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Indiana Humanities has supported the creation of six new films about Indiana’s water ways. You can now apply to host a community screening of the films.

The films are part of the Unearthed initiative, Indiana Humanities’ multiyear environmental theme, and feature stories from across the state told by Hoosiers highlighting their diverse relationships with water. From improving the health of the Blue River to support the hellbender salamander habitat to the fading art of net making, the films explore issues of access and conservation, as well as the unique cultures that spring up around Indiana’s waterways.

Waterways Films

Film

Water Scouts

by Anna Zanoni and Turner Fair

Girl Scout Troop #2715 is on a mission to help create their neighborhood’s first nature preserve, but they can’t do it alone. This short follows the troop as they explore, learn, and team up with others in their community to help save the land from development.

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Film

Land Val · ues

By Johnny Klemme and Ben Massie

Land Val · ues artfully weaves the beauty of the land, a cast of memorable characters, and a community that honors tradition, values hard work, and respects the land.

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Film

Cast Out

by Will Wertz

Cast Out gazes into the rippling waters which Indianapolis straddles. This short film reflects the seasonal cycles in the city. It explores conservational and consumptive fishing on the White River watershed.

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Film

Hellbender in the Blue

by Katelyn Calhoun

From New York to Appalachia, the two-foot-long Eastern hellbender salamander is an indicator species of our river health. The population has declined noticeably since the early 1980s. Taking place in the Blue River watershed of Southern Indiana, the short film Hellbender in the Blue shares the story of a state-wide effort of improving the environment for our slimy friend and the water for us all.

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Film

Calumet: The Region's River

by Samuel Love and Raymar Brunson

Calumet: The Region’s River is a video journey into the industrialized heart of the Calumet watershed in Indiana, along the branches, canals, and wetlands of the Calumet River system. Gary artists Samuel Love and Raymar Brunson travel along the Calumet, exploring how the very heart of the watershed was turned into a barrier between classes and races – and the consequences for communities near the river today.

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Film

The Net Makers

By Hannah Lindgren

In rural Southern Indiana, two men carry on the tradition of crafting hoop nets and commercially fishing in the White and Wabash Rivers. Despite the threat of invasive species, climate change impacts, and the shifting dynamics of commercial fishing and social norms, Larry and Danny spend countless hours hand-tying thousands of knots to create the intricate hoop nets used in the area since the Great Depression. While they take their own approaches to craft their nets, both recognize the precarious state of this tradition and hope that the culture of hoopnet-making will be picked up by future generations before it becomes lost to time.

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INseperable Films

Film

The Earthkeepers

by Mitch Teplitsky and Gabriel Lantz

In southern Indiana, a married couple decide to leave academia to start a composting business—employing
ex-offenders along the way. Now they’re on a mission to avert a looming waste crisis in Indiana, and beyond.

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Film

From Sundown to Sunrise

By Pat Wisniewski and Tom Desch

Trace one man’s journey from sundown to sunrise as he and his family integrate an all-white Indiana town in 1968. By breaking the color barrier, they also helped transform the town and place it on a trajectory of inclusion.

In this film, you’ll hear the use of racial epithets as people recall incidents from their past. These slurs are not censored and of course may be very difficult for you to hear. Thank you for your generosity of spirit as you listen and participate in the viewing of this film.

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Film

Hometown Media

by Ryan Gleeson

Follow a week in the life of a small-town newspaper in Wayne County, Indiana, for a look at how rural journalism is practiced today and why it matters.

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Film

Raised in Contrast

by Chad Perdue

A look at the experiences of mixed-race and non-white Hoosiers who live in rural and suburban communities. 

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Film

Larry from Gary

by Dan Rybicky

A dedicated dance teacher continues working with and inspiring his current and former students even after learning the nationally recognized arts high school in Gary, Indiana where he has taught for decades is being closed by the state.

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Next Indiana Campfires Films

Film

Braided with the Current

"Braided with the Current" by Katelyn Calhoun and Hannah Hodges looks at some of the historical uses of the river then spends time with young people who live on the river and/or who study its environmental conditions. Through the characters in the film, we learn about some of the factors impacting the White River’s health. In addition to stops in Indianapolis and Hamilton County, we spend a significant amount of time with people who live and work on clean up efforts in the Muncie area

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Film

Onward Ever: The Becoming of Indiana's White River

"Onward Ever: The Becoming of Indiana’s White River" by Brandon Walsh focuses on nine people in Indianapolis who, in some way, work on the White River. Each shares why he or she is inspired by the river and what he or she hopes for its future. The film features particularly stunning photography and views of the river and the city.

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Film

White River: Perspectives

"White River: Perspectives" by Hannah Lindgren focuses on three people who offer unique insights into the value of the White River. Among the three films, this one spends the most time considering the effects of agriculture on the White River and the steps that people can take to practice water-friendly farming. This film features scenes in Broad Ripple and Noblesville as well as farmland in Hendricks County.

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Waterways Film Project Screenings

Previous Screening Locations

  • Thursday, March 31 | Featured filmmaker Q&A
    New Harmony Atheneum | New Harmony
  • Tuesday, April 5
    Jefferson County Public Library | Madison
  • Thursday, April 7 
    Taggart Amphitheatre (outdoor screening) | Indianapolis
  • Tuesday, April 19 | Featured filmmaker Q&A 
    Fowler Theatre | Fowler
  • Wednesday, April 20 
    Strand Theatre | Kendallville
  • Friday, April 29 | Featured filmmaker Q&A 
    Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts | Gary
  • Wednesday, May 11 | Featured filmmaker Q&A 
    Harrison County Arts | Corydon
  • Tuesday, May 17
    Studebaker 112 | South Bend
  • Thursday, June 9
    Vigo County Historical Museum | Terre Haute
  • Thursday, June 16
    Cinema Center | Fort Wayne
  • Wednesday, June 22
    IU East – Vivian Auditorium | Richmond
  • Thursday, June 30
    AMP @ 16 Tech | Indianapolis

News

Resource

Call for Enviromental Films

Indiana Humanities seeks proposals for the creation of high-quality short films (5-15 minutes) that explore Hoosiers’ relationships to our state’s land, specifically looking at the sustenance we both derive from and create for the land.

Call for Environmental Films
Video

Waterways Films Trailer

Indiana Humanities is excited to bring these films to Hoosiers across the state. The films will be screened at in nine communities throughout the state in the spring and summer of 2022.

See the trailer
News

Indiana Humanities to host Waterways Film Tour

Indiana Humanities will host a nine-city film tour featuring six short documentary films about Indiana’s waterways.

Read more

About the Waterways Films

Cast Out

About the film

Cast Out gazes into the rippling waters which Indianapolis straddles. This short film reflects the seasonal cycles in the city. It explores conservational and consumptive fishing on the White River watershed. With stark black and white photography and a sparse linear narrative, it asks the audience to be present like the subjects it documents. As a fisherman cannot cast into the river to catch a fish from the sea, this film too plants itself on the banks of the midwestern waterways and waits. 

About the filmmaker

Will Wertz is a film director and editor focusing on genuine and heartfelt stories that expose the human condition. His documentary work has been featured in the Huffington Post and Devour and at international film festivals while his advertisements have won Emmy and Addy awards.

Calumet: The Region’s River

About the film

Calumet: The Region’s River is a video journey into the industrialized heart of the Calumet watershed in Indiana, along the branches, canals, and wetlands of the Calumet River system. Gary artists Samuel Love and Raymar Brunson travel along the Calumet, exploring how the very heart of the watershed was turned into a barrier between classes and races – and the consequences for communities near the river today. Along the way they also introduce the people working to address the legacy of pollution and environmental racism, build connections to communities separated by the river, and increase public access to the water.

About the filmmakers

Samuel Love is the editor of The Gary Anthology (Belt, 2020). He is a social and civic practice artist who organizes public projects that connect communities to their cultural and ecological histories through publishing, multi-media installations, and performance. Past engagements include the Gary Poetry Project (2017), the Gary Nature Project (2018), the Lockport Poetry Project (2018), and the Carroll County Poetry Project (2019-20). He was a 2019-20 Indiana Arts Commission On Ramp fellow and Individual Advancement Program grant recipient. 

Raymar Brunson is a 2016 graduate of Wirt/Emerson Visual and Performing Arts Academy. As an independent photographer and videographer his talents have been sought out by local musicians and artists, environmental groups, and regional publishers. He has documented the impact of coal pollution for the Sierra Club’s Indiana Beyond Coal campaign. A photo essay detailing young people’s everyday lives in Gary was published by Belt Magazine and featured in The Gary Anthology.   

Land Val · ues

About the film

Land Val · ues artfully weaves the beauty of the land, a cast of memorable characters, and a community that honors tradition, values hard work, and respects the land. Showcasing the collective efforts of farmers, landowners, and stakeholders in the community, the film illustrates smart farming practices and smart environmental practices working together for the greater good of the community at large–cultivating continued economic and environmental success in the region and building a lasting legacy of stewardship of the land for generations to come. 

About the filmmakers

Johnny Klemme grew up on a farm in West Central Indiana. From a young age, his parents taught him the value of our connection to water, earth, and agriculture. Through countless outdoor adventures, camping excursions, and river trips, he developed a strong kinship with mother nature. Johnny is a graduate of Purdue University and continues to pursue his passion for the great outdoors, land management, and agriculture within his professional career. When not in the office, he can typically be found on the creek or in the woods with his loved ones and four-legged friends.  

Ben Massie is a life-long resident of West Central Indiana. Spending time outdoors has been a large part of his life since early childhood. As a young boy, Ben would venture afield with his dad who would instill the importance of and appreciation for our natural resources. This passion continued to grow over the years through countless adventures in nature. Today, Ben enjoys telling stories of these beautiful natural places through the art of filmmaking via his business, Flatland Films. When Ben is not behind a camera enjoying nature, he loves to spend time outdoors with his three young boys, sharing the same passion for these wild places that his father instilled in him over 30 years ago.  

The Net Makers

About the film

In rural Southern Indiana, two men carry on the tradition of crafting hoopnets and commercially fishing in the White and Wabash Rivers. Despite the threat of invasive species, climate change impacts and the shifting dynamics of commercial fishing and social norms, Larry and Danny spend countless hours hand-tying thousands of knots to create the intricate hoopnets that have been used in the area since the Great Depression. While they take their own approaches to crafting their nets, both recognize the precarious state of this tradition, and hope that the culture of hoopnet making will be picked up by future generations before it becomes lost to time.  

About the filmmaker

Hannah Lindgren is a documentary filmmaker and video content creator with more than a decade of visual storytelling experience. A native of Indianapolis and graduate of Ball State University, she owned her own video production company and later worked for Time, Inc. (now Meredith). Her most recent documentary short, 50 Little Birds, was produced in partnership with Tilt23 Studios where she works as a video editor and producer in addition to continuing freelance work.  

Hellbender in the Blue 

About the film

From New York to Appalachia, the two-foot-long Eastern hellbender salamander is an indicator species of our river health. The population has declined noticeably since the early 1980s. Taking place in the Blue River watershed of Southern Indiana, the short film Hellbender in the Blue shares the story of a state-wide effort of improving the environment for our slimy friend and the water for us all.  

About the filmmaker

As a documentary filmmaker and owner of Teardrop Pictures, Katelyn Calhoun highlights stories that spark empathy towards people and the planet. In the past few years, Katelyn directed three short documentaries about Indiana residents’ connection with the natural world, Hellbender in the Blue (2021), Snag in the Plan (2019), and Braided with the Current (2018). Her goal is to represent Indiana on a national and international level as she creates non-fiction films about communities all over the world. 

Water Scouts 

About the film

Girl Scout Troop #2715 is on a mission to help create their neighborhood’s first nature preserve, but they can’t do it alone. This short follows the troop as they explore, learn, and team up with others in their community to help save the land from development. 

About the filmmakers

A Ball State University theater and communications graduate, Turner Fair has over 10 years’ experience working in film production. His creative approach is rooted in innovative, community-based storytelling meant to entertain and inform. Fair grew up in the nonprofit world. His grandparents co-founded the Near Eastside non-profit the Kheprw Institute which has helped the community for over 30 years. Now based in LA, he works as a producer on independent feature films for various networks and studios, but continues to be heavily involved in Indianapolis’s film scene. 

Born and raised in Indianapolis, Anna Zanoni has been invested in the rising filmmaking scene here for some time now. Her work centers around themes of minority identity and magnifying everyday people with extraordinary spirits. Her goal is to continue to collaborate with those around Indy in order to capture the unique culture, personality, and issues of the area. She hopes to direct documentaries full-time soon, but for now she’s a development coordinator for unscripted TV shows based in L.A.  

 

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