[forestwoodward]

The day before yesterday was a beautiful one up here in Maine. Golden leaves and a sunny day of back road door knocking. Yesterday was a grey mess of rain and cold and yep, still knocking doors. Today is a mixed bag. ⁣ ⁣ Tomorrow? Who knows. ⁣ ⁣ What I do know is that Chloe and Canyon are continuing to do what they do everyday and have done for years now. They are putting one foot in front of the other, pressing forward, knocking doors, listening to people, and having real conversations based in compassion and hope and a desire to see the best for this country. ⁣ ⁣ Thanks to everyone who is showing up in your own way, to canvas, to phone a friend, to volunteer at the polls, or simply to #vote to save the soul of this country.⁣ ⁣ If you need an extra dose of hope or motivation today, please take 15 minutes for yourself and watch Rural Runner [link in bio]⁣ ⁣ To quote the great Cornel West, “The only way you can be a long-distance freedom fighter is to find joy in the struggle. Joy in empowering others. Joy in enabling others - even when they don’t understand you.”⁣ ⁣ So please, keep showing up. rain or shine. win or lose. like it or not we have all got to be distance runners for the soul of our country and the future of democracy. https://www.instagram.com/p/CHGZ2JZHLpz/?igshid=1psqu2su6vitk

[forestwoodward]

“At the end of the day, what Chloe and I have done is pretty simple. ⁣ ⁣ We put one foot in front of the other. We listen. We show up every day, rain or shine, and do our best. We never really know what we’re capable of unless we try. ⁣ ⁣ And I believe, as a nation, regardless of political affiliation, of creed or color, of our differences and divides, now is the time to try, to do better, to live up to the ideals of what this country set out to be. ⁣ ⁣ Where our voice actually felt like it was heard. Where our actions have meeting. And where our communities are drawn in, not pulled apart.”⁣ ⁣ -⁣ ⁣ Over the [blue] moon thrilled to get to share Rural Runner with y’all this weekend!!⁣ ⁣ -⁣ ⁣ Also if you’re in Maine and want to come help knock doors for Chloe slip that DM to me or @canyonwoodward and we’ll get you on the team!⁣ ⁣ [link in bio to full film - 15 minute run time]⁣ ⁣ -⁣ ⁣ @gnarlybay -edit/post/production⁣ @aidanhaley - editor/producer⁣ @stabilityfilms - editor/ninja⁣ @anya_miller - producer/art direction⁣ @mrsanjayr + Dan + Dana - exec producers⁣ @ducttapethenbeer + @semi_rad - story consulting⁣ @jaredblizzard - mix/sound design⁣ @tommypenick - race camera⁣ @laura.yale - producer⁣ @brendanpdavis - assistant edit (at Nobleboro, Maine) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHAumfpn-Z0/?igshid=o3us5w4aje55

[forestwoodward]

*It gives me a great deal of joy to share that Rural Runner is officially LIVE and streaming through an internet tube near you!!* link to full film (15min) in bio⁣ ⁣ In a time when there are so many forces at play pushing us into varying states of fear and anxiety, it has been a real gift to get to work with this amazing crew of friends and creative minds to try and tell the story of a couple of young humans who make me feel HOPE. ⁣ ⁣ Thank you @chloe.maxmin and @canyonwoodward for letting us share in a small part of your journey and story!⁣ ⁣ Thanks to the dream team for all your creative weaving, story thread pulling, last minute mad-dashing and hard work to get some legs on this little film and let it totter out into the wider world⁣ ⁣ @gnarlybay -edit/post/production⁣ @aidanhaley - editor/producer⁣ @stabilityfilms - editor/ninja⁣ @anya_miller - producer/art direction⁣ @mrsanjayr + Dan + Dana - exec producers⁣ @ducttapethenbeer + @semi_rad - story consulting⁣ @jaredblizzard - mix/sound design⁣ @tommypenick - race camera⁣ @laura.yale - producer⁣ @brendanpdavis - assistant edit⁣ ⁣ _⁣ ⁣ @solrising - music - “The Journey”⁣ @possessedbypauljames - music - “There Will be nights when I’m Lonely”⁣ @Portugalttheman - music - “Feel it Still”⁣ Kevin Reilly - music - “Appalachian Moon” (at Rural America) https://www.instagram.com/p/CG-0OHvns0h/?igshid=1eway6l5elyyc

[forestwoodward]

*It gives me a great deal of joy to share that Rural Runner is officially LIVE and streaming through an internet tube near you!!* link to full film (15min) in bio⁣ ⁣ In a time when there are so many forces at play pushing us into varying states of fear and anxiety, it has been a real gift to get to work with this amazing crew of friends and creative minds to try and tell the story of a couple of young humans who make me feel HOPE. ⁣ ⁣ Thank you @chloe.maxmin and @canyonwoodward for letting us share in a small part of your journey and story!⁣ ⁣ Thanks to the dream team for all your creative weaving, story thread pulling, last minute mad-dashing and hard work to get some legs on this little film and let it totter out into the wider world⁣ ⁣ @gnarlybay -edit/post/production⁣ @aidanhaley - editor/producer⁣ @stabilityfilms - editor/ninja⁣ @anya_miller - producer/art direction⁣ @mrsanjayr + Dan + Dana - exec producers⁣ @ducttapethenbeer + @semi_rad - story consulting⁣ @jaredblizzard - mix/sound design⁣ @tommypenick - race camera⁣ @laura.yale - producer⁣ @brendanpdavis - assistant edit⁣ ⁣ _⁣ ⁣ @solrising - music - “The Journey”⁣ @possessedbypauljames - music - “There Will be nights when I’m Lonely”⁣ @Portugalttheman - music - “Feel it Still”⁣ Kevin Reilly - music - “Appalachian Moon” (at Rural America) https://www.instagram.com/p/CG-zxoKHH90/?igshid=1dqnf6b01g3j

[forestwoodward]

Making this film - “Rural Runner” (15min) - has been one of the most challenging creative pieces I have ever had the pleasure and pain of working on. ⁣ ⁣ With sponsor after sponsor turning us down for funding, I found myself internalizing their value statements - that the project wasn’t worthwhile because it wasn’t “valued” by the capitalist system of creation that fuels so much of the media we encounter - particularity in the outdoor world.⁣ ⁣ I gave up on the project for long periods of time. ⁣ ⁣ Tried to move on.⁣ ⁣ But I couldn’t.⁣ ⁣ While my conscience and ego might have conspired to strike a deal that let me walk away from the film, my love for my friends and family and this country would not allow it.⁣ ⁣ This film is a product of that love, that belief in each other that is at the core of what makes this all worth fighting for. ⁣ ⁣ This film exists because every time I checked in with Canyon and Chloe they reminded me what it looks like to stare down indomitable odds and still charge headlong into the fray. To surround yourself with friends, to embrace discomfort, to be vulnerable, ask for help, be willing to learn, lead by example, and to just plain give a damn.⁣ ⁣ It exists because of friends like Aidan and Anya and Laura who, when I asked them over and over again for help (secretly hoping some day they would say “no” and in doing so free me to give up) just kept saying “yes”.⁣ ⁣ It exists because of friends like Dan and Dana and Jordan and Jared who, when I thought I couldn’t push on any further, stepped in to pick up the baton and add their magic to the mix.⁣ ⁣ It exists because of friends like Brendan L and Sanjay, who kept picking up the phone when I called or texted for advice on script and story, or just to whine.⁣ ⁣ It exists because of friends like Fitz and Tommy and Brendan P - who before I even had a clear idea of what I was doing, stepped up to volunteer their time and skills.⁣ ⁣ It exists because of every person along the way who listened to me talk about Chloe and Canyon’s story and echoed my excitement back to me in a way that I couldn’t walk away from. ⁣ ⁣ It exists because of each of you.⁣ ⁣ [continued in comments]⁣ ⁣ (at Rural America) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGdFGreHACM/?igshid=d2fo7o31lrdw

[forestwoodward]

Looking across Paradise divide to where our friends @5pointfilm are kicking off the film festival over in the Roaring Fork valley tonight! ⁣ ⁣ -⁣ ⁣ Incredibly excited for this year’s lineup of films and for the opportunity to premier not just one, but two new films/labors of love that I have been working on over the past 3 years with the help of an amazing creative gaggle of friends and family and friends turned family (as 5point has done for so many of us).⁣ ⁣ -⁣ ⁣ Our ‘work in progress’ premier of Rural Runner will take place on Sunday afternoon, and will likely be the only screening of this film until 2021. Rural Runner is a deeply personal piece for me that follows the story of my brother @canyonwoodward and his dear friend and amazing soul the honorable representative of Maine’s 88th district @chloe.maxmin as they seek to reclaim the soul of politics and reacquaint themselves with the landscape and communities of rural America. ⁣ ⁣ -⁣ ⁣ Our film The Mystery will also premier on Saturday! This film has been percolating in the depths of @tommypenick and my imaginations for almost 3 years now and is a story that ties our lifelong love of rivers and the southeast, with the mind bending mystery moves of some of the last boaters to “roam the realm”. Some truly amazing athletes and creative folk choose to practice their craft out of sight and far from the attention of social media - and it has been really reinvigorating to get to spend time with a couple of those folks - I won’t taint their story by sharing anymore of it here ;) ⁣ ⁣ -⁣ ⁣ Last but not least, very excited to have Matagi Mālohi: Strong Winds included in tomorrow (Thursday’s) film program alongside a host of other great films. Such an honor to get to continue share a small part of the story of the Pacific Climate Warriors and the youth across the Pacific who are fighting for our shared future on this earth. ⁣ ⁣ -⁣ ⁣ Link in bio to get your tickets for a single day program, individual films and/or the whole week!⁣ ⁣ (at 5Point Adventure Film Festival) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGWRyhtH0Dd/?igshid=q2jsvfs72xj1

[forestwoodward]

Our short film ‘Matagi Mālohi: Strong Winds’ is live!⁣ ⁣ “Matagi Mālohi tells the story of our journey to uplift our people and shape a narrative that paints us not as victims of the climate crisis but as the leaders, the healers, the nurturers, the artists, the gardeners, the growers, the seafarers and the navigators we are.”⁣  - Pacific Climate Warriors ⁣ ⁣ Very excited to finally share this short film, an homage to the work and spirit of the Pacific Climate Warriors and climate activists around the world as we look towards the global day of action this coming Friday. ⁣ ⁣ Swipe for the film trailer OR check the bio for a link to watch the film and get involved OR please feel free to message me directly for media assets and/or if you’re interested in helping share the film. ⁣ ⁣ Time to keep digging deep, cultivating the seeds of hope and inspiration, supporting each other, and fighting for the world we want our kids to grow up in. ⁣ ⁣ Deeply grateful to the entire @pacificclimatewarriors family for their activism and strength on the front lines across the years. To @fentonlutun, Kevin Aipopo, Koreti Tiumalu, for their leadership and vision, and for trusting us to share a small part of their story; to Lulu, Dobby, Kevika, Bernard and all the families of Tuvalu that welcomed us into their lives and made us feel like family many miles from home; to @canyonwoodward and @aidanhaley for being such steadfast and brilliant creative conspirators in bringing this short love letter of a film to life, and to @thelmajunng, Wilfred and the 350 crew for all the work behind the scenes to share this story. ⁣ ⁣ #MatagiMālohi  #PacificPawa  #FightClimateInjustice  #FridaysForFuture #JustRecovery #Tuvalu #ClimateAction #climatestrike (at Tuvalu) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFakM96HdID/?igshid=42zdrzv0ggbp

[forestwoodward]

GATHER / As we look toward the future of our country and the deep healing and reparations that are needed, it is imperative that we also examine to our past with a critical eye - to better understand the systemic traumas and injustices that continue to play out to this day. ⁣ ⁣ Feeling deeply thankful for all of the folk who have been doing the work day in and day out; some for months now - others for generations; some in 140 characters - others in the form of novels and dance; some with feet marching in the streets, saws and shovels cutting fire lines - others with their hands in the ground, whispering old prayers, tending to the new tender shoots of hope and growth. ⁣ ⁣ Today I'm excited to share that Gather, a documentary I have been eagerly anticipating the public release of is available for streaming on all the major platforms. ⁣ ⁣ A deep thanks to Sanjay Rawal (@mrsanjayr), the @gatherfilm team, and all of those who are living and sharing their stories in this film. ⁣ ⁣ To understand where we are as a country today and to move forward towards a more just and equitable future, we must confront the genocide, slavery, racism, and ongoing colonial oppression which are foundational elements of our country and food system, both past and present. ⁣ ⁣ Gather provides a deep dive into the forces at play - forces that have long worked to eradicate the communities and cultures sustained by native food systems. Just as importantly however, this film is a brilliantly hopeful story of the youth and elders working to plant the seeds and tend the lines of hope and healing through the restorative powers of community, stewardship and the spiritual and physical revival of ancesteral foodways. ⁣ ⁣ [link in bio to itunes streaming] https://www.instagram.com/p/CE76w_cng90/?igshid=g4vq4409gtp4

[forestwoodward]

“I’ve realized lately that as a [cis] white male it’s pretty easy to do nothing, say nothing. Duck my head and keep quiet. Take my privilege, tuck it away, pretend it isn’t there and go about patting myself on the back for living in a land of harmonious meritocracy.⁣”⁣ ⁣ I wrote and shared these words, on July 4th, a year ago. I followed with a pledge to do better: ⁣ ⁣ “Through writing and sharing this, I am trying to aknowledge the ways in which I benefit from a system/society built for people who look like me - at the cost of those who don’t. I am holding myself accountable for the social and moral responsibility that should (in my mind) accompany all the privilege that this system affords me.”⁣ ⁣ Looking back over this last year, I am sorry to say that I have largely failed in this pledge to ‘do better’. Not because I lacked the intention to ‘do better’ but because the vague nature of my pledge and the lack of a plan of action around it left me willfully ill equipped to engage in and sustain the work needed to uphold that pledge on a personal and professional level. ⁣ ⁣ It has taken these past months of leaning in and actively listening (not to be confused with sitting back and passively listening) to begin to recognize the extent of this failure. ⁣ ⁣ Without a concrete and long term sustainable plan for action and activism, what I thought was a step towards allyship was, in a way, a free pass to continue reinforcing my own racist and elitist world views and the structural systems and institutions that they have been groomed to support. ⁣ ⁣ I share this not as a means of self flagellation or to shame anyone in a similar situation. ⁣ ⁣ Rather, I share it with the hopes that my own failures might provide some insight for other white folx who are working to develop a long term frameworks for allyship in supporting BIPOC communities, creating real political and structural change, and engaging in what it means on an individual and societal level to be actively antiracist.⁣ ⁣ ⁣ maybe this is helpful maybe not, but the best advice I can give to other folx working to engage and support is - make a plan for how you show up as an ally...⁣ ⁣ [continued in comments] https://www.instagram.com/p/CCRvzrFH3LT/?igshid=1gn4d1ssf0oa5

[forestwoodward]

“To my fellow warriors here, I say to you, you are Matagi mālohi: strong winds villaging children, brown bodies holding brown minds, moving between healer and warrior, formulating the visions of liberation for years to come. And to the rest of the world we say, we are not drowning! We are fighting!”  - Kevin Aipopo⁣ ⁣ Deeply grateful to the entire @pacificclimatewarriors family and to @fentonlutun, Kevin Aipopo, Koreti Tiumalu, for their leadership and vision on the front lines fighting for fight for climate justice, and for trusting us to share a small part of their story; to Lulu, Dobby, Kevika, Bernard and all the families of Tuvalu that welcomed us into their lives and made us feel like family thousands of miles from home; and to @canyonwoodward and @aidanhaley for being such steadfast and brilliant creative conspirators in bringing this short love letter of a film to life.⁣ ⁣ Very excited to get to premier Matagi Mālohi: Strong Winds at @mountainfilm as a part of their Indomitable Spirits shorts (II) program - check their website for virtual passes to the amazing lineup of films that they’re curating and sharing over the course of the next 10 days.⁣ ⁣ ⁣ “This fight needs everyone. It needs everyone to do something. And everyone can do something.” Koreti Mavaevga Tiumalu (1976-2017) ⁣ ⁣ #climatejustice #PacificClimateWarriors #climatechange #tuvalu #mf2020 #MatagiMālohi https://www.instagram.com/p/CAOK7Y7naUS/?igshid=1bhq25lyf6u9k

[forestwoodward]

some of the moments from this past week when everything felt a little bit hard in the world and sometimes sad too, and you could wonder if empathy is as destructive as self absorption, just in the way it tears somebody up, and how there’s no recipe for how to be a good person in the way society or anyone wants. but you do your best as much as you can, and then the rest. remember that sourdough is pretty much what it says it is. and what is any of it if not an acquired taste. anyway you know we tried to look at the things that were still beautiful, which turned out to be enough. sweat stained aspen trees and coffee smiles. golden cow pies and silver sage. that fox from the parking garage. i’ll be damned if he wasn’t having a nice time. and the mountains. doing sneaky mountain things. and laura and lani walking up those steep hills real fast, which I did not, but we all got to see some views and no one fell into any holes too big to get out of. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_g3mJBH7jY/?igshid=19hvzwki8w3ai

[forestwoodward]

Silver Grotto, Grand Canyon ⁣ ⁣ -⁣ ⁣ On Thursday the federal government released a report that, among other things, aimed to “revive and strengthen the uranium mining industry” and revitalize a plan to stockpile domestic uranium and open public lands to new mining. ⁣ ⁣ -⁣ ⁣ A large portion of know uranium deposits in the US are on or near the Colorado plateau, linked with watersheds that feed the side seeps and streams of the Grand Canyon and in turn the Lower Colorado River Basin.⁣ ⁣ -⁣ ⁣ If you have time and an interest in seeing the landscape and communities surrounding the Grand Canyon protected from future mining please consider heading over to the link in my bio to read more about the issue and, if you feel inspired, sign the @grandcanyontrust petition asking your representatives to support the Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act.⁣ ⁣ (at Grand Canyon) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_a_7YaHIiA/?igshid=1thc7ga79t5ov

[forestwoodward]

There is a lot of work ahead of us it seems. “The real work” as Gary Snyder might call it.⁣ ⁣ The tending of gardens and exhaling of excess; the mending of clothes and dismantling of patriarchies. small kindnesses. ripples outward. reflections inward. politically estranged neighbors fighting brush fires and entire nations fighting legacies of oppression; it’s the local watershed work, and global coalition building; it’s the writing of words and singing of songs, crying of tears and shaking of fists. echoes of voices in the streets bounced off gilded walls and through generations. reverberations of marching feet and the tap tap drumming of fingers on keyboards - creating, advocating, ruminating, celebrating, instigating, whispering. a radical belief in a better world.⁣ ⁣ the real work.⁣ ⁣ it will almost certainly take more than a day, more than a year, more than a single human lifetime to see the results of much of that work play out. but done or undone, the work does play out, as does each of our roles within it. ⁣ ⁣ I’ll see you out there. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_Tb8A-nJtt/?igshid=xfk1vbqc7evt

[forestwoodward]

neverending story | different hunts. mojave, caler cove, botswana. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_NzmYDnaQZ/?igshid=2w7jbekyyh9i

[forestwoodward]

neverending story l “we’re all here because we’re not all there” - Doc, slab city 2016 https://www.instagram.com/p/B_ItH0WnK0S/?igshid=ptmiyka71c53

[forestwoodward]

neverending story | Praia de Diabo and above 2016 https://www.instagram.com/p/B_DEFYsnfYm/?igshid=udk7ninliu2l

[forestwoodward]

Train to Tangier and other places in two thousand fifteen https://www.instagram.com/p/B-_LIghH9b0/?igshid=18gnwu2zt1oiw