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Thursday, April 20, 2023

"Make It Morris Film Series: Saving the Great Swamp" to Be Screened at Morristown-Morris Township Library, April 25th at 6:30 PM


Join The Morris County Economic Development Alliance’s Film Committee for the Launch of 

Make It Morris Film Series: Saving the Great Swamp
WHEN: Tuesday, April 25th, 6:30 PM*
WHERE:
Morristown & Morris Township Library, 
1 Miller Road in Morristown, New Jersey.
TICKETS: Advanced Registration: $15; At the Door: $25
Attendees receive a $10 Gift Certificate to Shop Local and Enjoy Morristown Restaurant Week.
Click Here for More Information and to Purchase Tickets
Or go to: https://www.morristourism.org/event/make-it-morris-film-series-saving-the-great-swamp/ 

Make It Morris Film Series Agenda:
6:30 PM: Check-In
7 PM: Film Begins – Saving The Great Swamp
8 PM: Panel Discussion – Featuring the award-winning director Scott Morris and co-producer Larry Fast with moderator Karl Fenske
8:30 PM: Event Concludes


New Jersey’s Great Swamp is nestled with a 55-square-mile natural basin, about 25 miles from New York City. It is a quiet, undisturbed place which provides a home for more than 200 bird species, many mammals, and a variety of reptiles, amphibians and fish. It is also the home to one of New Jersey’s largest breeding populations of Eastern Bluebirds. But it almost was lost.

In 1959, the Port Authority of New York announced plans to build an international jetport in the swamp with four 10,000-foot runways. This proposal, which the Port Authority deemed a done deal, would have filled in the swamp, demolished some 700 homes, and changed the landscape forever. But a small group of concerned citizens opposed the threat and finally won. 

This one-hour documentary tells the story of the events, people and politics behind the struggle to preserve this beautiful rural area between 1959 and 1968 and has won several awards since it came out in 2017. USA Today called the film “a truly astonishing and entertaining history lesson” and it has been aired on PBS.

Following the screening, a panel discussion featuring the award-winning director Scott Morris and co-producer Larry Fast will take place. Karl Fenske, the son of one of the Save the Great Swamp Leaders, will be the moderator. Everyone is invited to this special screening which will be hosted during Morristown’s Restaurant Week. 

All those who attend the film on April 25th will receive a $10 gift certificate accepted by participating businesses

This event is made possible thanks to the support of the Morris County Tourism Bureau, a division of the Morris County Economic Development Alliance and the Morris County Economic Development Alliance’s Film Committee. Enjoy the dinner specials during Restaurant Week on April 25th and then join us at The Morristown & Morris Township Library for the award-winning documentary Saving the Great Swamp at 6:30 PM.