New "Southern Exposure" Films are Back, Donated to all Birmingham Public Library Locations

Holding copies of the donated "Southern Exposure DVDs are L-R: Janine Langston, BPL Interim Director; Charles Scribner, Executive Director of Black Warrior Riverkeeper; Caleb West, BPL Collection Management Department head. 36 copies were donated to all 18 BPL locations.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Alabama Rivers Alliance and Black Warrior Riverkeeper have partnered to donate to the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) 36 copies of the latest editions of Southern Exposure, an award-winning film series dedicated to educating the public about Alabama’s natural resources.

Each of BPL’s 18 locations will soon have one DVD copy of both the 2020 and 2019 editions of Southern Exposure, a series of documentary shorts on various Alabama environmental topics by independent filmmakers. DVDs of previous Southern Exposure editions are available at all BPL branches thanks to Alabama Rivers Alliance and Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s prior donations. 

Janine Langston, the Birmingham Public Library’s Interim Director, said, “We are appreciative of this generous donation and honored to be a resource to help educate the public about Alabama's natural resources. These beautifully captured short films will enhance our collection and be available for borrowing at all 18 BPL locations.”

The 2020 and 2019 editions of the "Southern Exposure" films will be available at all 18 BPL locations soon. Earlier versions of DVD are available now. Click here to check out the Southern Exposure DVD.

Nearly two weeks ago, two 2020 Southern Exposure documentaries, A Fisher’s Right to Know and Barriers to Bridges, won Impact Awards at the EarthxFilm Festival in Dallas. The film festival is one of the largest and most prestigious environmental film festivals in the country. 

The films featured initiatives by Alabama Audubon, Alabama Water Watch, Coosa Riverkeeper, GASP, and Wetland Environmental Learning Projects. 

Cindy Lowry, executive director of Alabama Rivers Alliance, is honored to have these films available for free to everyone in Birmingham through this partnership. 

“The messages in these short documentaries from 2019 and 2020 are critically important to the protection of our water, land and air in Alabama and we are proud to be able to amplify these voices and stories through compelling films,” Lowry said.

Sponsored by Alabama Rivers Alliance and made possible through the support and partnership with environmental and conservation groups across the state, Southern Exposure fellows have the opportunity to create inspiring, captivating films that give viewers a sense of how much Alabama has to offer and the importance of protecting its resources. 

This innovative summer fellowship brings emerging filmmakers from across the country to tell authentic, engaging stories through short documentary films about Alabama’s environment — and the people who cherish it — from the mountains to the coast. As a result of these poignant stories depicting the triumphs and challenges facing the state, numerous films from past fellowship years have been selected for screening in juried film festivals around the country. 

Live screenings and online distribution of the films reach a variety of audiences, in Alabama and across the nation, helping Southern Exposure fulfill the mission to spread awareness, appreciation and inspire action on behalf of Alabama’s environment. 

 “After the pandemic caused us to take a year off from our annual collaboration with libraries, I am overjoyed to help Alabama Rivers Alliance and the Birmingham Public Library make Southern Exposure more accessible to everyone in Birmingham,” said Charles Scribner, executive director of Black Warrior Riverkeeper. 

 To view Intro to Southern Exposure, a film providing an overview of the series, click here. 

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The Birmingham Public Library’s mission is to provide the highest quality library service to our citizens for life-long learning, cultural enrichment, and enjoyment. This system—with 18 locations and serving the community for 135 years—is one of the largest library systems in the southeast. For additional information about the programs and services of the Birmingham Public Library, follow us on Facebook and Twitter @BPL. 

 Alabama Rivers Alliance is a statewide network of groups working to protect and restore all of Alabama’s water resources through building partnerships, empowering citizens, and advocating for sound water policy and its enforcement.

Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s mission is to protect and restore the Black Warrior River and its tributaries. The citizen-based nonprofit organization promotes clean water for improved public health, recreation, and wildlife habitat throughout the Black Warrior River watershed.