SYRCL’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival to Feature Exciting Non-Film Programming and Special Events

From February 13-17, SYRCL’s 23rd annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival will be held in Nevada City and Grass Valley. The festival offers an engaging array of award-winning films, including those about nature, community activism, adventure, conservation, wildfire, water, energy, wildlife, and environmental justice. Along with its impressive slate of films, the festival features exciting non-film programming and special events for festival attendees to experience, learn from, and enjoy. 

Along with an art exhibition held at The Center for the Arts in conjunction with the Nevada County Arts Council, this year will also feature Kevin Byrd’s “Big Fly Big Fish” art installations at various locations in Nevada City and Grass Valley. For those wanting to move around after a weekend of films there will be a special performance by Southern California’s surf-influenced instrumental rock project Par Avion on Sunday evening. SYRCL’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival offers a number of other fascinating experiences including and a two-day outdoor EnviroFair, coffee talks at Three Forks Bakery and Brewing, and workshops at City Hall in Nevada City focused on environmental, justice, and sustainability issues. 

This year, the EnviroFair in downtown Nevada City will be held on North Pine Street in Nevada City. Come meet and interact with festival national partners along with Bear Yuba Land Trust, Buffalo Field Campaign, CA State Parks, California Wolf Foundation, CCL Citizen Climate Lobby, Community Environmental Advocates Foundation, Friends of Bear River, Gold Country Fly Fishers Conservation and Education Committee, Mountain Bounty Farm, Nevada County Arts Council, Sierra Harvest, Sierra Nevada Alliance, the Tahoe National Forest, and more to inspire your activism and find out how you can get involved.  

For those interested in learning about investing for environmental and social justice, Wild & Scenic Film Festival’s national partner, Nia Impact Capital, a women-first investing firm promoting diversity and sustainability, is offering an excursion, Walk The Talk: Learning about Financial Activism. During this interactive walk along the Tribute Trail in Nevada City, Kristin Hull, the founder and CEO of Nia Impact Capital, will talk about case studies and help participants think of ways to align their finances to a more just world. 

Throughout the run of the festival, there will also be activist workshops held at City Hall in Nevada City. For example, on Saturday, February 15^th from 2:30pm to 3:30pm, the festival will be presenting the Health Under Fire: Climate Change’s Impact on People and Healthcare panel, featuring Dr. Tara Benesch, who will discuss the direct health effects of climate change, shedding light on how rising temperatures and environmental shifts impact our well-being. Dr. Glenn Gookin will talk about the vulnerabilities in our healthcare system and our healthcare system’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. He will share proactive initiatives from Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital to improve resiliency and reduce its carbon footprint. Laura Gravelle will explore the mental health effects of climate change on youth and the importance of supportive interventions. The panel will offer practical ideas for individuals and organizations to take action, fostering a sense of hope and empowerment in addressing these important issues.  

Another workshop of note is on Sunday, February 16^th from 1030am – 12pm. This will be a free community screening of the short film Cycling Without Age followed by a panel discussion on Aging and the Outdoors. By 2030, 10.8 million Californians will be considered “older adults,” making up one quarter of the state’s population and representing California’s fastest growing demographic. The film Cycling Without Age shows how important it is to continue activities as we age, because the human desire to connect with the outdoors and feel the wind in our hair is ageless. Join us for a panel discussion with the filmmakers and leaders from state and local aging services to hear more about what we can do collectively to reimagine the aging experience, connect across generations in new ways, and ensure people of all ages and abilities can access wild and scenic places.  

An especially timely workshop will be held on Sunday, February 16^th from 4pm – 5pm titled Modern megafires and the power of forest restoration. This will be a panel discussion with filmmaker Evan Barrientos of this year’s film Fireforest, which documents the crucial impacts of forest restoration in halting Colorado’s Cameron Peak Fire of 2020. After the film, a panel of local and regional fire experts will share the methods, impacts, and challenges of forest restoration techniques in the face of our modern-day megafires. This will be a powerful dialogue tying together lessons in fire management across the evolving landscapes of the west and highlighting the vital role of forest restoration in adapting to large-scale wildfire.  

Building on the success of SYRCL’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival’s sold-out inaugural Dinner and a Movie in 2024, this event will return this year with an exciting expansion—an additional night to accommodate a larger audience, offering more people the chance to experience this one-of-a-kind program. Embrace the theme of Wild at Heart during Valentine’s Weekend this year at Dinner and a Movie on either Saturday or Sunday evenings at the Stone House in Nevada City—and experience this specially curated session that offers a unique way to engage with the powerful stories showcased during the festival. The Stone House’s Michelin Star Chef, Scott McDonald, has crafted a menu inspired by the films featured during this special evening. There is limited seating for this event – you must reserve your ticket with a Watershed Pass or purchase an individual ticket. 

Passes and tickets to the 2025 Wild & Scenic Film Festival are still available – be sure to get yours today at WSFF.eventive.org.

Once you have purchased your passes, make sure you reserve your space for the session or event that you want to attend.