NEVADA CITY, CA — The South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) has officially opened the Call for Entries for the 25th annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival, inviting environmental and adventure filmmakers from around the world to submit work that captures the earth’s beauty, the challenges facing our planet, and the communities rising to meet them.
The Early Bird submission for films deadline is July 18, 2026, with a final deadline of September 30, 2026. The 25th annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival will take place February 18–22, 2027, in Nevada City and Grass Valley, California.
For its 25th anniversary edition, SYRCL’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival has selected Momentum as its guiding theme, a word that captures both the spirit of the environmental movements the festival has championed for a quarter century and the forward force of the festival itself. “Momentum” recognizes that meaningful change is cumulative, built from years of collective action that compound over time into something lasting. For 2027, the festival seeks films that embody that principle: stories of scientists who keep pushing, organizers who refuse to relent, and communities and ecosystems that recover when people give them the chance. While all relevant submissions are welcomed, the festival encourages filmmakers to consider how their work speaks to the theme of Momentum and to the enduring truth that progress on environmental issues is possible because people keep demanding it.
Michael Huth, SYRCL’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival Director, adds, “Momentum as a theme is a tip of the cap to the 25 years of state Wild & Scenic designation for 39 miles of the South Yuba River we celebrated last year. In turning a quarter century this year, SYRCL’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival — born from the same unstoppable community activism that protected the river — is not just about watching films; it’s about celebrating that teamwork and building Momentum through film for 25 more years of this unique festival experience. It serves as reminder that, as a Waterkeeper Alliance member, SYRCL is building a living legacy of grassroots action, and, as a film festival, we are a place for needed stories to be told.”
Since 2003, SYRCL’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival has welcomed documentary and narrative shorts and features spanning nature, community activism, conservation, water, energy, climate change, wildlife, environmental justice, food, farming, and intentional adventure. Films are curated into themed tracks that pair projects with complementary subject matter, creating a cinematic experience designed to inform, inspire, and ignite solutions for the planet and the communities that depend on it.
Twenty-five years of SYRCL’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival represents over two decades of storytelling. What began as a celebration of the South Yuba River’s newly protected Wild & Scenic status has grown into one of the most respected environmental film festivals in the United States. It is a gathering place for filmmakers, activists, scientists, and audiences who believe that great cinema can change how people see the world and what they choose to do about it.
After the flagship festival concludes, SYRCL’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival extends its reach far beyond the Nevada County foothills through the Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour program, now in its 21st season, which brings festival programming to communities across the country. With more than 125 On Tour events annually, the program reaches over 40,000 people each year and supports more than 100 partner organizations working on environmental causes in their own communities.
Filmmakers ready to be part of SYRCL’s 25th annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival can find complete submission guidelines and deadlines at wildandscenicfilmfestival.org/
“This anniversary, we want to recognize all that has happened to get to this point and the excitement of what is to come,” says Michael Huth. “We understand stories are shifting, and we invite you to submit whatever form your story of Momentum takes for you.”
ABOUT THE 2027 WILD & SCENIC FILM FESTIVAL
One of the nation’s largest environmental and adventure film festivals, SYRCL’s 25th 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 2027 Wild & Scenic Film Festival is hosted and produced by South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) and takes place Feb. 18-22 in Nevada City and Grass Valley, CA and online virtually Feb. 19-28. This flagship festival kicks off a nationwide tour bringing Wild & Scenic films to more than 40,000 people annually. For more information, visit https://www.WildandScenicFilmFestival.org