Film created by local charter school appearing at virtual festival
Hoping to inspire people to take an interest in the environment and spend time outdoors, a local charter school created a film that was selected for the Wild & Scenic Film Festival – which is taking place virtually this year.
Louise Miller, principal at Yuba Environmental Science Charter Academy and writer and director of the film, said the film at the festival, “Kids Outdoors,” grew out of a 10-part series sponsored by First Five of Yuba County.
“(It’s a) short film that explores the correlation between entertainment media and time spent outdoors by
children and the goal was to encourage parents and kids to spend quality time outdoors in nature,” Miller said.
Research has shown, she said, that people are meant to spend much of their day outdoors but the average American spends a majority of their time indoors, which “is having detrimental effects on our health and happiness and wellbeing.”
She said it looks like the increase in social media and entertainment media are correlated with the decrease in time spent outdoors and the problems that develop from that.
“We’re an environmental science charter school and we work to create opportunities to be outdoors in nature,”
Miller said. “When kids spend time outdoors, they’re happier and they’re healthier and they learn better. They also develop a love of nature and a desire to value and desire to protect nature.”
YES Charter Academy photography and videography instructor and independent filmmaker Radu Sava helped make the film and he said he has worked with
Miller on several projects.
“I like working with her and with the kids and I really like the message,” Sava said. “I think it’s extremely important for kids of all ages and adults as well to go outdoors, especially (since) we live in a beautiful area and there are so many ways to go outdoors … Contact with nature is very healing for us.”
John Deadrick is the narrator for the film and said it’s also important to teach children how to use technology productively and “have kids interact, do something that has realworld value.”
“At this point, kids have three hands and one of them is a phone,” Deadrick said. “... Positive use of that phone, that app to
draw them outside, that’s important.”
According to a press release from the school, this is the third time that a film made by the YES Charter Academy has been selected for the Wild & Scenic Film Festival – which is one of the largest and longest running environmental film festivals in the world.
The festival is screening more than 100 environmental and nature films virtually this year.
The virtual festival is taking place now through Jan. 24.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www. wildandscenicfilmfestival. org.