Please join us Tuesday 28 July. Gather from 6.15 for a 6.30pm start at Cinema Nova in Carlton for an evening of film, conversation, and community in support of the forests we love.

Tickets need to be purchased on this Humanitix site

Forest Country explores local forest impacts and growing community concern across the region. It is the powerful result of filmmaker Lewi Haskins’ promise to document and protect his forest community through film.

Shot over the course of a year alongside activists, conservationists, and ecologists, it bears witness to the ongoing pressures on native ecosystems, the loss of biodiversity, and the deep connection communities have to these forests.

NB# This special extended cut of Forest Country features new footage and additional interviews!

Logging the Loopholes

Following the feature screening, we’ll also premiere a new short documentary by Lewi Haskins.

After 2 years documenting forest destruction in its various forms, Lewi is once again called to highlight the destruction of native forests in his beautiful home, the Dandenong Ranges National Park.

Made in collaboration with VNPA, Lewi and conservationist Jordan Crook dive into the harmful fire management practices that are endangering wildlife, critical ecosystems and community safety.

Following the screenings, Lewi Haskins will be joined by speakers from environmental and community groups for a conversation about the future of Victoria’s forests and how communities can take action to protect the places we love.

Ticket types - we have a sliding scale and one ticket type includes The Great Forest Book.

NB# Tickets are general admission and are not allocated to specific seats.

This event is a collaboration between Lewi Haskins & Warburton Environment.

Professor Don Driscoll is Professor of Terrestrial Ecology at Deakin University. With over 30 years of research experience in conservation biology his work includes applications of conservation technology, threatened and invasive species management, habitat fragmentation and degradation, frog conservation and fire ecology.

After the 2019-20 megafires Don co-ordinated a massive collaboration of over 100 Australian ecologists to analyse how fire frequency, interval, unburnt area, pre-fire drought and protected areas modify fire impacts. The research, published in Nature in 2024, has profound implications for fire management in Australia (read the Conversation Article here).

Early this year Professor Driscoll signed an open letter with other researchers and scientists advocating for an end to the large scale planned burns in the Snowy River National Park.

Link to the Public Letter that Professor Driscoll signed