Summer Run for Once Upon a Wetland

Sharing some summer screening highlights of Once Upon a Wetland, directed by Elizabeth Miller-Derstine (MFA ’23)

Once Upon a Wetland is a short documentary that follows the annual Beaver Queen Pageant in Durham, North Carolina. As restrictions tighten across the country, Durham prepares once again for this campy, un-beaver-lievable celebration of LGBTQIA+ activism, environmental conservation, and outrageous critter cosplay. The film not only highlights the pageant’s vibrant blend of queer pride, ecological advocacy, and community spirit but also underscores its role as a fundraiser for the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association.

The film enjoyed a theatrical run at the Firehouse Cinema in New York City in May as part of the DCTVny Road to the Oscars program. In August, it screened in the Spotlight Section of the Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham, Alabama, before making its Durham premiere at the OutSouth Queer Film Festival.

Next up—Once Upon a Wetland will screen at the Beyond Festival at the Cary Theater on Sept 13th.