EVENT DETAILS:
Louisiana Grass Roots Screening
Event Date: April 2nd, 2025
Louisiana Grass Roots, a short documentary that tells the story of Louisiana’s forgotten prairie lands will screen at the Acadiana Center for the Arts on Wednesday, April 2nd at 6:30pm.
The coastal prairie is an imperiled ecosystem in our backyards here in Southwest Louisiana. Louisiana Grass Roots tells the story of our forgotten prairie lands and the people working to save them. The film seeks to redefine our perception of the prairie, transforming it from a mere backdrop to an intricate tapestry of human connection and ecological significance.
The film is directed by Jillian Godshall and produced by Dr. Phyllis Baudoin Griffard. It was filmed locally with an all local crew. The film features Geno Delafose, Megan Constantin, Dr. Jeffery Darensbourg, Dr. Charles Allen, Dr. Malcolm Vidrine, Larry Allain, and Steve Nevitt. The original score was composed by Grammy-nominated musician, Blake Miller.
Jillian Godshall is a filmmaker and educator. Originally from Austin, TX, she now lives in Lafayette, LA. Her work strives to celebrate the human spirit and uplift stories of the natural world. She aims to make storytelling more participatory, accessible, and beneficial to the communities where her films are made. She has produced documentaries that have screened at SXSW and appeared on PBS, TIME.com, and film festivals across the globe.
Producer Dr. Phyllis Baudoin Griffard is an award-winning biology educator committed to reconnecting learners of all ages to life in their own backyards. She did this throughout her teaching career, including her final years teaching biology at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Her academic project, OurBio, works to provide direct (field) and virtual (media) place-based educational experiences that are meaningful and motivating and reconnect everyday people to their natural heritage.
The film was supported in part by Acadiana Center for the Arts, Cajun Prairie Habitat Preservation Society, Atchafalaya National Heritage Area, Louisiana Native Plant Society, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Foundation, and Acadiana Native Plant Project.
Following the screening, the filmmakers will be joined by prairie restoration scientists and other people featured in the film for a Q&A. Before the screening, guests can join Dr. Phyllis Baudoin Griffard for a tour of Hidden in Plain Sight, a traveling exhibit about the prairie.
The admission is free of charge for this event and guests can register on the ACA website.
Run of Show: 5:30pm: Doors 6pm: tour of Hidden in Plain Sight exhibit 6:30pm: Louisiana Grass Roots screening 7pm: Q&A with filmmakers
