2026 Little Fort Environmental Film awards

Three Brothers Theater (12 pm - 2 pm)  90 minutes. Filmmaker discussion following film. 

UNITED STATES

The City of Monroe’s Commission on the Environment and Water Quality (COTE) and River Raisin Area of Concern have produced a documentary film detailing the extensive remediation, restoration, and revitalization efforts of the River Raisin in Monroe County Michigan over the past four decades. This effort, called the River Raisin Legacy Project, illustrates the cleanup work, habitat restoration, contaminated PBC hotspot remediation, and recreational enhancements among many other projects and activities.

The removal of low-head dams has allowed fish to migrate, for the first time in over 80 years, a twenty-three-mile stretch of the River Raisin. The documentary shows the relentless efforts of volunteers, staff, and key stakeholders to restore ecology and natural beauty, as well as the cultural and recreational value of this regional asset including fishing, kayaking, wildlife viewing and more.

Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie (12 pm - 2 pm)  17 minutes

NEW ZEALAND

In the underwater world of Wellington, New Zealand, marine ecologist Dr. Nicole Miller has dedicated her life to the seaweed forests she loves. With over 800 hours spent beneath the surface, Nicole embarks on her most ambitious mission yet: SCUBA diving the entire 70-kilometre coastline to assess the health of Wellington’s Giant Kelp Forests. Armed with her camera and a deep sense of purpose, Nicole brings these hidden ecosystems to life through vivid photography, public art, and immersive virtual reality. Along the way, she reveals the stark reality of kina barrens—lifeless underwater deserts created by overfishing, pollution, and climate change.

Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie (12:30-12:50 pm) 5 minutes

Introduction of Filmmaker Jason Lindsey. 

UNITED STATES

“Breaking Ice” follows photographer Jason Lindsey as he creates his “Cracks in the Ice” series, prompted by his son's question about what the world will look like due to climate change. Unable to give clear answers to a child who craves stability due to his medical history, Lindsey turns to art to explore this question.

Saturday, June 20, 2026 

Waukegan Public Library, 1st Floor (1:30 pm - 1:35 pm) 4 minutes 

Sunday, June 21, 2026

Three Brothers Theatre, 2 PM

Introduction of Filmmaker Jason Lindsey

UNITED STATES

"It's Time" is a poetic 4-minute film born from a personal journey of discovery. Set in early spring, in our backyard on the banks of the Sangamon River in Illinois, this cinematic ode gives voice to nature through stunning visuals and lyrical narration.

Inspired by the ancient practice of maple syrup making, the film interweaves the rhythm of sap collection with the melody of a wooden flute, creating a symphony of human creativity and nature's wisdom. The tree's awakening becomes a powerful metaphor for environmental awareness, highlighting the delicate balance between abundance and responsibility.

Saturday, June 20, 2026

Waukegan Public Library, 1st Floor (1:35-1:45 pm)  10 minutes

Sunday, June 21, 2206

Three Brothers Theatre

1:45 pm

THAILAND

A boy passionate about nature and birdwatching has been searching for the Nicobar pigeon in various locations across the islands of southern Thailand, but has struggled to find this species, which is increasingly rare. His journey leads him back to Koh Si, part of the Similan Islands, where he first encountered this bird years ago. During this visit, he not only succeeds in spotting the Nicobar pigeon but also reflects on the teachings of Buddhism regarding peaceful coexistence with all living beings. He realises that people should raise awareness about the significance of wildlife conservation, similar to how monks spread religious values. This insight became a significant motivation for him to compile and share information about the Nicobar pigeon with society.

Saturday, June 20, 2026

Waukegan Public Library, 1st Floor (1:45-2;00 pm) 9 minutes

Sunday, June 21, 2026

Waukegan Public Library, 1st Floor at 1:50 pm

Introduction of filmmakers and panel discussion

UNITED STATES

The Wild Mile is the first ever mile-long floating eco-park in the world. What is the history of this revolutionary park and what is the city of Chicago’s interest in the preservation of our wildlife eco-systems in the very famous Chicago River.

Saturday, June 20, 2026

Waukegan Public Library, Lower-Level Children's Film. (1:30 pm-1:45 pm) 15  15 minutes

Sunday, Waukegan Public Library, Lower Level at 1:30 pm

COLUMBIA

Through a scientific perspective, the film explores the complex evolutionary adaptations of these insects, highlighting their bizarre designs and their enigmatic way of communicating. Furthermore, it reveals the challenges they face, offering insight into the role they play in ecological balance and the importance of conserving their habitat.

Waukegan Public Library, Lower Level at 1:30 pm (1 minute)

UNITED STATES

The story of a few marine animals and their struggles with a changing environment. 

Waukegan Public Library, Lower Level Children's Film. 

Saturday, June 20 at 1:40 pm

(10 minutes)

URUGUAY

A stop motion short film, with ecological awareness, made with natural sounds and materials from Uruguay.  Bianca Vazqquez was born and raised in Pasadena, California with Uruguayan roots. She is a filmmaker with a background in photography and acting. She received her BA from USC's School of Cinematic Arts where she concentrated on directing and screenwriting. Based in Uruguay, Bianca works on different personal and commissioned projects. This year she presents her first short film as a stop-motion animator: Lia by the Shore. FREE for children

Saturday, June 20, 2026

Waukegan Public Library, Lower Level, Childen's Film.   2:00 pm (20 minutes)

Sunday, June 21, 2206

Waukegan Public Library, Lower Level at 1:45 pm

FRANCE

Isabelle is a violinist-beekeeper in the Ouessant island. She protects her bees and she inspire her daughter with stories and legend about honey bees....

FREE for children

Saturday, June 20, 2026 

Three Brothers Theater (2:00pm-3:30pm) (90 Minutes)

Sunday, June 21, 2026

Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie (12 noon - 1:30 pm)

CANADA

FILMMAKER DISCUSSION PANEL

"All Too Clear" uses cutting-edge underwater drones to explore how quadrillions of tiny invasive mussels, known as quaggas, are re-engineering the ecosystem of the Great Lakes at a scale not seen since the glaciers. To capture this epic change, the husband-and-wife filmmaking team of Zach Melnick and Yvonne Drebert spent more than 150 days filming underwater, making it the most ambitious underwater film ever made about the Great Lakes. Part scientific exploration, part natural history adventure – the film showcases freshwater wildlife and environments like never before.

The Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie, Saturday, June 20 at 2:30 pm. (14 minutes)

COLUMBIA

Welcome and introduction by Jody Roy (Executive Director of St. Kataria of Chicago.  Ojibwe Nation). Flute music by William Allison Buchholtz (Algonquin Nation)

A former coca farmer living on the edge of the Colombian Amazon is restoring the forest she once cleared. Working closely with scientists using cutting-edge technology, she hears life returning after years of silence and destruction.

Waukegan Public Library, Saturday, June 20 at 3:00 pm. (20 minutes)

UNITED STATES

A look at the monumental problem of bird collisions in Chicago, the deadliest city for birds, just ahead of Houston and Dallas. According to scientists, what happens in Chicago can affect bird populations across North America. As many as one billion birds die each year in the United States due to building collisions, but there are people who care and work hard to change this.

Saturday, June 20, 2026

Waukegan Public Library, Saturday, June 20 at 3:45 pm. (10 minutes)

Sunday, June 21, 2206

Waukegan Public Library, 1st Floor at 2:00 pm

INDIA

Growing up freely in harmony with nature, witnessing her beautiful environment being swallowed up by industrialisation, BLU decides to fight for the wildlife, meadows, rivers and trees before they disappear completely. FREE for Children. 

Waukegan History Museum Saturday, June 20 at 3:00 pm. 

UNITED STATES

Welcome and introduction by Jody Roy (Executive Director of St. Kataria of Chicago.  Ojibwe Nation). Flute music by William Allison Buchholtz (Algonquin Nation)

The Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians is the largest indigenous tribe east of the Mississippi and has been stewarding the fisheries of their Great Lakes territory for generations. This project explores the cultural and economic importance of the fishery to the tribe and how they’re working to ensure a healthy fishery for the next seven generations in the face of climate change and invasive species.

Waukegan Public Library, Saturday, June 20 (1:45 - 1:50 am) 

UNITED STATES

Bubbles is a darkly comedic short film, presented as a livestream in a world devastated by climate change. The protagonist, an oblivious influencer, films herself reviewing products from the comfort of her apartment. Will living in her own bubble be her downfall? With a unique take on climate change, the film is a stark commentary on how tone deaf some influencers can be about serious issues.

Waukegan History Museum at the Cargenie, Saturday, June 20 (3:15 pm -3:30 pm)

UNITED STATES

The Great Lakes hold 20% of the worlds fresh surface water and this film discusses their beauty and the challenges they face. "Water is Life" looks at the call to take on those challenges and how the Anishinaabi take on some of these with optimism. 

Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie, June 20, 2026 at 3:15 pm. (14 minutes)

COLUMBIA

In the Colombian Amazon, the Curare indigenous reservation survives and struggles to protect the Intangible Zone, a territory inhabited by isolated tribes in a natural, millenary state, extremely vulnerable to outside contact.

Waukegan Public Library, June 20, 2026 at 2 pm. (54 minutes)

UNITED STATES

The Right Whale is an intimate and visually stunning documentary that follows the lives of right whales across the globe, from the icy waters of New Zealand and Argentina to the busy coastlines of North America. Through groundbreaking science and emotional storytelling, we meet individual whales like Bill, who swims from New Zealand to Antarctica and back, and Ruffian, rescued from deadly fishing gear. 

Waukegan Public Library, June 20, 2026 at 1:30 pm (8 minutes)

UNITED STATES

The Beye Elementary Student Green Team could not understand why their school's broken dishwasher had not been fixed for five whole years, forcing the school to use single-use plastics that end up in a landfill. They set out on an epic and daring quest to ask hard questions of the adults in charge and show their school and community just how important a new dishwasher was to our shared goals of sustainability and being good stewards of the earth. Along the way, they learned about the power of using your voice and advocating for what you believe is right. 

Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie. Saturday, June 20th at 1 PM  (86 minutes)

UNITED STATES

Welcome and introduction by Jody Roy (Executive Director of St. Kataria of Chicago.  Ojibwe Nation). Flute music by William Allison Buchholtz (Algonquin Nation)

Deep in the Choctaw Nation of rural Oklahoma rages a fight to preserve the Kiamichi River, reckoning with a cycle of land

loss for the Indigenous diaspora and the community at large. Winding its way through southeastern Oklahoma, the Kiamichi River is a bastion of ecological diversity. Already twice-dammed, the state of Oklahoma and a Texas corporation continue to try to commodify the remaining water and build a hydropower plant on the small river. For a group of locals, this isn’t just a fight for a river; it is a lifelong reckoning with the cycle of land theft and displacement that began with the Trail of Tears. Now, in a region where the community relies on the Kiamichi’s ecosystem for subsistence, taking the water out of the watershed could mean yet another relocation.

Waukegan Public LIbrary, 1st Floor.

Sunday, June 21, 2026 at 1:30 pm.  (20 minutes)

ITALY

Gaia is a sound recordist by trade and by passion – whenever she gets a break from her job in the city, she runs off to the mountains to record the sounds of the woods.
But when she accidentally captures a pained scream that might be a cry for help, she has to make a choice: bury her head in the sand, or leave everything behind to try and rescue the wild nature she loves. 

Sunday, June 21, 2026

Waukegan Public Library, 1st Floor at 1:30 pm

UNITED STATES

"The Magic Stump" tells the story of an Illinois tree stump that's attracted a phenomenal variety of wintering raptors through the years, including two rare Prairie Falcons. The goal of "The Magic Stump" is to draw attention to the raptors that winter in our agricultural landscape.

Waukegan Public Library, 1st Floor. Saturday, June 20 at 3:20 pm. 

Filmmaker discussion following film

UNITED STATES

The documentary "Sharing Our Shore and the Return of the Piping Plover to Waukegan Shores" chronicles the conservation story of two captive-reared Great Lakes Piping Plovers, Blaze and Pepper.

After being released in Waukegan in 2023, they returned in 2024 to successfully fledge three chicks, highlighting a successful partnership between the Lake County Audubon Society and the City of Waukegan to protect the birds and their habitat.

The film showcases the challenges, including their nesting site near Superfund sites, and the community's role in raising awareness and protecting the unique Waukegan lakefront.

Saturday, June 20, 2026

Waukegan Public Library, Lower Level at 3:00 pm.  Filmmaker panel and discussion.

Sunday, June 21, 2206

Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie at 1:30 pm. 

Waukegan Public Library, Lower Level, June 21, 2026 at 1:45 pm

SWITZERLAND

Every year, thousands of toads make the arduous journey back to the waters of their birth to reproduce. They have to overcome numerous dangers along the way - from dangerous roads to other obstacles that turn their journey into a fight for survival.

Three Brothers Theater, Sunday, June 21 at 12 noon. Patcha

INDIA

Scarcity of water is the greatest calamity that the world is going to face.Probably, the next war would be fought for water.To a great extent, we ourselves are responsible for this situation. We spoiled the rhythm of nature by cutting down trees and polluting the environment.As a result, often, we are facing calamities like cyclones, tsunamis and landslides. We will have to witness the severe most water crisis in future, if we don’t open our eyes to all this, instead of keeping on boasting about our own power. 

The City of Waukegan

Kinter International

Waukegan Bank

Lake Forest Open Lands

Wayfarer Theater

North Shore Civic Club

Melichar Architets

Moo-V-Nite

TownePlace Marriott

Waukegan History Museum at the Cargenie

Three Brothers Theater

Waukegan Public Library

ArtsLink North

Mr. John & Suzy Edelman

DroNation Video Services

Thanks to our volunteers, judges and guests! See you next year!