Eighty Sita
Productions

Rave On for the Avon is an independent wild swimming documentary that’s explores a community’s fight to save their bathing spot in unique, daring & distinctly Bristol ways. 💙✨🪩🎬🏞️🍿🦦 It’s a universal story of deep our connection to river can be in our modern world and turning creativity and citizen science into a weapon against sewage pollution. We have a big announcement. The “Otter who won’t pay his water bills” in Rave On For The Avon is speaking publicly for the firs

Dear River Lovers and Guardians It's summer at our gorgeous Bristol Avon. We enjoy longer swims in the warmer temperatures, teenagers jump in and everyone gives the elegant swans their space as they glide past. I'm so excited to share that Rave On For The Avon is streaming on our website, how this film has ignited a campaign in York for the River Ouse (that's me swimming with campaigners below) and to celebrate the community screenings that are still popping up all over

After the Online Premier of Rave On For The Avon, we sat down for a live-streamed Q&A hosted by Finisterre and Surfers Against Sewage. I just want to start by saying a huge thank you to both of them for supporting this independent film and helping bring these conversations to a wider audience. It really means so much. The panel was hosted by Kirsty Davis, Community Water Quality Manager at Surfers Against Sewage, and I was joined by Mary, a Women’s Institute Climate Ambassa

A translated excerpt from Director Charlotte Sawyer's interview with Conde Nast's Traveller Magazine for Another Way Film Festival in Madrid. You can read the blog about the screening on this link. Another Way Film Festival celebrates its 11th edition, heading towards another activism In Bristol, a group of "crazies" are defending their right to swim in the River Avon. This is the subject of "Rave on for the Avon," one of the key films of the 11th Another Way Film Festival, d

Charlotte Sawyer Director of Rave On For The Avon here. I can’t put into words how amazing it felt to end our UK film tour with a big party. I loved seeing my documentary film on an IMAX cinema launch an art exhibit 'River Joy' that I curated and then dance the night away with a giant river puppet who is leading the next phase of our creative river advocacy work through The Avonas. A big thank you to the lovely team at Yeti for supporting our event with their gorgeous limited

Rave On For The Avon has landed in Colombia…and I brought some gifts with me! And good news - you can now order them online ! I have come to a stunning part of Colombia with the British Council and Wildscreen Festival to screen Rave On For The Avon and deliver workshops for emerging filmmakers. Rave On For The Avon is a universal story of love and connection to rivers and it was a joy to mentor filmmakers along the beautiful Qindío river. So pleased that I had a chance to dip

I blame it on the weak coffee…

The energy and creativity infused into our premiere event reflects the spirit of Bristol's community-driven activism featured in this film.

You can help spread the word of Rave On For The Avon by recommending the film on Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, Letterboxd. Here are some of my favourite reviews we've had from people who have enjoyed our film.

Recently Mehbooba shared more of her journey at a Q&A in Bristol and people in the room were so moved and inspired by her words. I asked her to share a bit more in a blog for us. I truly believe that water has a way of carrying our grief. During one of the most difficult periods of my life, after separating from my ex-husband, a friend took me to the water and told me to let everything out. Standing in the cold water, I cried, screamed, and released so much pain that I had be

Watching swimmers, artists, scientists and campaigners in Bristol connect with their river made me realise that perhaps the first step wasn’t campaigning or policy change. It was simply putting my body in the water. Helen- co-founder of Ouse It or Lose It Hello Charlotte Sawyer, Director of documentary film Rave On For The Avon here. I'm honoured to share this refection from Helen, co-founder of York's new river community group Ouse It Or Loose It. I was invited by Helen to c

Spring has finally sprung at our gorgeous Bristol Avon and I have so many updates for you all!

Charlotte Sawyer Director of Rave On For The Avon, Photo by Mrs Meg Avon From winning an award at one of the world’s leading wildlife film festivals, to touring the UK and travelling all the way to Colombia to screen the film and mentor emerging filmmakers, Rave On For The Avon has taken a journey far beyond the banks of the Bristol Avon. Now, after its international festival run, this story of love, creativity and connection to rivers is heading online Thurs 17th Feb for a

Two years ago, almost to the day, Green Screen, Alhambra in Penrith premiered Rosa Prosser’s short film of View from the River’s Big Swim: Eden, Source to Sea. So it was very special for us to be in that space again, watching the brilliant Rave on for the Avon , reflecting on all that’s happened in the year since. Confession – this was our second viewing of Charlotte Sawyer’s film, a ‘joyous documentary about Bristol’s clean water campaigners’. (Guardian film review, Wed 22 n

I hope to bring a perspective that’s often missing from environmental storytelling. One that captures the love and connection to nature that campaigners are fighting to protect, not just the fight itself.

Our Bristol Avon has been truly magical this autumn. Hues of reds and orange shift daily and swimmers delight in wading through the leaves as the water drops from nippy to cold. Our community has poured even more love into this swimming spot since I finished Rave On For The Avon. If you've seen my documentary you will remember Chris who has lovingly build swimming infrastructure around a 'no swimming sign' put up by the council...which we all ignore! Chris walks his dog every

“Gracias por venir aqui para experimentar juntos esta pelicula. Esta pelicula se trata de amor.” Thank you for coming here to experience this film together. This film is about love. What a joy to screen Rave On For The Avon at Another Way Festival, Madrid’s premier sustainability festival. The sold out screening in their 65-seater venue was not just full of people but full of love for our rivers (yes so cheesy, sorry not sorry). A young woman from Colombia in the audience re

Fall in love with the River Avon and the people fighting to protect it, the Bristol way! Swimming in nature is not just a hobby for the people in our film, it’s a way of life for people from all walks of life. The Guardian gave our film four stars; ‘Campaigning never looked so fun and friendly as it does in this joyous documentary about Bristol’s clean water campaigners’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ . "Rave On For The Avon is a brilliant and important film that demonstrates the power of community a

It might be hard to comprehend rivers as ‘alive’ but it seems intuitive to describe them as ‘sick’ or ‘dying’ writes Bristol 247...

On Sunday 17th August 2025, at golden hour, Green Man festival witnessed a confluence of rivers as the celebrations drew to a finale. The...