DENVER — A good film takes its audience on a journey. There should be emotion. Ups and downs. And great characters.
Ryan Sedgeley, first-time film producer, thinks he has the perfect subject that will fit that bill.
"It's such a huge story to tell, and I think there are so many ways to approach the subject matter of wolves," Sedgeley said. "You could probably make a hundred different films about it."
"Welcome Home" premiered Thursday night at Denver's Sie FilmCenter. The Endangered Species Coalition's new film focuses on celebrating Colorado's vote to reintroduce wolves in 2020.
"We wanted to tell the story that’s often not getting told about wolves," Sedgeley said. "It tends to be driven by conflict, and what we have here is a celebratory film that is really showcasing this amazing conservation success that we think Colorado should be proud of."
The project was green-lit early this year, and then the work started. Filmmaker Alan Lacey of Reel Earth Films had a tight deadline for the 20-minute documentary but was able to gather video from Colorado Parks and Wildlife of the wolf release in December, along with other footage of wolves from Yellowstone National Park, and combine it with his own interviews and Colorado scenery footage.
> Watch clips from the film:
"The first time I put it together and hit play and watched it all the way through, I cried, and it hit me emotionally," Lacey said.
Though both men have seen wolves in the wild, they have yet to see one of Colorado's reintroduced wolves.
"It would be amazing to see them in Colorado," Lacey said.
Sedgeley said he is excited for a more audio-related experience.
"I cannot wait to hear the howl out there when I’m backpacking or camping," Sedgeley said.
He said he plans to show the film in towns around Colorado. He also said the film is available for people interested in hosting an in-home watch party.
"This is a reintroduction, this is bringing something back, there’s celebration here," Lacey said.
Contact the Endangered Species Coalition to learn more about their work and the film.