Welcome to Schiff's 15th annual Environmental Film Festival! A true community event, the festival allows us to explore the preserve in a unique manner. Each year, we strive to show inspiring environmental films, offer a venue for community to gather, raise funds for Schiff, and promote learning and discussion of important environmental issues.
The night of the festival, the Wood Badge Lodge is transformed into a wonderful Woodland Theatre. With the fire pit lit, the picnic benches and seating strewn around the fire, we enjoy catching up with our film festival friends and visitors as we wait for dusk to arrive. Schiff provides the hayride, the alfresco movie experience, seating, popcorn, and water. You are welcome to bring a picnic dinner, beverages, and a friend or two for a special evening meant to broaden our reach, make new friends and members, and raise funds to support the mission of Schiff Natural Lands Trust. In the event of rain, the festival will be held the following day, Sunday, June 2 at the exact same time.
"A fantastic voyage through America's past and present, from its breathtaking, unspoiled beginnings to its growth as a global industrial power - all along a frequently overlooked river." - Bill Westhoven, Reporter, USA Today
BRIEF SYNOPSIS
Mary Bruno spent her childhood fearing the polluted stretch of the Passaic River near her home. Decades later, she
returns to rediscover the river of her youth. AMERICAN RIVER is a cinematic adventure that follows Ms. Bruno and
river guide Carl Alderson on a 4-day, 80-mile kayak journey from the Passaic's pristine headwaters to its toxic mouth in
Newark Bay. Along the way, candid conversations with residents, experts and advocates reveal the Passaic's
extraordinary history, geology, and ecology: How did this powerful and once-celebrated river become one of the most
contaminated in America? Can it be saved?
AMERICAN RIVER
Three years in the making, AMERICAN RIVER was directed by seasoned filmmaker Scott Morris and based on Ms.
Bruno's 2012 book, An American River: From Paradise to Superfund. Like the book, the film is a unique blend of
personal memoir, adventure, history, and science. Mary and Carl explore the Passaic's beauty, navigate its many twists
and turns, pass through cities including Paterson and Great Falls and visit Mary's hometown as they head towards the
industrial disaster that poisoned the Passaic for the past 60 years. The entire journey was captured in both grand and
intimate scale from the water, land, and air by an experienced crew with ten 4K cameras. Mary and Carl's dynamic
personalities bring insight, urgency, and humor to every scene. An original score, graphic animation and rare archival
images enrich the story. S. Dillard Kirby is Executive Producer; AMERICAN RIVER is his second film project with
Scott Morris.
Scott Morris - Producer / Director / Editor
Scott is an accomplished independent filmmaker based in the New York/New Jersey area for 40
years. Recent work includes Saving The Great Swamp: Battle to Defeat The Jetport currently
distributed by American Public Television, and From The Ashes: The Life and Times of Tick
Hall, also distributed by APT and featuring talk-show host Dick Cavett. American River is his
first feature-length documentary. For more info, visit www.scottmorrisproductions.com.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
Many people in urban areas are disconnected from nature, and many films about the natural world are filmed in exotic
faraway places. I was drawn to the idea of making a film about a subject that was literally in my own backyard. I live a
few blocks from the Passaic River yet knew nothing about it. How could the obscure waterway I'd cross multiple times
while driving with my family in different parts of the state be the same river? Depending on where I was, I'd catch
glimpses of it flowing in different directions through the cluttered landscape of houses, towns, and cities. There must be
several Passaic Rivers, I thought. And no one seemed to know anything about it... ...Until I read Mary Bruno's 2012
book, An American River: From Paradise to Superfund. My vision for AMERICAN RIVER would bring together the story of Mary's Bruno's highly personal journey with our
mutual love of nature, concern about the environment, and themes of loss and healing I've explored in all my work. She
loved the idea of working together on a film and our collaboration grew. I was thrilled to be out on the river during the
months of scouting and filming the kayak trip and delighted when Mary and Carl's friendship and dynamic personalities
bloomed as the cameras started rolling. Capturing their can-do attitude, sharp observations and humor adds a
wonderful layer to the film's urgent story and gives voice to my optimistic point-of-view. Despite its darker aspects, the
film is after all a story of joy, wonder and hope. I invite audiences to discover and celebrate the Passaic River along
with me through my experience making this film.
If you're interested in becoming a sponsor for this event, please complete the sponsor form and return it to info@schiffnaturepreserve.org by May 15, 2024.
