The Wild Texas Film Tour will be stopping by Texas A&M University on Thursday, September 28, 2017. The Film Tour will be featuring 12 short films that showcase wildlife, adventure and conservation across the state of Texas.
This is the inaugural year for this film tour, and organizers hope that it will get big enough to expand to more cities, according to Hillary Pierce, the producer of the films.
“We’ve already added two stops to the tour this year that we weren’t originally planning to do and have also received a great deal of interest in cities for the next leg. So we expect to take it to more cities next year,” Pierce said.
Filmmaker and conservationist Ben Masters will be hosting the event. Ben Masters has had a long run with conservation, specifically of wild horses. He is an expert in the field, and hearing from him will be a great chance to be well informed.
The event will also feature the actors, cameramen and women, photographers, anglers, outdoorsman, and wildlife enthusiasts for those interested in talking to them. These people are professionals and knowledgeable in their field, so they can answer any questions that you might have.
Different issues are covered during these films, including the population restoration of the pronghorn and bison, mountain lion predation and populations on private and public land, and how construction of a border wall might affect a variety of species.
“Outside of wildlife, the films we are showing also cover land and water conservation efforts. Each short film is specific to an issue, but sometimes they do overlap,” Pierce said.
This film tour was started in hopes of creating more awareness of the conservation of wildlife and to reach a broader audience. It is a great and entertaining way to get the message across, and Pierce believes that it will draw more attention to the issues. This attention could hopefully result in more financial and public support of the research and work being done.
The profits made from this tour will be used for future film budgets, tour iterations, and conservation efforts that the film team takes part in. For this tour specifically, during the screening, a silent auction will be held in hopes of raising money for Hurricane Harvey.
“We know our audiences care deeply about these issues and want to learn more, so we will do our best to continue spreading awareness, while also doing our best to care for our beautiful state and fellow Texans during a tough time,” said Pierce.
The event is made possible by YETI, Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation, Stewards of the Wild, Borderlands Research Institute, King Land & Water, and Epic Provisions.
If you love film and wildlife, or just want to find out more about what you can do, do not forget to come out to Rudder Theater. Doors open at 6:30pm and screening begins at 7:30pm.
