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2020 Waterwalker Film Festival Trailers

Here's a selection of trailers from our 2020 Waterwalker Film Festival lineup!

Tumblehome – Honourable Mention

David Arthur, Brian Cook – 18:33 – Brian Cook is a Master Canoe Builder in Dwight, Ontario. His life hasn’t always been so simple though. Against the backdrop of the interiors of Algonquin Park, Cook’s poetic narration explains why he stopped believing in the stem-cell / longevity research pursuit, and returned home to Canada to paddle.

Places Like This – Best Environmental

Calder Cheverie, Genevieve Pare – 08:33 A 10-day journey through Canada’s north brings to light the intimate relationship we have with the land. Places Like This takes you over beaver dams, through winding creeks, and into the heart of the Beaver River Watershed, which is under threat from development.

The Long River Home – Best Inspirational

Seth Dahl, Sarah Leone- 19:56 – The Long River Home is a 20 minute documentary film about overcoming the residual impacts of war through kayaking with a team. Aaron Howell and Russell Davies are combat veterans who were injured in war and now come together for another mission as they guide blind Navy veteran, Lonnie Bedwell, on his third trip through the Grand Canyon. Over a 14 day river trip they battle more than 80 powerful rapids, screaming directions to Lonnie the whole way. Always looming downstream roars Lava Falls, the largest rapid of them all. Throughout the journey they remember their past experiences and learn that negotiating the rapids of life is as simple as forming a team, kicking out in the current, and finding a line through the chaos.

Howe Sound – Best Short Film

Kelsey Thompson Blackfish Paddles- 08:21 – After being declared a dead zone from mining pollution the waters of Howe Sound are undergoing a miraculous recovery. Follow Norm Hann as he takes you on a tour of his backyard waters and describes the current state of the Sound.

Family Routes – Best Canadian Location

Keith Robertson- 40:00 – Leanne Robinson and Dwayne Wohlgemuth embarked on a summer-long canoe trip across the Northwest Territories with their two sons: four-year-old Emile, and one-year-old Aleksi. Together they face the challenges of living off the land and criticism back home.

Exploring the Land of the Netsilik – Best Adventure

A modern journey through the traditional home of the Netsilik Inuit along the Kellett River from its headwaters to the Arctic Ocean. Discoveries in this unspoiled land include ancient monuments, wildlife of all kinds and white water. This first contemporary complete descent of the river ends in a wild ride on the frigid sea water of Pelly Bay.

ICEolation – Best Documentary

Sarah Abbott, Sophie Ballagh, Ewan Blyth , Mathew Farrell – Flowstate Photography- 28:00 – Two People, two weeks, two kayaks. Sophie and Ewan took a journey beyond wilderness, a self supported journey via sea kayak to connect with an uninhabited land of ice and penguins. The film takes you with them on their journey from the preparations of planning such an expedition, through the challenges and riding the highs of Antarctica.

Skye’s The Limit – Best Education and Safety

Cal Major, James Appleton- 25:00 – Paddle Against Plastic 2017: One woman (Cal Major)’s solo circumnavigation of the Isle of Skye, Scotland, on a Stand up Paddleboard. The adventure serves to highlight the effects of plastic pollution on even stunning, remote and wild places such as this, and brings positive and engaging solutions to the issue. The film follows Cal’s epic and dramatic ocean voyage, vulnerable to Scotland’s famous winds, waves and tidal races, alone. Featuring beautiful scenery, wildlife, farm animals and Tunnocks teacakes.

Vitamin Sea – Best SUP

James Appleton, Cal Major- 1:08:00 – One woman’s record breaking stand up paddle boarding journey the entire length of mainland UK. 1000 miles, from Land’s End to John O’Groats, documenting the positive ways to tackle plastic pollution, and how crucial our connection to nature is in driving positive environmental change.

The Patagonia Triple Crown – Best Action

Nomade Media, Lorenzo Andrade Astorga- 52:42 – A group of kayakers find themselves in the difficult mission of running the three less explored and most dangerous rivers of the south of the world. The Pascua River, Bravo and Baker. They will overcome the difficult tests that the Patagonia will put on them, in addition they will learn about of the complicated environmental situation that Chile is suffering in its fight for fresh water.

Crossing Lake Erie – Honourable Mention

Corey Adkins – 40:46 – Different Lake, different cause and different challenge. The men from Stand Up for Great Lakes we’re at it again as they paddled 73 miles from Belle Isle, Detroit MI to Catawba Island, OH to raise money for the Cooperative Institution for Great Lake Research (CIGLR). Experience the beauty, the heat, the unbelievable sunset and the pain as we show you the journey across the 4th Great Lake they’ve SUP’d across, Lake Erie.

Homecoming,  A Boundary Waters Story – Honourable Mention

Joe Fairbanks- 08:19 – Joe Fairbanks was born and raised in Northern Minnesota. In HOMECOMING, he travels through the same waters where he learned to paddle as a boy: the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Today, proposed mining on the edge of the wilderness threatens these waters. Joe reflects on the experience of being diagnosed with cancer and draws on his personal connection to the natural landscape for strength and healing to illustrate the importance of nature preservation.

Pull of the North – Honourable Mention

Caroline Cote, Ian Finch- 52:57 – In late May 2016 a team of 4 adventurers started a 3 month, 2000 mile canoe journey from the source of the Yukon River at Lake Bennett, Canada to its mouth at Emmonak at the Bering Sea, Alaska. Along the entirety of this wilderness expedition is the home of the Athapaskan first nation people who more than 10,000 years ago, crossing the Bering land bridge from Asia settled within Western Canada, Alaska and the Yukon River region. As we made our way to them, it was our aim to ground ourselves in their story and landscape as we go.

Solo Canoe – Honourable Mention

Matt Steeves – 09:55 – Paddling and portaging over 80km through the pristine landscape of Temagami, Ontario, Solo Canoe captures the serenity of the being alone in the wilderness on a canoe trip.

Spirit of Jaguar – Honourable Mention

Pavol Barabas, Alena Koscova- 58:00 – Four friends are heading into the Amazonian jungle for a challenging journey. They paddle down the wild rivers and hike through deep forests to become a part of the Indian Hodi tribe. The mysterious Sierra Maigualida Mountains, which haven´t been crossed by any European human being ever before, hides them from the surrounding world. Living side by side with Indians in their natural way of life and spending many days in their village show them how to respect the nature and its balance. Indian tribe Hodi represents the opposite of our western culture. It is their pleasure from the simple things and happiness from life versus our never- ending urge and desire to buy and possess.

River Kingdom – Honourable Mention

Aaron Stone, Cade Yanowski- 09:54 – Three westerners and their Cambodian friend set out on a journey through rural Cambodia. Our goal was to paddle the Srepok River, a tributary to the mighty Mekong River. We did not reach our destination. Our expedition came to a quick halt when the river took an unexpected turn. Just when we thought our journey was over a new story unfolded in front of us. This film demonstrates the sweet and joyful side of humanity as two cultures come together in an unexpected circumstance.