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U.S. Documentary Competition

The Lake

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United States202593 minEnglish
Lake

An environmental nuclear bomb looms in Utah. Two intrepid scientists and a political insider race the clock to save their home from unprecedented catastrophe.

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An environmental nuclear bomb looms in Utah. Two intrepid scientists and a political insider race the clock to save their home from unprecedented catastrophe.

Urgency emanates from this sober record that local Utah filmmaker Abby Ellis logs in human history — a chapter of monumental ecological and social consequence unfolding in our shared home. Intertwining the inextricable fates of the Great Salt Lake and the millions of people who live, work, and travel surrounding it, Ellis achieves an existential scope that is both terrifying and motivating, wrought with divinity and doom. Balancing beautifully the perspectives, burdens, contributions, and challenges of Utah’s top political leaders, agricultural providers, and scientific thinkers, The Lake captures the intricate complexity that binds these communities together. In tackling this epic tale about the power and responsibility of knowledge and how to disseminate it, Ellis is a responsible, constructive steward of her lineage both as a Utahn and an environmental filmmaker. — AC

Available in person. Also available online for the public (January 29–February 1) and credentialed press and industry (January 28–February 1).

U.S. Documentary CompetitionAll FeaturesEnvironmental StoriesScience & TechnologyNonfictionClosed CaptionOpen CaptionU.S. Only- less

Screenings

in persononline
  • Jan 22, 2:30 PM MST
    Premiere

    The Ray Theatre

    Park City

  • Jan 23, 3:00 PM MST
    Screening

    Rose Wagner Center

    Salt Lake City

  • Jan 28, 12:00 PM MST
    Screening

    The Yarrow Theatre

    Park City

  • Jan 29, 9:30 AM MST
    Screening

    Holiday Village Cinemas - 1

    Park City

  • Feb 1, 5:30 PM MST
    Screening

    Library Center Theatre

    Park City

  • Jan 29, 3:00 PM GMT -
    Feb 2, 6:55 AM GMT
    Online Screening

Credits

  • Director(s)

    Abby Ellis

  • Producer

    Fletcher Keyes

    Abby Ellis

  • Executive Producers

    Jessica Harrop

    Caitlin Mae Burke

    Chai Vasarhelyi

    Anna Barnes

    Jimmy Chin

    Geralyn Dreyfous

    Heather Kahlert

    Rachel Crane

  • Production Company

    Sandbox Films

    Ibis Films

  • In Association with

    Little Monster Films

    Cranium Productions

  • Editor

    Abby Ellis

    Emelie Mahdavian

  • Director of Photography

    Alex Takats

  • Cinematographer

    Abby Ellis

  • Composer

    Natalia Tsupryk

  • Co-Executive Producers

    Plot Shift Media

    Emelie Mahdavian

  • Company

    Sandbox Films

  • Contact

    Maggie Piscane

    mpisacane@wmeagency.com

Meet the Artist

Panelist Name

Abby Ellis

  • Instagram

Abby Ellis is a Peabody- and Emmy-nominated director and journalist whose films explore the moments and institutions that shape our lives. Her work blends careful reporting with a strong sense of humanity, bringing the real stakes of complicated stories into sharp, relatable focus.

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