The documentary film, Wetlands Preserved: The Story of an Activist Rock Club opens today at New York City’s Cinema Village. The 7:55PM screening will offer a bonus element, as the club’s founder Larry Bloch and Wetlands’ second owner Peter Shapiro will be on hand for an audience Q and A session. The discussion will be moderated by site editor Dean Budnick, who also directed the film. Wetlands Preserved incorporates archival footage, soundboard recordings and the efforts of a dozen digital animators to chronicle the clubs tenure from February 1989 through September 2001. Wetlands Preserved features music from Phish, Blues Traveler, moe., The Disco Biscuits, Dave Matthews Band, Sublime, Ben Harper, Spearhead, 311, Ani DiFranco, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Spin Doctors, Fishbone, Agnostic Front and many additional artists.

A review in today’s New York Times raves, ‘Crammed with colorful interviews, digital animation and live performances, this frisky and forthright film by Dean Budnick chronicles a vision of financing social progress with really great tunes.’ Wetlands Preserved will open in Los Angeles on March 28.