Sandy-area residents can watch a Sundance award-winning documentary about the Great Salt Lake's crisis for free on Thursday, Sept. 3, at Saratoga Springs City Hall, about 15 miles southwest of Sandy along the Jordan River Parkway.

The screening of "The Lake," directed by Utah filmmaker Abby Ellis, is part of the Get to the River Festival, the annual celebration of the Jordan River Parkway now in its 13th year.

Doors open at 6 p.m. for a reception with complimentary appetizers. The film starts at 7 p.m., followed by a Q&A with key figures behind the project, according to the Jordan River Commission's event page. The evening wraps up at 9 p.m.

Admission is free, but space is limited.

Organizers ask attendees to reserve a spot in advance. More information is available at GetToTheRiver.org or by contacting the Jordan River Commission at [email protected] or 801-536-4158.

About the film

"The Lake" premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Award for Impact for Change. The 93-minute documentary follows four Utah figures: BYU ecologist Ben Abbott, Westminster College biologist Bonnie Baxter, University of Utah atmospheric scientist Kevin Perry and Great Salt Lake Commissioner Brian Steed. They race to prevent what the film calls an "environmental nuclear bomb."

Ellis, a Peabody- and Emmy-nominated director, said in a January 2026 press release ahead of the Sundance premiere that the project went beyond the water itself. "I was drawn to the scientists, politicians, farmers and Utahns whose lives are inseparable from the lake's fate," she said.

Jimmy Chin, Chai Vasarhelyi and Leonardo DiCaprio executive produced the film.

Upcoming community events

The Get to the River Festival runs throughout September with events along the Jordan River Parkway corridor, which stretches more than 50 miles through 16 cities across Utah, Salt Lake and Davis counties. The full festival calendar is available at GetToTheRiver.org.