DOXA Documentary Film Festival Screening: Toad People
What does it take to save a species? Join us for the Vancouver premiere of Isabelle Groc and Mike McKinlay’s Toad People (Canada, 2017, 76 mins). Produced by local grassroots environmental organization, Wilderness Committee.
Every summer, thousands of fingernail-sized Western toads cover a rural road in the community of Ryder Lake in Chilliwack, British Columbia. When the toadlets migrate from their breeding ground in the wetlands into the forest, few make it to the other side of the road. Western toads, like other amphibians in BC, are struggling because of habitat loss, climate change, and human interference. For local residents like Steve Clegg, who grew up catching tadpoles in nearby ponds, the rapid population decline is a cause for concern.
Directors Isabelle Groc and Mike McKinlay introduce us to the stories of people like Clegg who make up a community-led movement to save this endangered species. Through stunning cinematography that takes us from the wetlands to the forest, and to various communities across BC, Toad People serves as a powerful call to action and a hopeful reminder that people of all ages can come together to make a difference. - Milena Salazar
Toad People Official Website.
Following the screening the filmmakers will be joined by Wilderness Committee co-Executive Director Joe Foy to discuss local endangered species campaigns and answer your questions about the production of Toad People.
Date: Thursday, May 9, 2019
Time: 7:00pm
Admission: $15 Adults, *$13 Students, Senior and MOV Members.
*MOV members, students and seniors please be prepared to show your valid identification along with your ticket at the door.
Tickets for this DOXA screening available exclusively online.
Event ticket includes FREE admission to our feature exhibitions Wild Things: The Power of Nature in our Lives, There is Truth Here, Haida Now and c̓əsnaʔəm, the city before the city (reg. $19). Consider arriving early with your event ticket to view exhibits.
Speaker Bios
Joe Foy is the co-Executive Director of the Wilderness Committee. Joe first joined the organization in 1988, and has since led many successful campaigns to win protection for wild areas and wildlife habitats in Western Canada. Currently Joe is working on several critical endangered species campaigns including convincing the BC government to protect spotted owl habitat in southwest BC, enact their long overdue endangered species legislation, and designate the Upper Skagit watershed as a permanent protected area.
Isabelle Groc is a writer, conservation photographer and documentary filmmaker. She focuses her efforts on creating stories that increase our understanding and awareness of conservation issues and inspire change. Her work has appeared in international media including National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, Canadian Wildlife, New Scientist, and Scientific American. Isabelle’s documentaries have received international recognition including a 2018 Wildscreen Impact Panda Award for the film Toad People. Isabelle grew up in France and now lives in Vancouver, British Columbia
Mike McKinlay, Director of Photography of both commercial and documentary film making, has worked extensively in vérité, drama, historical, environmental awareness and wildlife production genres. During his 15 years in the industry Mike has carved out a respectable niche as an award winning cameraman in the Canadian documentary scene - taking part in some of the top documentary stories spanning the West coast. His most recent clients include National Geographic, Netflix, National Film Board of Canada, Knowledge Network, and APTN.
