The Carnivorous Kingdom, a new documentary by Alabama filmmaker Ben Raines offering a rare view into Alabama’s secret world of flesh-eating plants, will have its world premiere at Mobile’s Saenger Theatre on Monday, August 22nd. The screening will be offered free of charge thanks to support from the Saenger Theatre, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, the Sierra Club Alabama Chapter, and the Alabama Coastal Foundation.

Raines, an award-winning environmental journalist, documentarian and author will be on hand to talk about the film as well as discuss his groundbreaking new book, The Last Slave Ship, which solves a centuries’ old mystery and has gained international recognition. The Carnivorous Kingdom, which was four years in the making, explores one of the most diverse places on Earth: the pitcher plant bogs of Alabama. Filmed with ultra-close macro videography, The Carnivorous Kingdom invites viewers into a kind of “kill-or-be-killed” jungle where the plants are the lions preying on the bogs’ other weaker inhabitants.

Created for Alabama Public Television, The Carnivorous Kingdom will first air on APT, August 24 at 7 p.m. The film is co-produced by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians and the Sierra Club Alabama Chapter. Raines’ work not only celebrates the plants’ unusual properties and natural beauty, but the film also explores the species’ historical significance including their medicinal uses in Native
American Culture. The film also serves as a cautionary tale highlighting how these precious plants are diminishing in number, and outlining ways in which Alabamians can protect this state treasure.

While admission to the event is free, registration is required prior to the screening. Please visit www.joinACF.org to sign up. Seating is limited and will be filled on a first come, first serve basis. Complimentary popcorn and drinks will be served compliments of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. The event schedule is as follows:

Doors open at 5 p.m. on August 22 with complimentary popcorn and beverages. The screening begins at 5:30 p.m. Following the film there will be a Q&A discussion with Raines.

WHO: Ben Raines, Alabama Coastal Foundation, Poarch Band of Creek Indians, and Sierra Club Alabama Chapter
WHAT: World Premiere screening of The Carnivorous Kingdom
WHEN: Monday, August 22, at 5:30pm
WHERE: Saenger Theatre; 6 S Joachim Street, Mobile, AL 36602

For more information and to register for the free screening, please go to: www.joinACF.org.

About Ben Raines
Ben Raines is an environmental journalist and filmmaker. A longtime newspaper reporter, Raines has won more than dozens of awards for his coverage of environmental issues and natural wonders in Alabama and along the Gulf Coast, and coauthored several peer-reviewed papers published in scientific journals. Most recently he was credited with discovering the Clotida and has authored an award-winning book (The Last Slave Ship) on its historical significance. He lives with his wife in Fairhope, Alabama.

About Poarch Band of Creek Indians
The Poarch Band of Creek Indians is the only federally-recognized tribe in Alabama with a reservation in the southern part of the State. Read more: http://pci-nsn.gov/westminster/index.html.

About Alabama Coastal Foundation
The Alabama Coastal Foundation’s mission is to improve and protect Alabama’s coastal environment through cooperation, education, and participation. To learn more about our programs, please visit: www.joinACF.org.

About Sierra Club Alabama Chapter
The Sierra Club’s mission is to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; to practice and promote the responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems and resources; to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives. Sierra Club Alabama Chapter is an essential part of teaching good environmental awareness and conservation fundamentals in Alabama. The public is welcomed to engage in learning about local conservation issues and to become advocates for places at risk all over the state, country and the world.
https://www.sierraclub.org/alabama

FOR MORE INFORMATION: ACF Executive Director, Mark Berte (251) 990-6002, [email protected].