Public invited to screening of ‘Artifishal’ at Wesleyan

MIDDLETOWN — The documentary “Artifishal” will be the next film shown during The Elements: An Annual Environmental Film Series.

The public is invited to the screening Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. at the Wesleyan University Center for the Arts Ring Family Performing Arts Hall, 271 Washington Terrace, Middletown (next to the Zilkha Gallery). The event is open to the public and free of charge, according to a news release.

“Artifishal” is about people, rivers, and the fight for the future of wild fish and the environment that supports them. It explores wild salmon’s slide toward extinction, threats posed by fish hatcheries and fish farms, and our continued loss of faith in nature, the release said.

Following the film, an informal discussion will take place.

This is the third film of the 2019-20 season. The final in the 2019-2020 series is “A Concerned Citizen: Civics in Action,” which will be shown April 6 at Middlesex Community College, Chapman Hall.

The movie highlights the work of Dr. Riki Ott, a citizen activist who came to the aid of her Alaskan community after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in their battle to get fair compensation for their loss of health and income, according to the release.

She has been organizing the Gulf coast communities as they recover from the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster. Taking her lessons learned as an activist, she is spearheading a campaign called Ultimate Civics, a civics curriculum that empowers students to participate in their democracy, according to the release.

The Elements: An Annual Environmental Film Series was begun in 2015. The series is co-sponsored by the Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District, Middlesex Community College, Middletown Garden Club, The Rockfall Foundation, and Wesleyan University’s Center for the Arts, College of the Environment, and College of Film and the Moving Image, the release said.

“Artifishal” is the 21st film in the series. Previous ones include: “Elemental,” “Watershed,” “Dirt! The Movie,” “Chasing Ice,” “The End of the Line,” “The True Cost,” “Dukale’s Dream,” “Xmas Without China,” “Merchants of Doubt,” “Racing to Zero,” “Forgotten Farms,” “A Plastic Ocean,” “Just Eat It,” “Comfort Zone,” “Sacred Cod,” “Death By Design,” “Growing Cities,” “Anthropocene,” “The Human Element” and “Ice on Fire.”

For information, contact the Conservation District office at 860-3463282.

Contributed photo The documentary “Artifishal” will be screened Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. at the Wesleyan University Center for the Arts Ring Family Performing Arts Hall, 271 Washington Terrace, Middletown.