Interview on Nevada City TV

David Vassar and Sally Kaplan appeared on a live stream television interview on Nevada City TV about CALIFORNIA FOREVER at the Wild and Scenic Film Festival. CALIFORNIA FOREVER was an Official Selection at Nevada City’s Wild and Scenic Film Festival – now in its 10^th year!  David Vassar and Sally Kaplan just returned from a highly successful weekend there.

CALIFORNIA FOREVER screened twice to packed audiences in two separate 250-seat houses.  Saturday night, January 14, the 75-minute program screened at Nevada City’s Elementary School auditorium.  When the applause settled, David and Sally were invited up to answer questions. Also in attendance, were Director of Photography, Chris Tufty and Editor, Christian White.  On Sunday morning, January 15, an additional screening was held at Stone Hall in the Miner’s Foundry.  With the imminent threat of Park closures on the radar of many Californian’s, audience response ranged from deeply moved, to inspired to take action in finding ways to preserve the legacy of California State Parks.

The Wild and Scenic Film festival brings home the notion that film can make a difference. Attendees are not just avid filmgoers. They are concerned individuals passionate about issues – ready and willing to join grass roots efforts to stand up for their concerns.  To assist them in these efforts, the festival also hosted a highly attended “activist” workshop and panel discussion on the Future of California State Parks, which appropriately took place downtown in Nevada City’s Town Hall. Panelists included Elizabeth Goldstein, President of the California State Parks Foundation; Caleb Dardick, Executive Director of the South Yuba River Citizen’s League; Caryl Hart, Chair of the Californian State Parks Commission and Director of Sonoma County Regional Parks, and David Vassar, Director of California Forever. The panelists were forceful in their presentations about how urgent a matter park closures have become and audience participants were sobered to learn that unless we aggressively gather our forces to keep it from happening, little can be done to keep a number of parks from closing beginning July, 2012. The film CALIFORNIA FOREVER was made to remind audiences of the legacy of these parks, and the sacrifice individuals made to preserve them for future generations. The film was not made directly as a response to the threat of Park closures, but the timely screening of CALIFORNIA FOREVER at this year’s Wild and Scenic Film Festival to the type audience that attended, could not have been more fortuitous.