Panel discussion & film screening of The River and the Wall

The National Parks Conservation Association, in partnership with the San Antonio River Foundation, Big Bend Conservation Alliance, Latino Outdoors, River Aid San Antonio, and Keep Big Bend Wild, will host an outdoor screening of The River and the Wall on May 14, 2026, from 7–10 p.m. at Confluence Park.

The event will feature a panel discussion with regional experts and advocates on the proposed border wall and its impacts on communities, wildlife, and public lands along the Texas-Mexico border.

New border wall construction is once again being proposed and advanced across ecologically sensitive areas of Texas, with potentially devastating consequences for local communities, Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, Amistad National Recreation Area, and beyond. The River and the Wall (2019) showcase some of the last remaining wild landscapes in the state and highlights the consequences border wall construction could have on wildlife migration, water systems, and culturally significant landscapes. This panel discussion and screening are intended to elevate public awareness and draw attention to the renewed and ongoing push for a border wall and the growing opposition to it.

About the Panel Discussion

The evening will begin with a panel conversation on the impacts of the new proposed border wall, followed by a screening of The River and the Wall. Panelists include:

  • Austin Alvarado, Wildlife Cinematographer, Fin and Fur Films
  • Lisa Cervantes, Recreation Coordinator, San Antonio River Foundation
  • Christina Hernandez, Executive Director, Big Bend Conservation Alliance
  • Cristina Sosa Noriega, San Antonio Artist
  • Brandon Seale, Producer, A New History of Old Texas

Event Details

What: Panel discussion & film screening of The River and the Wall
Where: Confluence Park, 310 W. Mitchell St., San Antonio, TX
When: May 14, 2026, 7–10 p.m.
Seating: Limited seating available - please bring a chair

About the Film

The River and the Wall follows five friends on a 1,200-mile journey from El Paso to the Gulf of Mexico, traveling by horseback, mountain bike, and canoe. Led by conservation filmmaker Ben Masters, the group documents the Texas borderlands as new wall construction looms. Alongside National Geographic Explorer Filipe DeAndrade, ornithologist Heather Mackey, river guide Austin Alvarado, and conservationist Jay Kleberg, capture both the ecological importance of the region and life along the Rio Grande River.

Download the event flyer

calendary icon Date May 14, 2026
  • Time:
    7:00 PM - 9:00 PM (CDT)
  • Location:
    Confluence Park, 310 W. Mitchell St., San Antonio, TX
R.S.V.P.

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