Nevada City, CA — The South Yuba River Citizens League’s 24th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival will be happening throughout Nevada City and Grass Valley from February 19-23, 2026. The festival showcases over 110 environmental films from around the world in addition to panels and special events. The full schedule is available at wildandscenicfilmfestival.org, where you can also purchase tickets and passes.
Kicking off this year’s festival on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at 7:30 PM PST at the Nevada Theatre, will be a screening of Chris Benchetler’s Mountains of the Moon. This film explores the unseen connections between sport, life, music, and the living earth — all set to the timeless tunes of the Grateful Dead. Captured almost entirely at night with cutting-edge cinematography, the film takes viewers on a surreal journey through ocean, river, and mountain landscapes, featuring some of the world’s greatest athletes, adventurers, and thinkers. The films, Annika – Where She Lands and Let My People Go Skiing will also be screened during this session.
Another Film Session highlight is A Dairy Story which is screening at the Oddfellows Hall in Nevada City on Saturday, February 21, at 10:00 AM. Every day, thousands of dairy calves are separated from their mothers at birth. Wilma and David Finlay are boldly challenging this practice, showing that a better way exists. A Dairy Story reveals how changing farming methods can improve animal welfare, benefit farmers, and transform the future of dairy farming. This documentary addresses universal themes of connection and mortality, and topics of animal sentience, the environment, and system change. The short film, A Legacy on the Land, opens the session. In attendance at this session will be Lorna Young, the producer, and Charles Ellett, the subject, of A Dairy Story.
On both Saturday and Sunday nights of the festival, ticket holders can enjoy the return of the crowd-favorite Dinner & A Movie evenings, this year at the historic Holbrooke Hotel in Grass Valley. This special event combines a curated selection of films with a masterful chef-inspired three-course meal. The audience can expect delicious, sustainable food paired perfectly with films that inspire. Filmmaker Q&As will happen at the end of the program.
Every year, SYRCL’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival commissions original artwork for their poster. During the festival, this year’s artist, Jeremy Collins, will share a very special interactive, mobile art installation and live storytelling experience on Sunday, February 22, 2026, starting at 10:15 AM at the Nevada Theatre in Nevada City that immerses the audience inside of Jeremy’s artist sketchbook. This presentation will be followed by time for audience Q&A and a book signing of his new book, Eventually a Sequoia. Of this experience, Collins says,“I put a lot of energy into asking the question ‘what do we need right now’? My answer in a post Covid, politically tumultuous world is space to gather with experiences that are real. The traveling installation is the physical manifestation of that answer. In some ways it makes no sense, but the response of the audiences affirms that we are desperate for TEXTURE — things and experiences that are real. A place to laugh, cry and nod our heads together.”
On Saturday of the festival, February 21, at noon in the City Hall Chambers in Nevada City, attendees will have the opportunity to engage in a fascinating book talk by Joanna Croston, discussing her new book, Mountaineering Women. Mountaineering Women is a richly illustrated collection of the astonishing and often surprising stories that celebrate the achievements of twenty women climbers, spanning both history and the globe, including stories about Lynn Hill, Catherine Destivelle, Brette Harrington, and others. Even though women have a pronounced and rich history in the sport, they are conspicuously absent from mountaineering literature, until now. As adventure pursuits like climbing and mountaineering continue to gain popularity, women’s visibility in those sports has also come under the spotlight. Joanna Croston will present Mountaineering Women and answer questions from the audience. Book sales and a book signing will follow.
The theme of this year’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival, “Mobilize,” celebrates movements that create tangible change — from grassroots resistance to international coalitions, from Indigenous land stewards to youth climate strikers. Throughout the weekend of February 19-23, festival programming reflects this call to action, providing tools, connections, and inspiration for attendees to become active participants in environmental protection.
Tickets and festival passes are available now at wildandscenicfilmfestival.org. The festival reminds Passholders that they must use their pass to reserve a seat in advance and arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the beginning of each session to guarantee seating.
Event Details:
- What: 24th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival
- When: February 19-23, 2026
- Where: Multiple venues in Nevada City and Grass Valley, California
- Tickets: wildandscenicfilmfestival.org
To learn more about the festival, please visit wildandscenicfilmfestival.org
To explore the full film lineup and purchase passes visit WSFF.eventive.org.