Wild and Working Lands Film Festival Winners Announced at UW

Winners of the University of Wyoming’s Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources inaugural Wild and Working Lands Film Festival recently were awarded.

The festival, held at Laramie’s Gryphon Theatre, featured 14 short films that explored innovative research, personal stories and the relationship between humans and the wild and working lands around them. UW Haub School Dean John Koprowski emceed the event.

Five committee and partner award-winning films were announced at the festival in the following categories: Best Film About Wyoming; Best Film of Indigenous View; Wyoming Migration Initiative Award; Biodiversity Institute Conservation Award; and Grand Prize. Festival attendees also had a chance to be involved by voting for their favorite film in the People’s Choice Award category.

The winning six films and their directors were:

Grand Prize -- “The Last Last Hike,” directed by Céline François, from Seattle, Wash.

Best Film About Wyoming -- “Denizens of the Steep,” directed by Dan Gibeau and Zach Montes, both from Jackson.

Best Film of Indigenous View -- “Returning Fire to the Land,” directed by Lara Tomov, of Missoula, Mont.

Wyoming Migration Initiative Award -- “High Plains Wild,” directed by Mariah Lundgren, from Lakewood, Colo.

Biodiversity Institute Conservation Award -- “Creating Miracles in the Desert,” directed by Carol Evans, of Spring Creek, Nev.

People’s Choice -- “(RE)CONNECTING WILD,” directed by Jake Willers, from Reno, Nev.

To view all of the award-winning films and all of the entered films, go to the virtual Wild and Working Lands Film Festival at https://express.adobe.com/page/tOTKPSTdBUQ0R/. To donate to the film festival, go here.

To learn more about the Wild and Working Lands Film Festival, visit www.uwyo.edu/haub/events/filmfestival/ or follow the Haub School’s Instagram page for events and updates.

The Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources advances the understanding and resolution of complex environmental and natural resource issues. The school supports students as well as citizens, stakeholders and decision-makers by providing the skills and tools needed to build durable, inclusive solutions to the most pressing environmental and natural resource challenges.

For more information, email Grace Carr, research and outreach coordinator at the Haub School, at gcarr1@uwyo.edu.