NEVADA CITY, CA. (Jan. 12, 2021) – The South Yuba Rivers Citizens League’s (SYRCL) Wild & Scenic Film Festival kicks off its 19th annual event this Thursday, January 14th. For almost two decades, Wild & Scenic Film Festival (WSFF) has welcomed audiences to Nevada County, CA for its annual event every January. This year things are different, so in the spirit of the theme of this year’s festival, “Resilient by Nature,” WSFF is exercising resilience by bringing the festival to its audiences as an entirely virtual experience. Over the course of 11 days, attendees will be able to watch the 2021 lineup of over 100 environmental and adventure films and engage in workshops, panels, youth programming, art exhibition and more, from the comfort and safety of their home.
Wild & Scenic’s virtual festival will continue to bring together top filmmakers, activists, and social innovators to inspire environmental awareness and action. As individuals and communities, we can draw on our strengths, talents, and lived experiences to innovate and inspire positive change for a better world. With seven workshops and a slate of Q&As with filmmakers and experts, there are many opportunities to engage with live programming.
Wild & Scenic will host the World Premiere of River’s End, a film which takes a deep dive into the political quagmire surrounding the global water crisis through the microcosm of CA to reveal a level of nuance much deeper than the simplistic “fish versus farms” narrative. On Sat. Jan. 16th at 6pm (PST), a live panel featuring esteemed CA water experts, US Congressman Jared Huffman, Chief Caleen Sisk of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, and SF Baykeeper Senior Scientist Dr. Jon Rosenfield, will address some of the questions and issues raised in the film. The live Q&A will be moderated by award-winning LA Times journalist, Bettina Boxall. Join the panel and learn more about CA’s complex history with water and how addressing its challenges can help us solve water issues around the world.
Also on the 16th is the workshop “The Ecology of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion).”. The language of ecology and how nature "speaks" can be instructive in how we approach equitable and inclusive practices for diversity and justice-oriented work. From frames of resilience, regeneration, restoration, and reconnection, nature can remind and push us to imagine what healthy "human ecosystems" can be. Moderated by Latino Outdoors Founder José González, this conversation will include naturalist Francis Mendoza, Ohlone Sister Carla Marie Munoz, as well as Leslie Parra and Linnea Hardlund from Save the Redwoods League.
These are just a couple examples of the wealth of programming slated for the 11-day festival. To learn more about the offerings, as well as to purchase passes or tickets, visit WSFF.EVENTIVE.ORG
Some of the marquee films presented at the 19th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival include:
Our Mothers’ Land - Across Indonesia, hundreds of rural communities are in conflict with corporations seeking control of their resources. When they push back, they face the wrath of the state. In Our Mothers’ Land, journalist Febriana Firdaus travels to meet women who have risen to lead social movements, facing violence, imprisonment, and judgement from conservative societies as they fight for their rights.
The Church Forests of Ethiopia - Over the past century, farming and the needs of a growing population have replaced nearly all of Ethiopia’s old-growth forests with agricultural fields. This film tells the story of the country’s Church Forests–pockets of lush biodiversity that are protected by hundreds of churches “scattered like emerald pearls across the brown sea of farm fields.
Current Sea - A compelling testimony to the possibilities of local activism, Current Sea follows investigative journalist, Matt Blomberg, and ocean activist, Paul Ferber, in their dangerous efforts to create a marine conservation area and combat the relentless tide of illegal fishing. Along the way a new generation of Cambodian environmentalists are inspired to create a better life for their people.
Entangled - The award-winning, feature-length film Entangled is about how climate change has accelerated a collision between one of the world’s most endangered species, North America’s most valuable fishery, and a federal agency mandated to protect both. The film, by the makers of Lobster War and Sacred Cod, won a Jackson Wild award, known as the Oscars of nature films. It also won Best Conservation Film at the Mystic Film Festival.
Overland - Immersed in remote landscapes, we meet an eagle hunter, a hawk whisperer, and a falcon racer, each on a quest to connect to the vanishing wild while practicing an ancient art that is disappearing as a way of life. Overland offers a stunning cinematic journey across four continents that twists and turns like nature itself, bridging ancient to modern, east to west, and earth to sky.
ABOUT WILD & SCENIC FILM FESTIVAL
One of the nation’s largest environmental and adventure film festivals, the 19th 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. Festival-goers are treated to a wide variety of award winning films, including those about nature, community activism, adventure, conservation, water, energy, wildlife, and environmental justice. Happening January 14 – January 24, 2021, the Wild & Scenic Film Festival is hosted and produced by the nonprofit organization South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) to raise funds for their year-round conservation work. This flagship festival kicks off a nationwide tour bringing Wild & Scenic films to more than 65,000 people annually.
