FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                       

Alma, WI  The Mississippi River town of Alma, Wisconsin invites nature and river enthusiasts to attend the 2nd showing of the film Mississippi: Tales of the Last River Rat.  This is a fund-raising event on Sunday, November 11, 2007. at the Alma High School Auditorium just three miles north of the city of Alma on State Highway 35.  Refreshments, book signing, chatting with Kenny and music by The Riverbenders will start a 3 pm.  The films will be shown at 4:30 pm. Following the film Kenny will be available for book signing also. Admission is $10 per individual and $5.00 for children 10 and under.  Proceeds which exceed expenses will be donated to the Alma Area School for environmental projects, and to Wings Over Alma, Inc.

The premise of the 50-minute documentary, Mississippi: Tales of the Last River Rat, is based on the Voyageur Press (Stillwater, MN) book, The Last River Rat: Kenny Salwey’s Life in the Wild, by J. Scott Bestul and Kenny Salwey. It took the film’s producer, Andrew Graham-Brown from Bristol, England, who is a highly acclaimed, award-winning producer of BBC documentaries 2 years to produce this film.  Neil Rettig of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin a world-renowned wildlife cinematographer for National Geographic and BBC teamed up with Graham-Brown to do this outstanding filming of the wildlife and scenery of the floodplains, backwater sloughs, bluff top goat prairies and sparkling tributaries of the Upper Mississippi River.

Producer Graham-Brown, describes Kenny Salwey as “a beguiling individual who possesses an exceptional knowledge of the diverse wildlife of American’s great icon, the Mississippi River.”  Salwey casts a unique light on the awe-inspiring natural wonders of this river.  The documentary, seen through Kenny’s eyes and told in his mellow voice, takes the viewer through the four distinct seasons of the Upper Mississippi.  He is the viewer’s guide to the fascinating plants and animals that share the forests, swamps and river.  The story focuses on those animals closest to Salwey’s heart: the muskrat, beaver, bald eagle, snapping turtle, timber rattlesnake, tundra swan, trout and mayfly..to name just a few.

Kenny Salwey, a native of Buffalo County, Wisconsin, is the last of a breed of men who has eked out a living close to nature.  Salwey belongs to a tradition-a fabled fraternity of backwoodsmen whose life has always been intricately bound to the seasonal ebb and flow of this mighty river system.  He has earned his self-sufficient lifestyle as an old-time trapper, hunter, fisherman, root and herb collector, river guide and all-round woodsman.  For years Salwey spent his days and many nights living hermit-style in backwoods swamp shacks, straight out of a by-gone era.

The documentary aired in Europe on the BBC’s Natural World series November of 2005 and received outstanding reviews.  The Discovery Channel aired it in the spring of 2005 and again received several awards.  After the 55 minute Alma Film showing November 11th, the audience will be treated to 25 minutes of the humorous “behind the scenes” look at the extraordinary cinematography techniques used to get the unusual viewpoints of the show’s stunning scenes.

In recent years, Salwey has shifted his focus towards conservation and nature writing.  For nearly 20 years, he has entertained and educated audiences of all ages with his true-life adventure stories of his years in the swamps and hill country along the Mississippi River.  Salwey’s storytelling talents blend folksy humor and woodslore with a gently philosophy of Nature. His ultimate goal is to share his hard-learned experiences, his respect for the Mississippi River and his love of the natural world with his audiences in hopes of inspiring them to protect the precious, fragile and internationally-significant river ecosystem.

Tickets will go on sale September 7, 2007.  Advance tickets may be purchased by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope and a check made out to the Kenny Salwey Film Festival in the appropriate amount to:

Wings Over Alma
P.O. Box 191
Alma, WI 54610

In your ticket request, please list how many tickets at adult and children’s admission price you wish to purchase.  Tickets will also be on sale at Wings Over Alma in Alma, Water Lily Gift Store, Alma, Book Cliffs in Wabasha, MN, Waumandee Bank, Alliance Bank Mondovi and Alliance Bank Cochrane.  At the door if there are tickets still available as seats are limited.

More information at the Wings Over Alma 118 North Main St. or website: www.wingsoveralma.org or 608-685-3303

Press Contacts:  Kenny Salwey
(608) 685-4858
and/or
Donna Krebsbach
(608) -685-3303
wingsoveralma@yahoo.com