Our Mission: Free Rivers

Each year, River Film Fest presents an international selection of environmental and outdoor films on free rivers and freshwater life. We combine film screenings and expert discussions to foster cultural exchange in a festival format. We do this to advocate for better policies to:

protect free rivers and the pathways that they create
remove dams and restore or rewild river landscapes
halt the decline of freshwater life

Many in the environmental, angling, and paddling communities are alarmed by the ongoing destruction of rivers, and look for ways to better protect them. Together, we are sharing river stories to build a movement, for the love of water.

As a community, the countries in the EU can do better to protect and enhance healthy, dynamic and free-flowing rivers.

In light of the global boom of hydropower, what might Europe learn from the US when it comes to protecting free-flowing rivers and removing dams? While river basin management is well advanced in the EU, the growing system of Wild and Scenic Rivers in the US is an inspiring model for the permanent legal protection of free rivers. Countries like Finland and Sweden already have effective river protection schemes in place, granting permanent legal protection of rivers against hydropower and other disruptive impacts. We are advocating for the establishment of a similar policy across Europe. The EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 offers new prospects for this vision.

Rivers running wild and free under permanent protection: Let’s combine the power of an idea with the compelling power of stories.

Have a look at our conclusions from EU Green Week 2020, where we curated two online river film sessions with panel discussion.

Green Week 2020 conclusions title screenshot.jpg

Feature Films

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THE WILD – How do you save what you love?

A film by Mark Titus

“I still believe it’s possible to save the things we love. Wild salmon will continue to show us how. If we let them.”

CONFLUIR

A film by Henry Worobec

On a month-long rafting expedition down the Río Marañón in Peru, a team of young scientists from different countries investigates a magnificent wild river that is threatened by 20 large dam projects.

“This film was inspired by the movement to protect Río Marañón – a movement that started in small villages at the bottom of one of the deepest canyons in the world and today continues to grow across the globe. As the principle tributary of the Amazon, Río Marañón is environmentally significant on a global scale, and it will take an international effort to save it.”

THE UNDAMAGED

A film by Balkan River Defence

“They don’t see the river, they see dollars.”

Follow the Balkan Rivers Tour, a crew of whitewater kayakers, filmers, photographers and friends who decided to stand up for the rivers, travelling from Slovenia to Albania for 36 days, kayaking 23 rivers in 6 countries to protest the dams and show the world the secret, wild rivers of the Balkans. The film honours everyday people and local activists who are fighting to defend rivers and aims to spread the word of the plight of these rivers.

The Balkan Peninsula cradles Europe's last wild rivers and supports abundant wildlife and healthy, intact ecosystems. These rivers are The Undamaged – clean, pristine, and undammed. With over 2,700 small and large hydro power plants planned or under construction in the Balkans, corruption and greed are destroying the last free-flowing rivers of Europe.

RUN WILD, RUN FREE – 50 years of Wild and Scenic Rivers

A film by Shane Anderson, Pacific Rivers

“I’ve set out to learn more about this incredible story, with the hope that we can become inspired by those that had the vision and passion to protect their rivers. After all, it’s far cheaper and more effective investing in river protection than bringing back what was lost.”

The growing network of Wild and Scenic Rivers in the US is an inspiration for the protection of free rivers in other parts of the world. Run Wild, Run free is a magnificent portrait of 50 years of Wild and Scenic Rivers.

ARTIFISHAL

A Patagonia film

“The road to extinction is paved with good intentions.”

Artifishal is a film 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.

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