Documentary Screening and Panel Discussion of The Lake
An environmental nuclear bomb looms in Utah. Two intrepid scientists and a political insider race the clock to save their home from unprecedented catastrophe.
The Harvard Alumni Association of Utah is thrilled to announce a special screening of The Lake and panel discussion with director Abby Ellis, producer Fletcher Keyes, and Professor Ben Abbott. This documentary was premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2026 where it received the Special Jury Prize for Impact for Change.
The Lake is a raw, vérité film that follows three individuals fighting to save a dying lake. They see what’s coming—poisoned air, a collapsing ecosystem, a community on the brink—and they throw themselves into the everyday, often mundane work of trying to stop it. As they push against bureaucracy, apathy, and the ticking clock of a crisis decades in the making, something eerie and heartbreaking lingers at the edges: the dust rising in the background, a reminder of what will be lost if they fail. It’s not just a fight to save a lake—it’s a confrontation with the consequences we’ve set into motion. The film asks: What do you do when catastrophe feels inevitable? Where are the lines drawn—and who is willing to cross them? This is a reckoning with our choices and our systems, but also a testament to the possibility of redemption. The question hangs: Can we save ourselves from ourselves?
Event Detalis
Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Time: 5:45 PM - 8:30 PM
Location: Zions Bank Building, 18th Floor, 1 South Main Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84133
Doors open at 5:45 PM with dinner and socializing before the screening starts promptly at 6:15 PM followed by a panel discussion.
**Two-hour free parking is available through City Creek Shopping Center**
Seats are limited so please purchase tickets at your earliest convenience.
Purchase Tickets - Recent Graduate (2021+)
Panelists
Abby Ellis is a Peabody- and Emmy-nominaetd director and journalist whose work explores the moments and institutions that shape our lives. She combines rigorous reporting with intimate, character-driven storytelling, centering the human costs behind complex stories.
Fletcher Keyes is a producer, writer, and former reporter dedicated to illuminating the pressing issues of our time through story. His work has tackled critical topics, including the challenges posed by drought and ecological crises, the connection between the high prevalence of police shootings and police training, systemic failures in missing persons cases, and human-induced environmental catastrophe.
Dr. Ben Abbott is a global ecologist at Brigham Young University and the executive director of Grow the Flow. he has worked on global water security projects around the world and has developed expert assessment methodologies for basic and applied research. Ben has led major expert assessment studies on air pollution impacts, permafrost degradation, global wildfire, and water policy.
More Informatoin about The Lake
The Lake generated extensive national and international press following its world premiere in the U.S. Documentary Competition at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it received the Special Jury Award for Impact for Change. The film was included in Rolling Stone’s 12 Best Movies at Sundance, and coverage appeared in outlets including The Guardian, Slate, RogerEbert.com, Sundance Institute, POV Magazine, Utah Public Radio, Salt Lake Magazine, KPCW, and numerous film critics and regional publications. The film earned a 100% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and continued receiving press throughout its impact campaign, with coverage surrounding sold-out screenings and community events months after its Sundance premiere.
Production company: Ibis Films and Sandbox Films
Country of origin: USA
Year completed: 2025
Runtime: 84 minutes
Format (4K, HD, etc.): 4K
Language(s): English
Genre: Documentary
Director: Abby Ellis Producer: Fletcher Keyes Production Companies: Ibis Films, Sandbox Films, Little Monster Films, Cranium Productions, Plot Shift Media
Sales Agent: WME, Maggie Pisacane pisacane@wmeagency.com
World Premiere: Sundance Film Festival 2026