned for an interesting Q&A session with the filmmakers and a couple of the Wemindji youth that travelled to Australia which follows the screening of the films.

The recording of our live streamed event - The 2021 Best Film Awards - on the fifth evening of our ReSurge Festival - November 13, 2021. Stay tuned for an enlightening discussion with the award winning filmmakers and our host Rick Miller which follows the screening of their films.

The recording of our live streamed event - (Un)Sustainable Fishing - on the third evening of our ReSurge Festival - November 11, 2021. Stay tuned for an interesting discussion with the a couple of the filmmakers with films available in the on demand screening block called (Un)Sustainable Fishing which follows the screening of the films.

The recording of our live streamed event - Water Drops Shorts Program - on the sixth and final day of our ReSurge Festival - November 14, 2021. Stay tuned after the films for an interesting discussion with Rick Miller (our emcee) and 2 of the filmmakers of the films in the series, Maevia Griffiths - director of "The Drop" and producer of "The Lost Seahorse", Kirsten Brass.

The recording of our live streamed event - Water Warrior Award Presentation - on the fourth evening of our ReSurge Festival - November 12, 2021. Stay tuned for an interesting discussion with Rick Miller (our emcee) and our 2021 Water Warrior Award recipient Mark Angelo and filmmaker Roger Williams, which follows the screening of the films.

The recording of our live streamed event - Whose Rights? - on the Opening Night of our 2021 ReSurge Festival - November 09, 2021. Stay tuned for a great Q&A session with filmmakers Joshua Pribanic, Melissa Troutman, and special guest and subject of the film, Markie Miller, that follows the screening of the films.

As his idyllic homeland turns into an imagined paradise for outsiders, Balinese artist Made Bayak reveals the other side. Using plastic as a medium, Made's creative language and education activism bring us on a ride from holy peaks, sacred waters and his religious family life, all the way to the luxurious resort zones, questioning the state of Balinese culture in Bali’s mass tourism development.

THE 2021 BEST FILM

Four students investigate the issue of microplastics, including an informative interview with the Halton Manager of Wastewater Treatment. The recommend solutions and take action through public education and lobbying government.

Mission Creek is one of the Okanagan Valley’s most important waterways, supplying a quarter of all inflow waters to Okanagan Lake. The film highlights the restoration efforts being undertaken by the Mission Creek Restoration Initiative, to return the creek to its natural flow, restore essential habitat for wildlife, and provide an active corridor & essential greenspace for all.

THE 2021 BEST PROJECT - HONOURABLE MENTION

A student investigates access to clean drinking water and the effects of ongoing boil water advisories on our First Nations peoples.

Rick Miller chats about some of the issues raised in a number of the films playing in the ReSurge Festival. Join Rick, Layla Black, director of "Blood and Water: A Reclamation Story", Steve Sxwithul'txw, director of "Finding The Balance", and Joel Starlund, Executive Director of the Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs & subject of the film "Ha Nii Tokxw [Our Food Table] for this talk.

Located in northwestern PEI (Epekwitk), there is a chain of islands known in the Mi’kmaq language as Pituamkek (Bee-doo-um-gek), which means ‘At the Long Sand Dune’, in English as Hog Island and the Sandhills. This film celebrates Pituamkek: its nature and its Mi’kmaw traditions, and profiles work underway to create an Indigenous Protected Area and National Park Reserve there.

PRECIOUS BALANCE WALK is a film with 6 Nordic performance artists invited to perform in and with water. Filmed and performed in the waters of The Sound Örsund, the Ribersborg Beach, Malmö, southern Sweden, August 2019.

PULEJAJAR Cave is known to have underground rivers with abundant water. Working together, the local residents and community volunteers create a system to retrieve the water from the cave which not only brings hope for Rubiyanto and the Jepitu village community, it also reopens the inner connection between Echa and her beloved father who used to be an activist in Pulejajar Cave.

The Race to Alaska is an adrenaline-fueled, 750-mile boat race through the dangerous and spectacular wilderness of the Inside Passage to Alaska.

Described as “the Iditarod, on a boat, with a chance of drowning or being eaten by a grizzly bear,” it’s amazing anyone enters at all. There are no motors and no support – and nobody finishes without a story.

We follow the visceral experience of racers as they compete in one of the most difficult endurance challenges in the world. This race pushes people to find new depths, and discover new layers of themselves. The film is a raw and often times hilarious account of pulling through, again and again – a window into what collective stamina looks like.

THE 2021 BEST FILM - HONOURABLE MENTION

The Grade 8 class was wondering about food waste and if we as a society, have always been this wasteful. In order to learn more about food waste and better practices, the students decided to interview their elders about the topic.

SEAWOLF explores the perspectives of Mike Willie and K̕odi Nelson, two First Nations men looking to conserve their land, protect their culture, bring prosperity to their people, and find harmony and reconciliation between First Nations People and the Canadian government once and for all.

The camera bears witness to the shapes and colours of glaciers, tundra, mountains and sea ice while the filmmaker explores the role of the human and the artist in such landscapes in the time of the Anthropocene.

Gioula is fighting to preserve her simple way of life on her olive farm on the coast of Greece. In this arid region, the land has been cultivated for over 35,000 years. A way of life and a culture are threatened by plans to build a large golf resort for wealthy foreigners, which would deplete the already scarce water supply needed for farming. Development pressures are high.

THE 2021 BEST FILM - RUNNER UP

The focus of the film is on the students' knowledge about sustainable clothing and the need to change our shopping habits, all to benefit our beautiful planet in a sustainable way.

Three indigenous communities in Bolivia fight to protect their water from diversion and contamination amid a national water crisis. UMA takes us on a journey from the tropical Andean glaciers and the highest navigable lake in the world to the mines of Oruro, and the vanished Lake Poopó. It is a women's story of displacement, resistance, and struggle for environmental justice.

In this post-screening Q&A discussion, Rick Miller (Emcee) speaks with filmmakers Steve Sxwithul'txw & Camila Guarda, about the connection to the sea that First Nations' youth have to protecting their coastal territories, above and below the surface, and also how people in Chile who rely on fishing for their livelihood respect the ocean, especially via the perspective of women.

Winnipeg Manitoba plays itself in this documentary. Deeply entrenched in the landscape are the growing pains from an aqueduct built in the early 1900’s to feed its water supply. It’s a history that speaks to a dirty truth: The major artery piping clean water to an urban centre has isolated an Anishinaabe community in Treaty 3, robbing them of their own drinking water.

In the far northern atolls of Papua New Guinea, scientist chieftain and visionary John Aini resurrects old secret ways and melds them with what he and his fellow chieftains and their people know of the coral reefs they rely on. Vala North is a story of a thin thread of hope in a changing world, hope for coral reefs around these islands, and hope for the communities that rely on them.

We live on "the blue planet", abundant with water, yet we are now facing a crisis created by decades of mismanagement, unlimited depletion, and pollution of the earth's water bodies, issues now accelerated by climate change. Through the lens of the Satluj river in Punjab, India, we trace the story of challenges, hopes and aspirations of water’s will to survive and rejuvenate.

In this post-screening Q&A discussion, Rick Miller (Emcee) speaks with filmmakers Maevia Griffiths about her mid-length film "The Drop" and Kirsten Brass about her short animated film "The Lost Seahorse" and how they decided to make their films and why they chose the medium and format that they did to tell their stories.

In Chile, the social and environmental catastrophes are huge: water is being stolen by the lack of law enforcement, the amount of waste increases on a daily basis, and the so-called “sacrifice areas” for industrial purposes are destroying ecosystems. And, as always, poor people, and women are the first victims


this film is focused in the new national and global water reality, shown through the three cases of greatest conflict of freshwater in Chile: shortage of water, pollution by industrial chemicals, and contamination by massive waste of garbage.

The work takes an example of each conflict within the territory of the Valparaiso region: Petorca (shortages), Quinteros / Puchuncaví (pollution by industry) and Valparaíso (pollution by massive waste of garbage) where women live daily the water conflict.

In this post-screening Q&A discussion, Rick Miller (Emcee) speaks with Mark Angelo, the 2021 recipient of the Water Docs' Water Warrior Award, about his fascinating life and his drive to call attention to the state of the world's rivers and with Roger Williams and his biographical documentary film about Mark. Learn about Mark and Roger's collaboration on 2 films about rivers.

Confronted with dwindling marine resources, small-scale fishermen join forces with environmental activists. Together, they fight against powerful industrial lobbies to ban electric pulse fishing, a highly efficient yet destructive fishing method. WATT THE FISH tells the story of ordinary people fighting tirelessly to maintain their traditional livelihoods and preserve sea life.

Youth from the Cree Nation of Wemindji travel to Australia to learn with local Indigenous cultures and their own relationship with water.

In this post-screening Q&A discussion, Rick Miller (Emcee) speaks with Invisible Hand filmmakers Joshua Pribanic and Melissa Troutman, along with activist and subject of the film Markie Miller, about "The Rights of Nature". Watch this and gain a better understanding of this fascinating concept where nature and all living things can be endowed with leverage in our legal systems.

Filmed in the majestic but also dangerous vastness of the Chilean ocean, THE WOMEN AND THE SEA is a sensorial journey featuring two powerful women in a small fishing village. Gloria preserves the legacy of symbolic cemeteries for those lost at sea, while Julieta defies the looming presence of death as she works in the male dominated world of fishing.

YAYA is a short documentary about Yaya Guerrero, an environmental activist in Havana, Cuba. From the Cuban National Aquarium to the Garden of 'Tarecos' and beyond, Yaya combines creativity and community to tackle ocean pollution in her neighbourhood and inspires the next generation to do the same.