SwampScapes celebrates continued success in bringing much-needed attention to the vital importance of the endangered Florida Everglades. The 360º film is an official selection for the 2019 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, the largest documentary festival in North America.
University of Miami School of Communication Associate Professor Kim Grinfeder, former Visiting Knight Chair Liz Miller, and Miami-based filmmaker and artist Juan Carlos Zaldivar co-directed the swamp-conscious film.
“We are pushing the film across many fronts and a festival like Hot Docs will helps us attract attention from educators and programmers who are also passionate about how to use emergent media platforms and films toward environmental education,” said Miller.
The project is designed to reconnect users with the Florida Everglades through the guidance of its passionate protectors, ranging from artists, to biologists, to activists. The linear VR film is just one of SwampScapes’four platforms, which include the SwampScapes’ website, interactive VR film and photo installation.
The Center for Communication, Culture and Change provided and administered the funding for production, which graduate and undergraduate SoC students enrolled in Miller’s and Grinfeder’s classes also worked on.
The Hot Docs selection is a remarkable achievement for all involved, but the greatest benefiter is the fleeting environment SwampScapes is dedicated to preserving.
“I think that Hot Docs will help with SwampScapes’ mission of creating swamp literacy and bring the project to an even greater audience,” said Grinfeder.
Click here to explore the complexities of the Florida Everglades and its guardians.
