VCU news

A film featuring VCU research that was shot at the VCU Rice Rivers Center and created by a VCU alumna has taken first place in the inaugural RVA Environmental Film Festival Local Documentary Contest.

The film, “James River Sturgeon,” will be shown at the Byrd Theater on Sunday along with local runners-up and national submissions as part of the 2014 RVA Environmental Film Festival. Melissa Lesh, a VCU alumna and the filmmaker behind “James River Sturgeon,” will receive a $1,000 check for her winning documentary.

James River Sturgeon follows Matt Balazik, Ph.D., a VCU Rice Rivers Center post-doctoral researcher, as he catches, researches and tracks Atlantic Sturgeon along the East Coast. His restoration efforts are supported by Anne Wright, Rice Rivers Center outreach education coordinator, and officials from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services.

“I had known about the Atlantic Sturgeon from sightings on the James River, but it wasn't until the fall of 2013 that I came across Matt Balazik's research,” Lesh said. “Anne Wright and I got together to discuss our next collaborative project – we had already worked on a few other films featuring fairy shrimp, odonates and salamanders – and tackling a bigger subject like the Atlantic Sturgeon was an exciting prospect.”

Lesh has won several awards for her nature films and rarely leaves the city to make them.

“Living in the city of Richmond, you wouldn't expect to have access to a thriving environment, but that is exactly what the James River Park provides,” she said. “We have an incredible outlet for discovering creatures of all kinds. We are lucky -- it is right in our backyard. The challenge is keeping it that way. If we can teach others to care and protect what we have, we can continue to share our city with some of the most fascinating creatures on the planet.”

“James River Sturgeon” shows on Sunday, Feb. 9, at 3 p.m. at The Byrd Theatre. Admission is free.

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