Endangered in California    

Extinction is forever.  This documentary film highlights six  iconic California species and the charismatic scientists who have played a critical role in bringing them back from the brink of extinction.  The remarkable endangered wildlife included in this film are: the Channel Islands Fox, Southern Sea Otter, Mountain Yellow-legged Frog, California Condor, Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep, and Western Snowy Plover.  This educational and inspiring film  will invite audiences to be part of the solution and take action to help preserve California’s biodiversity for future generations. 

Production Status

Endangered in California has been in production since November 2017 with more than half the film completed.  Filming and  editing will continue into Spring 2020.

Access

The film is being made possible thanks to extraordinary  access and cooperation from the people and organizations dedicated to recovering these species.  Among them: US Fish and Wildlife, CA Fish and Wildlife, Yosemite National Park, UC Natural Reserve System, Bitter Creek Reserve, The Wildlands Conservancy's Wind Wolves Preserve, The Santa Barbara Zoo, Coal Oil Point Reserve, The John Muir Wilderness, Sea Otter Savvy, and  The Nature Conservancy.

Director/producer Michael Love and cinematographer Elliot Lowndes have been collaborating  on environmental films in California for four years.   Each brings a wealth of expertise and experience to their craft with the goal of enhancing appreciation of the environment and wildlife.

Michael Love 

Director

Michael Love has been writing and directing films for over twenty-five years for studios, networks and independent productions both nationally and internationally, in English and Spanish.  His films have received Oscar, Golden Globe,  Alma, NAACP Image Award, Ariel and Movie Guide Awards.  For full credits: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0522383/

Elliot Lowndes   

Cinematographer

Elliot Lowndes (www.mrlowndes.com) is an expert natural history camera operator with BBC and National Geographic credits. Specializing in low light and macro filming techniques, Elliot has been able to capture several behaviors never seen before on film. These include the bioluminescence of an endemic species of Californian millipede for David Attenborough’s Life that Glows, and some nocturnal behavior of the Western Snowy Plover.  

Raphael Atlas

Composer

Born on a rainy Mischief Night, Raphael Atlas  restrained himself sufficiently through his first decades to complete  degrees in piano and music theory; his doctoral dissertation at Yale explored  musical puns. 

A member of the faculty at Smith College, he's  also taught at Pomona and Amherst.  His published work includes  analytical studies of some classical repertories, and also of music and  masculinity in Top Gun.

As a pianist, he has been heard on NPR in a number of concerts. 

Kevin Kraus

Executive Producer

Kevin  Kraus has been a businessman and investor for the past thirty-five  years.  As a producer his award winning credits include " You Don’t Like the Truth: 4 days inside  Guantanamo"  and "From Shock to Awe."

Please join the team!  

 Funds are currently being raised for the second half of this non-profit film. 

To make a tax deductible donation: 

https://www.documentary.org/project/endangered-california

Production Partners

  Please contact us for possible partnership or distribution

mjlfilm@gmail.com