WILD & SCENIC FILM FESTIVAL UNVEILS 2024 OFFICIAL SELECTIONS: TICKETS NOW ON SALE

The 2024 Wild & Scenic Film Festival (WSFF) has unveiled the full lineup of films for the 22nd annual event – presented by the South Yuba Rivers Citizens League (SRYCL). Taking place February 15-19, 2024, in Grass Valley and Nevada City, CA, the festival will feature 114 environmental and adventure films: 

• six world premieres 
• one international premiere 
• one North American premiere 
• four U.S. premieres 
• eight West Coast premieres 
• six California premieres.  

The full lineup of films and the schedule of programming can be found at WSFF.eventive.org. Tickets and passes are now on sale, just in time for people to give the gift of inspiration this holiday season. 

For over two decades, the Wild & Scenic Film Festival has welcomed audiences to the picturesque Sierra foothills of Nevada County, CA, for its annual event. The 2024 edition will feature a program including 13 features and 101 short films, continuing to bring together top filmmakers, activists, and social innovators to inspire environmental awareness and action. The flagship festival will kick off the annual nationwide tour bringing Wild & Scenic films to over 30,000 people around the country. 

The festival will also feature many mainstay elements of the past, including activist workshops, an art exhibition, youth programs, outdoor excursions, the community EnviroFair, along with onstage Q&A sessions, as well as opportunities to interact with filmmakers and special guests. One special excursion will be a trip to Gold Crush Climbing Gym with renowned climber Timmy O’neil. Timmy directed the 2024 Official Selection Soundscape where he and Erik Weihenmayer, an accomplished climber who is blind, tackle an ascent in the Eastern Sierra. For the Gold Crush excursion, Timmy will help the group explore what it’s like to climb blindfolded as well as how to guide a climber doing so. Space is limited so be sure to sign up for this event early!  

The full list of list of non-film programming will be announced in the coming weeks. 

New to the festival for 2024 is the specially priced Watershed Pass, which gives holders access to all in-person film programming, including Thursday Night’s 3D Films, Saturday Morning’s Family Friendly Films, Best of Fest Award Winners, and Local’s Night sessions. It also gives access to the virtual programming and the newly offered Dinner and a Movie at the Stone House. 

The 2024 festival theme is Real Action. This theme goes to the heart of what the Wild & Scenic Film Festival is all about: inspiring people through film to take action to make this world a better place for all living things.The official 2024 artwork was created by Nevada County local Brianna French with this idea in mind, and audiences can expect to see it reflected throughout this year’s programming. 

“For 22 years, our Festival has united people inside and outside the theaters, allowing us to engage with filmmakers and learn from activists and scientists about the subject matters presented onscreen,” said WSFF Director Lívia Campos de Menezes. “I cannot wait to share the inspiring program our team has put together. In 2024, we will continue our mission to use film to spark conversations and ignite solutions. We are excited to share an array of national and international established and emerging filmmakers with our audiences. I am also thrilled about our special events, such as the Late Night Movies on Friday, the Dinner and a Movie on Saturday, and the family-friendly VR lounge throughout the weekend, offering participants unique ways to experience the films presented at the Festival.”   

Some of the films highlighting this year’s festival theme include:   

Café Y Aves / Colombia (dir. Roshan Patel) — Coffee farms in Colombia exist in some of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. However, agriculture is putting pressure on biodiversity, causing catastrophic declines in migratory bird species. Farmers are working alongside Smithsonian scientists to develop solutions that will be better for birds and coffee. California Premiere.  

Farming While Black / U.S.A. (dir. Mark Decena) — In 1910, Black farmers owned 14 percent of all American farmland. Over the intervening decades, that number fell below two percent, the result of racism, discrimination, and dispossession. The film chronicles Black farmers’ efforts to reclaim their agricultural heritage. Collectively, their work significantly impacts sustainable agriculture and food justice movements. 

Near The River / Zambia, U.S.A. (dir. Darby McAdams) — In the tourism town of Livingstone, Zambia, a group of local men who make their living portering kayaks aspire to become safety kayakers on the Zambezi River. The proposed Batoka Gorge Hydroelectric Scheme threatens to flood the famous Zambezi rapids and eliminate river-related jobs. 

NUKED / Canada (dir. Andrew Nisker) — A timely documentary focusing on the human victims of the Cold War Era nuclear arms race, tracing the displaced Bikinian’s ongoing struggle for justice and survival even as climate change poses a new existential threat. International Premiere.  

PATROL / Nicaragua (dir. Brad Allgood, Camilo de Castro) — Illegal cattle ranchers and miners are decimating the Indio-Maiz Biological Reserve — one of the last remaining rainforests in Central America. Commodities produced on illegally converted lands are finding their way to unsuspecting consumers in the US and other major markets. The indigenous and Afro-descendent peoples are addressing the threat head-on—fighting back to protect their territory and way of life.   

Ripples of Plastic / U.S.A. (dir. Chris Langer) — An eye-opening journey through the unseen impacts of plastic pollution in the Great Lakes region. Beyond individual action, the film inspires a collective movement for transformative progress toward a plastic-free future. West-Coast Premiere. 

Usugilix Awakun / U.S.A. (dir. Matt Mikkelsen, Palmer Morse) — A passionate Unangax̂ scientist delves into the vital research concerning toxic shellfish—a staple Indigenous food for the Unanagan people — and her unwavering dedication to preserving her ancestral traditions, culture, and community health. World Premiere. 

The full lineup of films is included below. 

To learn more about the festival, please visit wildandscenicfilmfestival.org 

To review the 2023 schedule and purchase passes or tickets, visit WSFF.eventive.org. 

FEATURE FILMS 

• Arctic: Our Frozen Planet / U.K. (dir. Rachel Scott) 
• Blue Whales: Return of the Giants / U.S.A (dir. Hugh Pearson) 
• California’s Watershed Healing / U.S.A (dir. Molly Stephens) California Premiere. 
• Deep Rising / U.S.A (dir. Matthieu Rytz) 
• Farming While Black / U.S.A (dir. Mark Decena) 
• In the Dirt / U.S.A (dir. T.C. C. Johnstone) 
• Nuked / Canada (dir. Andrew Nisker) 
• Out There: A National Parks Story / U.S.A (dir. Brendan Hall) 
• PATROL / Nicaragua (dir. Brad Allgood, Camilo de Castro) 
• Ripples of Plastic / U.S.A (dir. Chris Langer) 
• The Engine Inside / Canada (dir. Colin Jones, Darcy Wittenburg, Darren McCullough) 
• ULTIMATE CITIZENS / U.S.A (dir. Francine Strickwerda) California Premiere. 
• Weak Layers / U.S.A (dir. Katie Burrell) 

SHORT FILMS 

• 841 / U.S.A (dir. Rachel Burnett) 
• 4DWN / U.S.A (dir. Danny J Schmidt) 
• 6,000 Miles / U.S.A (dir. Masha Karpoukhina) 
• A Renewable Future / U.S.A (dir. Jack Fisher) 
• Abundance: The Farmlink Story / U.S.A (dir. Owen Dubeck) 
• African Voices for Africa’s Forests- Gender, Indigenous Rights, and Restoration / Cameroon (Produced by the African Climate Reality Project and ReWild Africa) 
• Algorithms of Beauty / Belgium (dir. Miléna Trivier) 
• Apayauq / U.S.A (dir. Zeppelin Zeerip) 
• Between Earth & Sky / U.S.A (dir. Andrew Nadkarni) 
• Biopixels / U.S.A (dir. Kristina Dutton) 
• Black Skimmers, under our wing / U.S.A (dir. Lia Nydes) 
• Bluebird Sky / U.S.A (dir. Chad Weber) 
• Brave Girl / U.S.A (dir. Mark Pedri) 
• Bridging Fragments / Costa Rica, U.S.A. (dir. Sonny DePasquale) 
• Bright Toh:  Unsung Hero / Cameroon (dir. Garth Kingwill) 
• Burning Injustice / U.S.A (dir. Miguel A Astudillo) 
• By the Sea-Luca! Here comes the wave! / Taiwan (dir. Hao-Jan Chang) 
• Café Y Aves / Colombia (dir. Roshan Patel) California Premiere. 
• Chasing the Bono / Indonesia (dir. Peter Goetz) West-Coast Premiere. 
• Chicas Al Agua / U.S.A (dir. Liz McGregor) 
• Curupira / U.K. (dir. Lea Hejn) 
• Dante’s Paradise / Mexico (dir. Osseily Hanna)  
• Daughter of the sea / South Korea (dir. Nicole Gormley, Nancy Kwon) 
• Desert Wings / U.S.A (dir. Nathan McBride) 
• DO A WHEELIE / U.K. (dir. Cut Media) 
• DRIVING SWEEP (censored version for school) / U.S.A (dir. Gregory Cairns) West-Coast Premiere. 
• Finding the Line / U.S.A (dir. Katie Hake) 
•  Flowing – My dream of more freedom / Austria (dir. Christine Sonvilla, Marc Graf) 
•  Forward / U.S.A (dir. Palmer Morse) 
•  Frozen Harvest / U.S.A (dir. Mark Fleming) 
•  Gardener to Guardian / U.S.A (Anisa Peters; Sarah Arnoff) 
•  Groundwork – Cotton / U.S.A (dir. Lindsey Hagen) 
•  Healing Hiłsyaqƛis / Canada (dir. Mark Wyatt) 
•  Healy / U.S.A (dir. Maya Craig) 
•  I am the Nature / Brazil (dir. Taliesin Black-Brown) 
•  I see / Canada (dir. Julie Ottawa, Noémie Echaquan) 
•  Inward / U.S.A (dir. Chad Brown) World Premiere. 
•  Jaguar Del Cielo / Mexico (dir. Austin Alvarado) California Premiere. 
•  JoJo – A Toad Musical / U.S.A (dir. Chelsea J Jolly) 
•  Keepers of the Land / Canada (dir. Deirdre Leowinata, Douglas Neasloss) 
•  KELP! / U.K. (dir. Anna Roberts, Caylon Jasmine La Mantia) 
•  Kind of Fishy / Norway (dir. Aleksander Leines Nordaas) 
•  Light Beams For Helena / Mexico (dir. Kirk Horton) 
•  Losing Blue / Canada (dir. Leanne Allison) U.S. Premiere. 
•  Mãri hi – The Tree of Dream / Brazil (dir. Morzaniel Ɨramarid) 
•  Mel Fell / U.S.A (dir. Galen Fott) 
•  META / Germany (dir. Antje Heyn) 
•  Modern Goose / Canada (dir. Karsten Wall) U.S. Premiere. 
•  Mount St. Helens: A Fire Within / U.S.A (dir. Rory Banyard) 
•  Mussel Grubbing: A Citizen Science Treasure Hunt / U.S.A (dir. Jason Lindsey) 
•  Nanoscapes / U.S.A (dir. Kristina Dutton) 
•  Near The River / Zambia, U.S.A. (dir. Darby McAdams) 
•  On, In & Under the Sava / Slovenia (dir. Rok Rozman, Rožle Bregar) 
•  Our Waters / U.S.A (dir. Josh ‘Bones’ Murphy) 
•  PADDLE TRIBAL WATERS / U.S.A (dir. Rush Sturges, Paul Robert Wolf Wilson) 
•  PLACE – People, Lamprey, And Cultural Ecology / U.S.A (dir. Jeremy Monroe, David Herasimtschuk) 
•  PLSTC / France (dir. Laen Sanches) 
•  Pond / Switzerland (dir. Eva Rust, Lena von Döhren) 
•  Pripyat Horse / U.K. (dir. Sally Patricia Pearce) 
•  Puffling / U.K. (dir. Jessica Bishopp) 
•  Renaissance / Canada (dir. Mike McKay) 
•  Romeo November / U.S.A (dir. Sinjin Eberle) West-Coast Premiere. 
•  Salted Earth / U.S.A (dir. Ben Hemmings) 
•  School of Fish / U.S.A (dir. Colin Arisman, oliver sutro) 
•  Siddhartha / Norway, Switzerland (dir. Sean Fee) 
•  Skyward / U.K. (dir. Jessica Bishopp) 
•  Sloth 360 / U.S.A (James Beissel) 
•  Sol in the Garden / U.S.A (dir. Debora Souza Silva, Emily Cohen Ibañez) 
•  Soñadora / Colombia, U.S.A. (Jr Rodriguez) 
•  Soundscape / U.S.A (dir. Timmy ONeill) 
•  Spear, Spatula, Submarine / U.S.A (dir. Shannon Morrall) 
•  Stormy / U.S.A (dir. Aaron Straight) World Premiere. 
•  Study Aboard / U.S.A (dir. Peter Goetz) West-Coast Premiere. 
•  Suzie (& Jenny) / U.S.A (dir. Marie Rouhban) 
•  Tales of Jan Mayen / U.K. (dir. Hugo Pettit) West-Coast Premiere. 
•  The Bat Couple / Nigeria (dir. Simpa Samson) 
•  The Beauty Between / U.S.A (dir. Austin Smock) 
•  The Future of Healthcare is Farm Fresh! / U.S.A (dir. Kit Kohler, Val Camp) 
•  The Invention of Less / Switzerland (dir. Noah Erni) 
•  The Lone Wolverine of the Wallowas / U.S.A (dir. Alan Lacy) California Premiere. 
•  The Quest to Save Parasites / U.S.A (dir. Emily Driscoll) 
•  The Serpent’s Lair / U.S.A (Sam LeGrys; Sarah Arnoff) 
•  THE SHELMECA SERPENT / Honduras (dir. Laura Bermúdez) 
•  The Story of Bacanora / U.S.A (dir. Chris Gallaway) 
•  The Studio / U.S.A (dir. Joshua L. Duplechian) 
•  The Tundra / Canada (dir. Christopher Paetkau, Trevor Gill) 
•  The Waiting / Germany (dir. Voker Schlecht) 
•  Timber Rattlesnakes of Catoctin Mountain Park / U.S.A (dir. Grace Eggleston) World Premiere. 
•  To Be Rich / U.S.A (dir. Erika Bolstad) 
•  Toxic Art / U.S.A (dir. Jason Whalen) West-Coast Premiere. 
•  Tracing History / U.S.A (dir. Jalena Keane-Lee) 
•  Up and At ‘Em / U.S.A (dir. Clyde Petersen) 
•  Usugilix Awakun / U.S.A (dir. Matt Mikkelsen, Palmer Morse) World Premiere. 
•  Valley of the Turkeys / U.S.A (dir. Sean Grasso) 
•  Van Versus Vikas (Forest Versus Progress) / India (dir. Rucha Chitnis) 
•  Vanishing Oasis / U.K. (dir. Jaxon Derow) 
•  Vertical Meadows / U.S.A (Anisa Peters; Sarah Arnoff) 
•  With the Tide / U.S.A (dir. Chelsea J Jolly) 
•  Won’t Give Up / U.S.A (dir. Abdul Kassamali) North American Premiere. 
•  Wrought / Canada (dir. Anna Sigrithur, Joel Penner) 
•  You Are Not Small / U.S.A (dir. Sherene Strausberg) 

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ABOUT THE 2024 WILD & SCENIC FILM FESTIVAL 

One of the nation’s largest environmental and adventure film festivals, SYRCL’s 22nd annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival combines stellar filmmaking, cinematography, and first-rate storytelling to inform, inspire, and ignite solutions to restore the earth and human communities while creating a positive future for generations to come. Festivalgoers are treated to a wide variety of award-winning films, including those about nature, community activism, adventure, conservation, water, energy, wildlife, and environmental justice. The 2024 Wild & Scenic Film Festival is hosted and produced by South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) and taking place Feb 15-19. This flagship festival kicks off a nationwide tour bringing Wild & Scenic films to more than 35,000 people annually.