In tipping our hats to Earth 
Day, Rachel Carson College at UC Santa Cruz is revisioning and diversifying ways of knowing in relation to better taking care of the Living World and one another. We are Land & Water Defenders Mini Film Festival & Workshop creates a space for collaboratively re-storying environmental justice and hope for all living beings.
In close collaboration with many departments and centers across UC Santa Cruz and beyond, the Mini Film Festival & Workshopl is a three-day event weaving together film, research, story, and hope. It aims to bridge film directors and producers, Native and Black leaders, scholar-activists within Academia, students, and civic society from across the Americas. All those invited will put their heads and hearts together to reflect on the importance of the ongoing political struggles of Black and Indigenous peoples—and all people—for land, water, and simply, to exercise their rights to just be. We are super excited to feature three newly released award-winning documentary films over three Saturdays. Each Saturday will feature welcoming words, the documentary, a Q&A with the director, producer, and/or actors, as well as talks by world leaders on the topics at hand.
April 12th, Igualada (2024). Directed by Juan Mejia.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aICmYazV1AY
Panelists/Workshop Facilitators & Contributors:
-Juan Mejia, Director & Producer, Igualada
-Shelly Grabe, Rachel Carson Provost & Professor of Psychology
-Juli Hazlewood, Rachel Carson College, UC Santa Cruz & Co-founder & Executive Director, Roots & Routes
-Claudia Jimenez, Richmond City Council
-Peter L, Professor, Professor & Chair, Film & Digital Media, UC Santa Cruz (virtual)
-Bettina Ng'weno, Professor, African American & African Studies, UC Davis
-Tianna Paschel, Associate Professor, UC Berkeley
-B Ruby Rich, Professor Emeritus, Film & Digital Media, UC Santa Cruz (virtual)
April 19th, Water for Life (2023). Directed by Will Parrinello
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx0y3D-pfWA
Panelists/Workshop Facilitators & Contributors:
-Maria Jose Calderón, Co-producer & Editor, Water for Life
-Jonas Banda, Teaching Assistant, Environmental Art and Social Practice, UC Santa Cruz
-Silvio Carrillo, Emmy-winning Visual Storyteller & Senior Producer at ABC 7 San Francisco
-Brock Dolman, Director, Water Institute, Occidental Arts & Ecology Center
-Dana Frank, Professor Emeritus, History, UC Santa Cruz
-Juli Hazlewood, Rachel Carson College, UC Santa Cruz & Co-founder & Executive Director, Roots & Routes
-Fernando Leiva, Professor, Latin American and Latino Studies, UC Santa Cruz
-Martin Rizzo-Martinez, Assistant Professor, Film & Digital Media, UC Santa Cruz
April 26th: Together for Water (2024). Directed by Eriberto Gualinga.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WFdZJvu4vI
Panelists/Workshop Facilitators & Contributors:
-Juli Hazlewood, General Producer,Together for Water and Co-founder & Executive Director, Roots & Routes, and Lecturer, Rachel Carson College, UC Santa Cruz
-Chairman Valentin Lopez, Amah Mutsun Tribal Band
-Monti Aguirre, Latin American Program Director, Rivers International
-Harrinson Cuero Campaz, Black Rights Scholar-Activist & Advisor to Colombia’s Vice President Francia Marquez.
-Shelly Grabe, Rachel Carson Provost & Professor of Psychology
-Gauri Kathula, Stanford Admitee and Roots & Routes Youth Visionary Collective Intern
-Beth Rose Middleton Manning, Professor & Chair, Native American Studies, UC Davis
-Ulrich Oslender, Associate Professor of Geography, Florida International University
and Associate Supporting Producer of Together for Water
-Gustavo Vasquez, Professor, Film & Digital Media, UC Santa Cruz
-Carter Wilson, Professor Emeritus, Community Studies, UC Santa Cruz
Theatre C, Communications Building
2:00-4:15 Award-winning film screening and Q&A
Room 139, Communications Building
4:15-4:30 Refreshments
4:30-6:00 Panel with international leaders & workshop
