“RIVERKEEPER” Screening

Join G&G at the Highlands Performing Arts Center for an exclusive screening of RIVERKEEPER, the award-winning documentary that follows 2024 Champion of Conservation Dr. Jackie Echols in her efforts to restore Atlanta’s South River. Premiered at the 2026 Atlanta Film Festival, where it received the Georgia Feature Award, the film examines the lasting impacts of industrial pollution and the pursuit of clean, accessible waterways for the predominantly Black, working-class communities along the river. Following the screening, stay for a conversation and Q&A with director Jason Goldman and Dr. Echols.

Jason Goldman

Jason Goldman’s earliest filmmaking experience came under acclaimed documentarian Albert Maysles where he learned the principles of direct cinema. Before committing to documentaries full-time, Goldman produced over one hundred ad campaigns and branded works across the world. His directorial debut ROWDY GIRL (Hot Docs 2023) was selected by Vogue magazine as one of the best and most anticipated documentaries of 2024. His latest title, RIVERKEEPER (Atlanta Film Festival 2026, jury award winner), produced with Black Public Media, explores the interconnecting complexities of politics, race, and the environment in Atlanta as the city moves ahead with constructing the largest police training facility in America. In addition to his slate of projects, he is a co-founder of Outlier Film Fund, a nonprofit financing organization for documentary films and is an active member of the filmmaker collective FilmShop.

Jackie Echols

Jackie Echols grew up in Tuskegee, Alabama. She spent her childhood in nature and loved fishing and swimming in local creeks and rivers. After graduating from Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) and Atlanta University, she attended graduate school at Clark Atlanta University and received her doctorate in political science in 1999. She first got involved in conservation by working on a federal consent decree between the Environmental Protection Agency and the City of Atlanta, which aimed to improve Atlanta’s sewer system. Together with other environmentalists, Echols was able to help separate half of the city’s sewer system. In 2023, only nine miles remain combined. As Board President of the South River Watershed Alliance (SRWA), she and the staff/volunteers have dedicated their work to making sure that the South River is properly protected. Echols has spent the past twelve years ensuring this waterway is clean while encouraging sustainable use and public recreation to maintain its relevance for conservation.