“We are glad that Shifting Sands is part of Coastal Awareness Month in June,” said Mike Molnar, program director for Indiana DNR Lake Michigan Coastal Program. “While the film helps tell the story of Northwest Indiana, Coastal Awareness Month is a chance for Hoosiers to explore and celebrate northwest Indiana’s unique coastal resources and the region’s overall importance.”

Lake Michigan is a source of recreation, drinking water, and industrial activity; yet these competing uses thrive within Indiana’s forty-five miles of Lake Michigan shoreline—the most biologically diverse in the entire Great Lakes region.

“The Portage Imax showing provides a special opportunity for the public to both explore the history of our Lake Michigan coastal area on the big screen, and to meet the people working daily to protect our land, water and air daily,” said Patricia Wisniewski, the film’s producer and director.

Ticket holders to Tuesday night’s showing have a chance to participate in a post-film Q&A with the filmmakers, and one-on-one discussions with representatives from the Indiana Lake Michigan Coastal Management Program, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, the Dunes Learning Center, Save the Dunes, and more.

The documentary, an idea of Lee Botts—a prominent American environmentalist known for leading conservation and restoration work around the Great Lakes—comes a century after a national park was first proposed to safeguard the Indiana Dunes’ spectacular landscape of dunes, woodlands, wetlands and unsurpassed biological diversity. The national park proposal sparked a movement, one that spanned several decades and cultivated environmental policies with worldwide impact. Today, the advocacy from that movement has transformed into a new model of cooperation, where industrialists and environmentalists—once bitter adversaries—work together to steer its community toward a more sustainable future.

Currently, a congressional bill is proposed to retitle the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to Indiana Dunes National Park. If passed, the bill would create Indiana’s first national park.

Event Details

Hoosiers are invited to join the film’s producers at Portage IMAX along with local organizations working to protect Lake Michigan. After the screening, the film’s production team and local conservation organizations will lead a discussion with the audience.

Tickets can be purchased online only. For more information about the screening and to purchase tickets, visit https://shiftingsandsmovie.eventbrite.com.

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About “Shifting Sands: On the Path to Sustainability”

“Shifting Sands: On the Path to Sustainability” explores how the Indiana Dunes region, through its influential environmental battles, offers a blueprint towards a more sustainable future. Since its August 2016 nationwide debut, #ShiftingSandsMovie has aired across 241 public television stations. The film was also nominated for a Chicago/Midwest Regional Emmy® Award by the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Members of the production team include Lee Botts, executive producer; Pat Wisniewski, producer and director; Tom Desch, producer, editor and writer; and Rana Segal, producer and director of photography. Proceeds from the film benefit Lakeshore Public Television (WYIN) and the Dunes Learning Center. For more information about the film, visit shiftingsandsmovie.com.

Volunteer Cyclists To Screen Emmy® Nominated Indiana Dunes Documentary Ahead of National Bike Travel Weekend

Chicago, IL – Before embarking on a 50-mile bike journey from Chicago to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Out Our Front Door will screen “Shifting Sands: On the Path to Sustainability” to its members on Thursday, May 18 at 7:00 p.m. at the BFF Bikes in Chicago. The screening is held in support of National Bike Travel Weekend—a weekend where people from all over the nation travel their state or national park by bike.

“We’re a small group of volunteers who take people on camping adventures by bike,” said Andrew St. Paul, executive director of Out Our Front Door. “By hosting this screening, we’re providing the Chicagoland community an opportunity to learn about the Indiana Dunes and its surrounding area before they bike from Chicago to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.”

Cyclists will ride past some of the areas mentioned in the film.

The Chicago/Midwest Regional Emmy® nominated documentary, “Shifting Sands: On the Path to Sustainability,” explores how the Indiana Dunes region, through its influential environmental battles, offers a blueprint towards a more sustainable future.

The film, an idea of Lee Botts—a prominent American environmentalist known primarily for her work related to conservation and restoration of the Great Lakes—comes a century after a national park was first proposed to safeguard the Indiana Dunes’ spectacular landscape of towering dunes, green woodlands, rich wetlands and unsurpassed biological diversity.

Currently, a congressional bill is proposed to retitle the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to Indiana Dunes National Park. If passed, the bill would create Indiana’s first national park.

After the screening, members of the film’s production team will lead a discussion with the audience. Members of the production team include Lee Botts, executive producer; Pat Wisniewski, producer and director; Tom Desch, producer, editor and writer; and Rana Segal, producer and director of cinematography.

For more information about the screening, visit http://www.outourfrontdoor.org.

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About Out Our Front Door

Out Our Front Door, a volunteer-based group organizing to become a 501(c)3 organization,  provides exploratory adventures by immersing and educating in the area’s history, architecture, and the uniquely beautiful natural habitats of the Lower Lake Michigan Basin Area through bicycling. You can go on your own by picking up a trail book/map or join us on one of our guided tours, where we reveal the grandness of Chicagoland and beyond. For more information about Out Our Front Door, visit outourfrontdoor.org.

About “Shifting Sands: On the Path to Sustainability”

“Shifting Sands: On the Path to Sustainability” explores how the Indiana Dunes region, through its influential environmental battles, offers a blueprint towards a more sustainable future. Since its August 2016 nationwide debut, #ShiftingSandsMovie has aired across 241 public television stations. The film was also nominated for a Chicago/Midwest Regional Emmy® Award by the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Proceeds from the film benefit Lakeshore Public Television (WYIN) and the Dunes Learning Center. For more information about the film, visit shiftingsandsmovie.com.

SAUGATUCK, MI – The Saugatuck-Douglas History Center will screen “Shifting Sands: On the Path to Sustainability” on Thursday, April 20 at 7:00 p.m. at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts. Event sponsors include Kathleen and James Cook, CottageHome, the Saugatuck Dunes State Park Hikers, and the Saugatuck Center for the Arts.

The Chicago/Midwest Regional Emmy® nominated documentary explores how the Indiana Dunes region, through its influential environmental battles, offers a blueprint towards a more sustainable future.

“The story of conserving the Indiana Dunes is relatable to many pockets of the country—including ours,” said Nathan Nietering, executive director of the Saugatuck-Douglas History Center. “This film captures a narrative that weaves the importance of ecology, the environment, and consensus building into one story.”

The 60-minute film chronicles the journey of a movement for the United States to have its first national park in an urban setting; a movement which eventually led to game-changing environmental policies with worldwide impact. Today, the advocacy from that movement has transformed into a new model of cooperation, where industrialists and environmentalists—once bitter adversaries—work together to steer its community toward a more sustainable future.

“We are excited that communities see ‘Shifting Sands’ as an opportunity to engage their stakeholders in conversations about sustainability,” said Patricia Wisniewski, the film’s producer and director.

The documentary, an idea of Lee Botts—a prominent American environmentalist known primarily for her work related to conservation and restoration of the Great Lakes—comes a century after a national park was first proposed to safeguard the Indiana Dunes’ spectacular landscape of towering dunes, green woodlands, rich wetlands and unsurpassed biological diversity—just one-hour from Chicago. Currently, a congressional bill is proposed to retitle the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to Indiana Dunes National Park. If passed, the bill would create Indiana’s first national park.

After the screening, members of the film’s production team will lead a discussion with the audience. Members of the production team include Lee Botts, executive producer; Pat Wisniewski, producer and director; Tom Desch, producer, editor and writer; and Rana Segal, producer and director of photography.

For more information about the screening, visit http://sc4a.org/Happenings/Real-to-Reel-Shifting-Sands.aspx.

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About Saugatuck-Douglas History Center

The Saugatuck-Douglas History Center (SDHC), a volunteer-based 501(c)3 organization, preserves the greater Saugatuck-Douglas community’s local history, and inspires learning to inform and improve the community.  SDHC also connects residents and tourists with the area’s unique cultural heritage through planned activities and volunteer opportunities. For more information about SDHC, its award-winning Pump House History Museum and Old School House, visit MySDHistory.org.

About “Shifting Sands: On the Path to Sustainability”

“Shifting Sands: On the Path to Sustainability” explores how the Indiana Dunes region, through its influential environmental battles, offers a blueprint towards a more sustainable future. Since its August 2016 nationwide debut, #ShiftingSandsMovie has aired across 241 public television stations. The film was also nominated for a Chicago/Midwest Regional Emmy® Award by the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Proceeds from the film benefit Lakeshore Public Television (WYIN) and the Dunes Learning Center. For more information about the film, visit shiftingsandsmovie.com.

The film’s producers include Lee Botts, executive producer; Pat Wisniewski, producer and director; Tom Desch, producer, editor and writer; and Rana Segal, producer and director of photography.

“We are extremely honored to receive the Chicago/Midwest Regional Emmy® nomination for ‘Shifting Sands,’” said the film’s Executive Producer Lee Botts. “This nomination demonstrates the film’s capacity to not only bring people together to conserve the Indiana Dunes, but to capture the importance of continuing the conversation of sustainability amongst diverse stakeholders. It’s a story relevant to many pockets of the country.”

The 60-minute film chronicles how the Indiana Dunes region, where rare plants grow in the shadows of smokestacks, sparked a movement for a nation to create its first national park in an urban setting; a movement which eventually led to game-changing environmental policies with worldwide impact. Today, the advocacy from that movement has transformed into a new model of cooperation, where industrialists and environmentalists—once bitter adversaries—work together to steer this community toward a more sustainable future.

To date, “Shifting Sands: On the Path to Sustainability” has aired on 240 public television networks across the country since it made its national debut in August 2016.

For more information about the film, visit shiftingsandsmovie.com.

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About “Shifting Sands: On the Path to Sustainability”
“Shifting Sands: On the Path to Sustainability” explores how the Indiana Dunes region, through its influential environmental battles, offers a blueprint towards a more sustainable future. The film’s 2016 release marks 100 years since the creation of the National Park Service and 50 years after the congressional authorization of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Presented by Lakeshore Public Television (WYIN) and distributed by American Public Television (APT), “Shifting Sands: On the Path to Sustainability” has aired across 240 public television stations since August 2016. Proceeds from the film benefit WYIN and the Dunes Learning Center.

Support for this program was provided in part by: The Legacy Foundation, The Efroymson Family Foundation, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Knight Foundation, The Porter County Community Foundation, The Indiana Arts Commission, South Shore Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, The Unity Foundation of LaPorte County, The Crown Point Community Foundation, Indiana Dunes Tourism, The Flora Richardson Foundation, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indiana Lake Michigan Coastal Program, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, and many individual donations.

About The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) is a professional service organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of television and the promotion of creative leadership for artistic, educational and technical achievements within the television industry. It recognizes excellence in television with the coveted Emmy^® Award for News & Documentary, Sports, Daytime Entertainment, Daytime Creative Arts & Entertainment, Public & Community Service, Technology & Engineering, and Business & Financial Reporting.  Excellence in Primetime programming and international programming is recognized by its affiliate, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.  Regional Emmy^® Awards are given in 19 regions across the United States. Beyond awards, NATAS has extensive educational programs including National Student Television and its Student Award for Excellence for outstanding journalistic work by high school students, as well as scholarships, publications, and major activities for both industry professionals and the viewing public.  For more information, please visit the website at www.emmyonline.tv.

The Chicago/Midwest Regional Emmy® nominated documentary chronicles how the Indiana Dunes region, where rare plants grow in the shadows of smokestacks, sparked a movement for a nation to create its first national park in an urban setting; a movement which eventually led to game-changing environmental policies with worldwide impact. Today, the advocacy from that movement has transformed into a new model of cooperation, where industrialists and environmentalists—once bitter adversaries—work together to steer this community toward a more sustainable future.

Currently, a congressional bill is proposed to re-title the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to Indiana Dunes National Park – bringing Chicago a national park to Chicago’s backyard.

After the screening, Dr. Alison Anastasio, the executive director of the university’s Medical Scientist Training Program and lecturer in the Environmental Studies Program, will lead a discussion with members of the production team. For more information about the screening, please visit www.docfilms.uchicago.edu.

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About “Shifting Sands: On the Path to Sustainability”
“Shifting Sands: On the Path to Sustainability” explores how the Indiana Dunes region, through its influential environmental battles, offers a blueprint towards a more sustainable future. The film’s 2016 release marks 100 years since the creation of the National Park Service and 50 years after the congressional authorization of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Presented by Lakeshore Public Television (WYIN) and distributed by American Public Television (APT), “Shifting Sands: On the Path to Sustainability” has aired across 240 public television stations since August 2016. Proceeds from the film benefit WYIN and the Dunes Learning Center. For more information about the film, visit shiftingsandsmovie.com.

The crew of the sixty-minute documentary includes current Hyde Park resident Tom Desch and native Rana Segal. Desch served as the documentary’s producer, writer, and editor; Segal was a producer and the director of photography. Lee Botts, the executive producer, once called Hyde Park home and served as the editor of the Hyde Park Herald.  Pat Wisniewski, producer and director, grew up in the South Chicago neighborhood of Hegewisch.

But the crew’s members are not the only ones with the Hyde Park ties, many of the characters at the center of the film’s narrative have ties to the neighborhood:

• Henry Chandler Cowles, a botanist at the University of Chicago, researched the plant life in the Indiana Dunes and helped launch the science of ecology.
• John D. Rockefeller shaped both Hyde Park with the founding of the University of Chicago; but, he also led the charge to industrialize Lake Michigan’s South Shore when he built—at the time—the world’s largest oil refinery in Whiting, Indiana.
• Stephen Mather, the first director of the National Park Service, once called Hyde Park home and many from the neighborhood joined him in advocating for a Dunes National Park including Sears President Julius Rosenwald and Sculptor Loredo Taft. Later, Illinois Senator Paul Douglas became a leading voice for the creation of the National Park.

The University of Chicago’s Program on the Global Environment and Doc Films, the university’s student film society, will host the screening, which is free and open to the public. After the screening, Dr. Alison Anastasio, the executive director of the university’s Medical Scientist Training Program and lecturer in the Environmental Studies Program, will lead a discussion with members of the production team. To learn more about The Program on the Global Environment, visit www.pge.uchicago.edu.

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About “Shifting Sands: On the Path to Sustainability”

“Shifting Sands: On the Path to Sustainability” explores how the Indiana Dunes region, through its influential environmental battles, offers a blueprint towards a more sustainable future. The film’s 2016 release marks 100 years since the creation of the National Park Service and 50 years after the congressional authorization of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Presented by Lakeshore Public Television (WYIN) and distributed by American Public Television (APT), “Shifting Sands: On the Path to Sustainability” has aired across 240 public television stations since August 2016. Proceeds from the film benefit WYIN and the Dunes Learning Center. For more information about the film, visit shiftingsandsmovie.com.

Paul Labovitz, superintendent for the National Park Service’s Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, said “‘Shifting Sands’ captures the wonder of the Indiana Dunes, which is one of the most ecologically diverse places on our continent uniquely nestled in the heart of a busy, dense and industrial landscape—and  this natural treasure thrives.”

The August nation-wide debut of “Shifting Sands: On the Path to Sustainability” marks 100 years since the National Park Service first proposed a national park in an urban setting—a proposal to safeguard against the disappearance of one of America’s most studied landscapes.

The film honors the 100^th anniversary of the National Park Service and the 50^th anniversary of the Congressional authorization of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. The State of Indiana has also designated the film as a Bicentennial Project.

“We are excited and gratified that ‘Shifting Sands’ is getting so much attention across the country,” said Lee Botts, the film’s executive producer and long-time environmentalist. “The story of conserving the Indiana Dunes captures the importance of ecology, the environment, and of consensus building among opposing stakeholders. It’s a story relatable to many pockets of the country.”

The film is distributed by American Public Television (APT) and presented by Lakeshore Public Television (WYIN) in Northwest Indiana.

For more information about the film, visit shiftingsandsmovie.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: Ericka McCauley, CleverMac PR, ericka@clevermac.com

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About APT:

American Public Television (APT) has been the leading syndicator of high-quality, top-rated programming to the nation’s public television stations since 1961. For more than 10 years, APT has annually distributed one-third or more of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles in the U.S. Among its 250 new program titles per year, APT programs include prominent documentaries, performance, news and current affairs programs, dramas, how-to programs, children’s series and classic movies. AfroPoP, America’s Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated, Rick Steves’ Europe, Front and Center, Doc Martin, Nightly Business Report, Midsomer Murders, Vera, NHK Newsline, Lidia’s Kitchen, Globe Trekker, Simply Ming, and P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home are a sampling of APT’s programs, considered some of the most popular on public television. APT licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service. Now in its 11^th year, Create® TV — featuring the best of public television’s lifestyle programming — is distributed by American Public Television. APT also distributes WORLD, public television’s premier news, science and documentary channel. To find out more about APT’s programs and services, visit APTonline.org.

The film explores four key areas about our local—and national—treasure:

• the unique natural history of the shoreline of Indiana’s three Lake Michigan counties;
• why this region is known internationally as the birthplace of ecological science in North America;
• the history of the Dunes State Park and the controversy that resulted in the designation of the National Lakeshore;
• the national significance of today’s successful expanding partnerships between governments, environmental advocates and corporations to reduce pollution and restore natural areas in ways that promote possibilities for sustainability.

“We want people to recognize the movement towards sustainability taking place along their shoreline,” said Lee Botts, a local environmentalist and the film’s executive producer. “So much has changed for the better since the 1960’s when I first became involved in the environment here in northwest Indiana, and I want people to recognize the changes that are happening today.”

The film tells the story of the early development of the Northwest Indiana region—from the construction of an industrial powerhouse to the environmental consequences that followed. Pat Wisniewski, the film’s producer, said “I love going to the state park and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. But prior to making this film, I had no idea that the modern science of ecology and the modern environmental movement were both born right here in Northwest Indiana. It’s a fascinating story.”

The documentary, which took years to make, comes a century after a national park was first proposed to safeguard this spectacular landscape of towering dunes, green woodlands, rich wetlands and unsurpassed biological diversity just an hour from Chicago.

The project, which began in 2011, celebrates three significant anniversaries in 2016:

• the 200^th anniversary of the State of Indiana,
• the 100^th anniversary of the National Park Service, and
• the 50^th anniversary of the Congressional authorization of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

The State of Indiana has also designated the film as a Bicentennial Project.

American Public Television, the leading syndicator of high-quality, top-rated programming to the nation’s public television stations, will air the film nationally later this year.

Film sponsors include: The Legacy Foundation, The Efroymson Family Foundation, The Lake Michigan Coastal Program, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Knight Fund at Legacy, The Porter County Community Foundation, The Indiana Arts Commission, South Shore Arts, The Unity Foundation of LaPorte County, The Crown Point Community Foundation, Indiana Dunes Tourism, The Flora Richardson Foundation and many individual donations.

Additional sponsorships and incentives for donations are available for the educational component for those who wish to help the outreach of the film. For more information on the film or to donate, search for “Shifting Sands movie” on Facebook.  Or, visit the Legacy Foundation’s “Shifting Sands Documentary” site at: http://engage.legacyfdn.org/component/jgive/campaign/339?layout=single&Itemid=101

FOR INTERVIEWS, CONTACT:

Lee Botts                                                         Pat Wisniewski

Executive Producer                                          Producer

leebotts@gmail.com                                        Forgoodnesssakeproductions@gmail.com

219-938-2863                                                  (219) 508-7364

Tom Desch                                                      Rana Segal

Producer                                                          Producer

deschvideo@gmail.com                                               ranasegal@gmail.com

773-837-1915                                                  312-671-1428

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Additional Quotes

• Producer Tom Desch: “Not only are the Indiana Dunes beautiful, but the cultural history of the area is just as fascinating. There is such a rich diverse culture here in the communities that came to be built up around steel and sand.”
• Producer Rana Segal: “The crew filmed hours of footage, conducted dozens of interviews, and researched countless old photographs to create a 1-hour film.
• Story Consultant Brian Kallies: “The history here is really a microcosm of our national history.”
• Assistant Editor Paul Nelson: “I’ve always wanted to help tell our local history.”
• Production Assistant: Matthew Keene: “I learned to appreciate the rare ecosystem of the dunes by working on this project. I had no idea how many varieties of plants exist here. The bio-diversity is just unbelievable, and still thriving even with all the industry around it.”
• Dorreen Carey, one of the people interviewed in the film: “The efforts taking place today to clean up and restore our natural areas have been a community effort. The story will show how important partnerships are in the effort to creating an environment that we want to leave to the next generation.”
• Kenneth Schoon, a local author who wrote a companion book to the film for educational outreach: “I love writing about the Calumet region and it has been a pleasure collaborating on this project.”

Additional contributions

• The teachers working on the curriculum for 6^th-12^th grade will be Jennifer Davies and Chris Kustusch.
• Local artist Barbara Spies Labus, who designed some of the South Shore Posters, designed the cover art for the project.
• Garrett Finn, an intern from Ball State University, joined us climbing dunes to help us capture amazing vistas.
• Locals Eric Hines, John Paul Bicuenas, Pam Pulice and Ben Schreiner achieved additional photography.