The Nanaimo River is going on the big screen.
Earlier this fall the Nanaimo River Stewardship Symposium, facilitated by the Nanaimo and Area Land Trust, brought together a number of organizations with an interest in the river to identify priorities and processes to move forward collectively with a community-wide initiative to raise awareness of the need for an overall stewardship and protection plan for the river.
A rough-cut version of ‘Voices of the River’ – produced by Nanaimo filmmaker Paul Manly and his company Manly Media – was screened at the symposium and was well received.
“We’re now in the final stretch to finish the film but still need to raise the funds to complete the remaining work – a final edit, sound-track, audio mix, graphics work and mastering” said Manly.
The Land Conservancy of B.C. stepped forward to help with that fundraising effort.
The organization has had a long running interest in the Nanaimo River – in 2001, it purchased the land for the Nanaimo River Regional Park, the only public park on the river.
“We have several hundred members in the mid-Island area who are deeply interested in the future of the Nanaimo River,” said Bill Turner, TLC executive director. “Our goal over time is to increase the protected area along the River, and we’ve already got a good start on what could be a magnificent regional park or protected area that could rival the protections on the Cowichan River.”
Over the last year, Manly Media also partnered with The Land Conservancy on its ‘Be the Change Campaign’ developing and producing a series of public service announcements with some well-known B.C. personalities, including actress Pamela Anderson, snowboard champion Maelle Ricker and artist Arthur Vickers.
So far the ongoing campaign has raised more than $2 million and has helped secure new protected area at Sansum Point in the Cowichan Valley and helped TLC pay off its mortgage on the Wildwood property in Cedar.
Manly Media is offering sponsors of the film the opportunity to get their names listed in the credits as sponsoring producers for donations of $50 or more. Sponsors will also receive a DVD copy of the finished film.
“We’re not building a physical structure with this campaign, but we are offering ‘digital bricks’ for smaller donations and ‘digital park benches’ for larger ones,” said Manly. “The digital park benches are full screen recognition of sponsors – which can also be used as memorials or as tributes for people who have long standing connections to the river.”
All contributions to the film made through the TLC are eligible for a charitable tax receipt and can be sent to the TLC at 301-1195 Esquimalt Rd., Victoria, B.C. V9A 3N6.
For more information about the project ‘Voices of the River’, please e-mail paul@manlymedia.com .