Explore the Rivers with DFF

Spend your DFF Friday night with a star of the Emmy Award-winning Friday Night Lights.

The River Why screens tonight at in Spring Green (Friday Oct.7 at 8:00 pm, and Sunday Oct.9 at 1:00pm @ Baraboo), and stars rising young actor Zach Gilford, formerly of NBC’s Friday Night Lights.

Set on the banks of a wild river, The River Why is the fictional story of 20-year-old Gus Orviston (Gilford), the Mozart of fly fishing, who leaves his big city home to live a secluded life on the banks of a wild river but instead embarks on journey of self-discovery. However, The River Why is really a love story: the love of a man for the wilderness, and for the beautiful woman who comes to share it with him.

In honor of the rivers and valleys that make the Driftless region what it is, the DFF is presenting several other feature films with rivers as their focus: Valley Maker, and The Rhythm of the River.

Part documentary, part personal travelogue, Valley Maker (Sunday Oct.9 at 5:00pm @ Spring Green) follows the travels of filmmaker Sean Kafer as he navigates 1600 miles down the Mississippi River, from Prescott, Wisconsin to New Orleans, in a hand crafted barrel raft.

The Rhythm of the River (Friday Oct.7  at 7:00pm @ Richland Center, Saturday Oct.8 at 7:00pm at Platteville) is a documentary about life along the lower Wisconsin River, originally filmed for public television. The DFF screening will include 30 minutes not seen on TV.