Grand Canyon Film Festival - June 23-28, 2019

 

Centennial Summerfest Film Festival

June 23-28, 2019 | Screenings begin daily at 4 pm.
Grand Canyon Visitor Center Theater | Grand Canyon, AZ

Grand Canyon National Park will celebrate its centennial by showcasing a variety of films about Grand Canyon National Park and the surrounding Colorado Plateau. These films celebrate and explore those who live, work, and play in this special area.

Sunday, June 23 - Grand Canyon National Park Centennial (40 minutes)

Beyond the Rim: The Next 100 years of the Grand Canyon- AZ PBS Horizons
Take a look at some of the changes facing Grand Canyon National Park as it enters its second century. We explore the vital role volunteers play in the daily operations at the park, how Native American voices are becoming more integrated, how the tourist experience is changing and what’s being done to shore up natural resources like the Colorado River and native plant and animals. This Arizona PBS production was made possible by William and Susan Ahearn.

Monday, June 24 - River Adventures (43 minutes total)

Feel of Vision - Tucker Gragg & Austin Gardner. After losing his eyesight in a 1997, Lonnie Bedwell described his blindness as a wall that prevented him from living a full life, until he discovered kayaking—the door that opened back up the world for him. Later, he became the first blind kayaker to navigate the Grand Canyon in a solo kayak. Today, Lonnie spends his time engaging fellow blind paddlers in the spray and white foam of the Ohioplye and Yellowstone wilderness—leading them to that doorway, so that they too can create their own vision of the life ahead. (26 minutes)

Return From Desolation - Justin Clifton. After returning from Afghanistan, Garrett Eaton was dangerously close to losing his family and his life to addiction when he found a river guiding program for American veterans. Trading the ups and downs of daily life for the twists and turns of the wild serpentine rivers of the American Southwest, Garrett immersed himself in nature to regain his sense of calm and make peace with his demons. Noticing the benefits of wild places, Garrett became a part-time rafting guide, and now splits his time between Desolation Canyon, Utah and the oil fields of North Dakota. His double life raises eyebrows at both of his places of work, but through this arrangement he can bring home a paycheck and a rejuvenated heart to his wife and four children. Slowly finding his way back from the brink, Garrett rediscovered what he has been fighting for deep in the canyons of Desolation. (11 minutes)

What You Take Away - A Colorado River Reflection - Jeremy Monroe & David Herasimtschuk. Meet Katie, one of the 40 million people who depend on the Colorado River. Pondering life after high school, Katie finds comfort in reflecting on her time in one of the Nation’s most iconic National Parks. Guided by river currents, curiosity, and scientists from the US Geological Survey, her voyage of discovery leads to a deeper understanding of the Colorado River as an ecosystem… and her own place in it. (6 minutes)

Tuesday, June 25 - Protection and Preservation (45 minutes total)

Glen Canyon Rediscovered - Taylor Graham. Glen Canyon Rediscovered chronicles a 350-mile, sea-kayak-based journey to the remote and lost wonders of Glen Canyon, the “place no one knew.” As a result of climate change and an over-tapped Colorado River, Lake Powell is receding and the intricate side canyons, resurrected desert beauty, and forgotten cultural wonders of Glen Canyon are emerging from the depths of the reservoir. (28 mins)

Salween Spring - Will Stauffer-Norris. Meet Travis Winn, an American who traveled to China for the first time 15 years ago to join his dad on a first descent of the Headwaters of the Salween River in Tibet. On that first trip Travis realized that most Chinese citizens had no way to get out and experience free-flowing rivers. And later he learned that at the rate these rivers were being dammed, very few people would ever have a chance to see the rivers in their pristine and natural state. Risking his mental and physical health, Travis continues to strive toward his personal goal to bring the Chinese people closer to their rivers. (8 mins)

Too Precious to Mine - Justin Clifton. The Havasupai – people of the blue-green waters – have lived at the bottom of the Grand Canyon for centuries. But now uranium mining on the canyon’s rims is putting the tribe’s drinking water and its way of life at risk. What would you do to protect your home from uranium contamination? (9 mins)

Wednesday, June 26 - Glen Canyon Dam (29 minutes total)

An Unnatural Wonder- David Wallace, AZ Republic (29 mins) Since the gates of Glen Canyon Dam were closed in 1963, the ecology of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon has been altered, some fear forever.

Thursday, June 27 - Tribes Call the Canyon Home (51 minutes total)

Then, Now, Forever: Zuni in the Grand Canyon - Daniel Byers. Follow the A:shiwi rain priests and medicine men as this sacred migration down the Colorado river is documented on film for the first time – from the pueblo at Halona Idiwana’a to shrines and ancient settlements, through canyon walls carved by the petroglyphs of the ancestors. (28 mins)

Glimpse of the Dine - Dawn Kish. This film documents a little glimpse of the Dinè People (AKA Navajo) and their culture at the Western Navajo Fair in Tuba City, Arizona. It's purpose is to connect the old and new traditions and tell their stories through their eyes. (10 mins)

Canyon Song - Dana Romanoff & Amy Marquis. Within the sacred walls of Canyon de Chelly National Monument, two young sisters, Tonisha and Tonielle Draper, learn about their Navajo culture and history. Above the rim, the girls compete in “royalty” pageants by singing songs in Navajo. But throughout the region, Navajo culture is fading. This film illustrates the sacredness of a people and a place, the effort to define identities in both modern and traditional worlds, and the movement to honor Navajo culture for generations to come—all while reminding viewers of the critical role national parks play in preserving our country’s greatest stories, cultures, and landscapes. This film is part of the National Park Experience (NPX) shorts series celebrating diversity and youth in our National Parks. (13 mins)

Friday, June 28 - Find Your Park

National Parks Adventure-A MacGillivray Freeman Film. The power of America’s national parks is undeniable. Millions have packed up the family to hike through impossibly lush forests, to gaze upon towering cliffs and deep-plunging canyons, to witness the breathtaking arcs of natural history, and, most of all, to share moments of wonder amid the protected treasures of this land. National Parks Adventure offers not only a sweeping overview of the national parks’ history, but is equal parts adrenaline-pumping odyssey and soulful reflection on what the wilderness means to us all. (43 mins)

 

For eight days every June, park visitors and residents explore the wonders of the night sky of Grand Canyon National Park. Visitors look through one of the many telescopes brought by volunteers.

Also This Week:

Grand Canyon Centennial Star Party
June 22-29, 2019 | 8 PM
Grand Canyon Visitor Center | Grand Canyon, AZ
For eight days in June, park visitors and residents explore the wonders of the night sky on Grand Canyon National Park's South Rim with the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association and on the North Rim with the Saguaro Astronomy Club of Phoenix. Amateur astronomers from across the country will volunteer their telescopes and their expertise. Free slide programs will be offered, and numerous telescopes will be pointed at planets, star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies at night and the sun by day. This event is free and open to the public.

International Dark Sky Certification Ceremony
June 22, 2019 | 10 AM
Mather Point Amphitheater | Grand Canyon, AZ
Grand Canyon National Park is officially certified as an International Dark Sky Park by the International Dark Sky Association. To celebrate this milestone, Grand Canyon National Park will hold a ceremony on the South Rim at Mather Amphitheater at 10 am on June 22. Park leadership, Grand Canyon Conservancy management, a historian from Lowell Observatory, and a representative from the International Dark Sky Association will speak about the importance of this certification. This event is free and open to the public.

Junior Ranger Day

June 22, 2019 | 10 AM - 4 PM
Grand Canyon Visitor Center Plaza | Grand Canyon, AZ
The Junior Ranger Program is a great way to explore national parks, get some cool swag, and maybe even a replica of a ranger hat! You'll also learn why national parks matter and how you can be a part of the team that helps keep parks healthy. We don't care what age you are–just come to “explore, learn, and protect” your national parks and become an official Grand Canyon Junior Ranger. This event is free and open to the public.

Jr. Rangers can stop by to learn about Grand Canyon Wildlife at the park's touch table, make some split twig figurines,participate in the bark ranger program, and more. Participating organizations include Grand Canyon Conservancy, High Country Humane Animal Shelter, Delaware North, and Grand Canyon Vegetation Program.

Storytime on the Rim & Jr. Ranger Swear In
Join storybook authors and park rangers for a special reading and Jr. Ranger swear in after.
10 AM- Scout Moore:Junior Ranger, Grand Canyon! Reading by author Theresa Howl
1 PM-Who Pooped in the Park? Reading by Grand Canyon Ranger
3 PM-Whose Tail on the Trail at Grand Canyon? Reading by Grand Canyon Ranger

Buddy Bison Meet and Greet
11 AM and 2 PM
Stop by and meet the National Park Service's official mascot.

Bells and Whistles Ambulance Tour
12 PM
Stop by and take a tour of a Grand Canyon ambulance and learn about the importance work our emergency service staff does every day.

The Havasupai Guardians of the Grand Canyon Performance

June 22, 2019 | 6:30 PM
Grand Canyon Visitor Center Plaza | Grand Canyon, AZ
On June 22, 2019, the Grand Canyon Music Festival kicks-off Grand Canyon National Park Centennial Celebrations with a performance of Brent Michael Davids’s “Guardians of the Grand Canyon,” performed by the Havasupai Guardians of the Canyon and flutists Brent Michael Davids (on crystal flute), Clare Hoffman (on metal flute), traditional Native cedar flute, clay flute, and percussion. "Guardians of the Grand Canyon," created by Brent Michael Davids focuses on the indigenous people who have lived here at the Grand Canyon for centuries.

Centennial Summerfest

June 29, 2019 | 10 AM - 4 PM
Grand Canyon Visitor Center Plaza | Grand Canyon, AZ
Grand Canyon National Park will be celebrating its centennial with a summer festival bringing together park partners to showcase everything Arizona has to offer. Stop by the visitor center plaza to explore Arizona food and brews, see cultural demonstrations by tribes native to the canyon, and participate in fun activities that teach you more about this grand canyon! This event is free and open to the public.

Participating organizations include Grand Canyon Conservancy, Arizona Office of Tourism, AZ State Parks, Lowell Observatory, Desert Botanical Garden, AZ Trail Association, Sierra Club, Flagstaff Extreme Adventures, Museum of Northern Arizona, Hawk Watch International, REI Flagstaff, Subaru Flagstaff, Historic Brewing Company, Lumberyard Brewing Company, and Dark Skies Brewing Company.

Grand Archeology Fair

June 29, 2019 | 10 AM- 4 PM
Desert View Watchtower | Grand Canyon, AZ
Come out to Desert View to learn and have fun with Grand Archaeology Fair! This family event will feature several outdoor stations with lots of hands on activities including split twig figure making, recreation of an archaeological dig, Ancestral Puebloan jewelry making, botanicals, atlatl demonstration and throwing, corn grinding with manos and metates, petroglyphs and pictographs. In addition, there will be a 2 day beginners weaving class using table top looms with Navajo teacher Lyle Henry in the old visitor center building. For further information, please contact Marie Malo at 928-638-7727 or e-mail us.