The 20th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival is rapidly coming to a close! What an incredibly inspiring 11 days, full of amazing humans celebrating captivating stories and calls to action from around the globe. From the art reception and excursions to the workshops and filmmaker chats, this year’s Wild & Scenic was full of inspiration.
The second virtual Wild & Scenic Film Festival featured award-winning films, activist workshops, talks, and more. The festival presented panels on a variety of topics such as California wildfires as well as California water policy, with members of groups like The Nature Conservancy and Tahoe National Forest. There was a hike led by Bear Yuba Land Trust, as well as an art exhibition in partnership with the Nevada County Arts Council featuring a display of award-winners at Fable Coffee, in Nevada City, online EnviroFair, live Zoom gatherings, and much more that rounded out the immersive event.
“This is my first year as Festival Director, and I am super proud to be a part of the Wild & Scenic Film Festival team. We are grateful to all the filmmakers who trusted their work to our festival and everyone who showed up and supported SYRCL and Wild & Scenic,” said festival director Lívia Campos de Menezes. “In 2022, we celebrate our 20th anniversary. Even though we had to pivot and postpone our return to the theaters, we were happy to commemorate this milestone virtually with the community,” Campos de Menezes continued, “I hope those who tuned in enjoyed our slate of films and non-film programs and got inspired to be actors of change in the world.”
Wild & Scenic is excited to showcase special award-winner sessions featuring 2022 Award Winning films. These sessions are available for online viewing now through the end of the day on January 30th. Additionally, we have made most of the Award-Winning films available individually to rent on demand, also available through the 30th. Learn more and get tickets at WSFF.EVENTIVE.ORG
2022 Award Winners:
Best of Festival:
Black Ice
Best in Theme:
Youth v Gov
Spirit of Activism:
The Seeds of Vandana Shiva
Most Inspiring Adventure Film:
The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness
Best Short:
Loon
Student Filmmaker Award
Ghost Ponds
Jury Awards:
My Garden of a Thousand Bees
The Ants & the Grasshopper
John de Graaf
Environmental Filmmaking Award
The Seeds of Vandana Shiva
Best Kid’s Film
The Magical Forest and The Things
People’s Choice Award
INHABITANTS: An Indigenous Perspective
Honorable Mentions:
Tigre Gente
End of the Line: The Women of Standing Rock
El Mago Georges
First We Eat
My First Day of Summer
ABOUT WILD & SCENIC FILM FESTIVAL
One of the nation’s largest environmental and adventure film festivals, the 20th 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 13– January 23, 2022, with Award Winners available through the 30th , 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 75,000 people annually.