Tristen is going to NYU film school!

Tristen Ortiz, a beloved member of the Freshwater Lab at UIC and the mastermind behind The River Speaks, is moving to NYC where he'll attend NYU film school to pursue his dream of creating art that is reflective of the people, places and experiences that are too often omitted in the craft.

Donate to help Tristen with the mounting expenses associated with moving, living and studying in NYC.

" My intention with The Backward River is to create art that can be not only accessible but reflective of the issues that surround the Chicago River and the city as whole. The choice to focus on slow violence as a subject came from its peculiar name and its relation to how private and public entities use policy to justify blatant environmental racism. Due to the massive covid-19 pandemic, it has amplified and exposed these issues and it can not be ignored anymore." - Tristen Ortiz