The American Southwest, a film by Ben Masters

I caught one of his films on Kanopy, which you can watch through your library called The American Southwest. It is so much a great combination of love of nature, activist messages of ecology in the west, and he uses his own trained wild Mustangs in his films. He shows how he got the mustangs in his film Unbranded. I was captivated by his films and in awe of his abilities to create these movies. In the American Southwest, he covers how the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) manages water supplies for the land and wildlife.

From a podcast about him from Beyond The Wild Podcast. In this episode of Beyond the Wild Podcast, Ben Masters discusses the making of his wildlife documentary The American Southwest, and the intricate techniques used in wildlife cinematography. He shares insights into the recovery of the California condor and the importance of conservation efforts, while also highlighting the challenges faced by communities and ecosystems in the wake of environmental changes. The crew discusses various aspects of wildlife conservation, the importance of public lands, and the role of storytelling in wildlife films. They highlight the successes and challenges in conservation and the future of the Colorado River. The discussion also touches on the impact of film in raising awareness and connecting audiences to environmental issues.

https://www.finandfurfilms.com/s-projects-basic

You can watch some of his films here

The American Southwest 2025 (on Youtube for rental). Trailer

The River and the Wall, 2019 (on Roku channel for free, just need to create an account).
https://therokuchannel.roku.com/details/62ae2fa5acc05414a752dbe02a082529/the-river-and-the-wall


Unbranded 2015 (free on Youtube, Gravitas free movies.