About the Film
“Heart of a Lion” follows cougar biologist Dr. Mark Elbroch, National Geographic Explorer in Residence and the world’s leading expert on mountain lions, into the parallel worlds of two mountain lion mothers: F61, who first revealed the social lives of these elusive predators, and Yoko, struggling to raise her young on the edge of human encroachment. From the rugged wilderness of Wyoming’s Tetons to the misty forests of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, this intimate and immersive journey reveals one of North America’s most misunderstood predators—asking us to see them with admiration instead of fear.
Filmed over more than a decade, “Heart of a Lion” captures behaviors never before seen on camera — including intimate sequences of week-old kittens in their natal den, mountain lions scavenging seals along a wild coastline, and even fishing for salmon. The film also documents the subtle social bonds that connect generations of one cougar family. No single film has ever captured, with such depth and continuity, the lives of successive generations of a single mountain lion lineage.
Post-film discussion with Dr. Mark Elbroch and others TBA.
Presented in partnership with Swaner Preserve & Eco Center for Earth Day as part of the Reel Community Series.
Film Info
Dates
Apr 23, 2026Showtimes
7pmRated
Not RatedRun Time
90 minDirected by
Joe Pontecorvo
Assisted Listening
Price
FREEUnderwritten By
This film is available for underwriting.
Film Underwriter
Your business name will appear:
- in the description of the film on our printed calendar
- on our website as the film’s underwriter with a link to your web site
- in our weekly e-blast, which goes out to 3,800 people
- in the coming attractions portion of our pre-film slide show
Your images will be projected 18 times prior to each screening, for a total of 432 projections during an eight-week period.
Price: $500
Sign Up
