"Where the Yellowstone Goes" screens in Knoxville on March 21

Trout Adventure Film Benefits Project for Disabled Veterans

Where The Yellowstone Goes, a feature-length documentary film from award-winning filmmaker Hunter Weeks will have a screening at Outdoor Knoxville on Thursday, March 21, at 7 p.m. The event is presented as a benefit for Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing.

Filmed on the Yellowstone River in the summer of 2011, Where The Yellowstone Goes hosted its world premiere to a sold-out audience in Bozeman, Montana last May after having debuted the previous month at the Newport Beach Film Festival.

Where the Yellowstone Goes, presented by Trout Headwaters Inc., follows a 30-day driftboat fly fishing journey along the Yellowstone River. Filmed in August and September 2011, the show follows a small crew nearly 600 miles down the Yellowstone from Gardiner, Montana, to the confluence with the Missouri River at Fort Buford, N.D.

The longest undammed river in the contiguous United States, the Yellowstone River is considered by many to be one of the greatest trout rivers in the world. The section of river in Montana from Gardiner to Livingston has the official “Blue Ribbon” classification. The Yellowstone begins its journey within Yellowstone National Park, serving as the primary watershed for the Yellowstone ecosystem and ultimately reaching a significant portion of the U.S. through its tributaries. In July 2011, an ExxonMobil pipeline running beneath the river ruptured, spilling an estimated 63,000 gallons of oil into the Yellowstone. The filming captures some of the cleanup effort less than two months after the spill.

“People are becoming more aware of how important our nation’s waterways are,” said Weeks. “I think this film will really resonate and help people understand that they can do something. This isn’t just about fly fishing and conservation, this is a real story of life.”

Led by fourth-generation Montana and fly fishing guide Robert Hawkins, the crew explores fly fishing, conservation and the type of clarity that can only be achieved by slowing down. Along the way, the film captures notes of wisdom as told by the locals met throughout the 30-day adventure. With Montana’s captivating scenery at the forefront, Where the Yellowstone Goes takes a close look at the impact people have on each other and on our environment. Where the Yellowstone Goes is more than a simple journey. It’s about people, our environment and the harmony that exists between them.

Advance tickets to the screening are available at www.imathlete.com/events/yellowstone for $10 plus a $1 service fee. Seating at Outdoor Knoxville, 900 Volunteer Landing Lane, is limited to 80, so tickets will be at a premium. Tickets the night of the show will be $15 if any remain.

Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc., is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education and outings. For more information, go to www.projecthealingwaters.org.

Where the Yellowstone Goes is a “thoughtful adventure” from Red Popsicle films. Additional sponsors include the Montana Office of Tourism, Simms Fishing Products and Costa Sunglasses. Weeks’ directorial credits also include the documentaries 10 MPH and Ride The Divide.

For more information, or to view the trailer, go to www.WhereTheYellowstoneGoes.com.

Published March 20, 2013