YOCHI
Directed by Ilana Lapid
USA/Belize | 2018 | Fiction | 24 min
A young boy, Yochi (Kerry Johan Landero), guards a nest of endangered yellow-headed parrots in Belize. When Yochi learns that his older brother (Evan Martinez) has turned to poaching, it sets the two brothers on a collision course.
RODENTS OF UNUSUAL SIZE
Directed by Chris Metzler, Jeff Springer, & Quinn Costello
USA | 2017 | Documentary | 71 min
Film Source: Tilapia Films
Awards / premier festivals: Wild & Scenic Fest - Best in Fest
This documentary examines the effect nutria — an invasive species of swamp rats — are having on southern Louisiana. As the rodents eat the brush that protects the coastline from hurricanes and erosion, they are hastening flooding and loss of land from rising sea waters. The film transports the audience back in time through animated sequences, then jumps forward, exploring the people fighting this invasive species. The filmmakers succeed in pointing to larger issues of climate change, generational changes, traditions and class, without forgoing a light and humorous tone. The film is not just about the South, but rather about how to deal with invasive species all over the world. ~ JS