'The Adirondacks' PBS Film Premiere

Two summer's ago I was contacted by Working Dog Productions, in Dobbs Ferry, NY to conduct some image research for their documentary on the Adirondacks. I sent them about 600 images from various local collections (though they didn't bother to properly credit me) which they combined with a lot of footage shot around the park on Hi-Definition video and lots of interviews (including whitewater guide Gary Staab, author Jerry Jenkins, and environmentalist Bill McKibben). "The Adirondacks" will begin today at 9 p.m. on all PBS stations.

Here are some details from their media release handed out at an event last Wednesday in Albany:

The Adirondack Council, WNED Public Television and the I Love New York campaign today showed portions of a soon-to-be-released, two-hour documentary on New York’s masterpiece of wilderness preservation, the Adirondack Park.

At the press conference, the movie was lauded by NYS Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis, a week in advance of the movie’s national premiere on Public Broadcasting System stations (Wednesday, May 14 at 9 p.m.). Also speaking at the conference were NYS Sen. Elizabeth Little and representatives from the three sponsoring organizations.

“THE ADIRONDACKS” is the first movie to capture in high-definition video the soul-stirring beauty of the 9,300-square-mile, 116-year-old park. The Adirondack Park is located in the mountainous region between Lake Champlain and Lake Ontario. It is the largest American park outside of Alaska and covers 20 percent of New York State.

"This film captures not only the natural wonder and beauty of the Adirondack Park but also its one-of-a-kind status as a wilderness with residents," said NYS Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis. "The Park has 3,000 ponds and lakes, 1,500 miles of rivers, 2,000 miles of hiking trails, nearly 100 campgrounds and an enormous range of recreation from canoeing to skiing to my personal favorite - fly-fishing. And in contrast to America's national parks, the Adirondack Park is home to 130,000 full-time residents and hundreds of businesses whose future depends on continued protection of the natural resources and a sustainable economy. This underscores the Park's standing as a unique American treasure."

“WNED in Buffalo and director Tom Simon did a masterful job of capturing the Adirondack Park’s stunning beauty in high-definition video,” said Brian Houseal, Executive Director of Communications for the Adirondack Council, the environmental organization that helped underwrite the movie. “This movie shows that New York is better at protecting wilderness, without excluding people, than anyone else in the world. Alaska’s wilderness areas might be larger, but there aren’t 70 million people within half a day’s drive of any of them. The Adirondack Council’s mission is to encourage state officials to carry on this proud tradition of wilderness preservation in an otherwise crowded corner of the world. The movie boldly illustrates the success we have enjoyed, as well as the need to carry on our work.”

“THE ADIRONDACKS represents the latest effort in WNED’s ongoing commitment to highlight the treasures of New York State and the Niagara Region,” said WNED President and CEO Donald K. Boswell. “We’re proud and excited to share the extraordinary sights and stories of the Adirondacks with the national PBS audience.”

“I Love NY proudly supports this phenomenal documentary that highlights the unique attractions within New York State,” said Daniel C. Gundersen, Upstate Chairman of Empire State Development, which manages the I Love NY tourism campaign. “I Love NY has a long history of promoting the Adirondacks, dating back to 1977 when its first television advertisement featured a grand panoramic view of the breathtaking mountains. This documentary highlights our Park and it is my hope that viewers will appreciate this extraordinary place as they make their summer vacation plans.”

Funding for THE ADIRONDACKS was provided by The Kevin T. and Betty Ann Keane Foundation; NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; The Adirondack Council; I LOVE NY; Ted and Lisa Pierce; The Lyme Timber Company; PBS.

THE ADIRONDACKS was produced, directed and written by Tom Simon (Working Dog Productions, Dobbs Ferry, NY). The director of photography was Peter Nelson. The editor was Sak Constanzo. The narrator is Russ Harris. The executive producer was John Grant. The musical score was composed and performed by Michael Bacon (Bacon Brothers Band).