Wild & Scenic Film Festival non-film programming highlights

NEVADA CITY — From February 13-17, the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL)’s 23rd annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival will be held in Nevada City and Grass Valley. The festival offers an engaging array of award-winning films, including those about nature, community activism, adventure, conservation, wildfire, water, energy, wildlife, and environmental justice. Along with its impressive slate of films, the festival features exciting non-film programming and special events for festival attendees to experience, learn from, and enjoy.

Along with an art exhibition held at The Center for the Arts in conjunction with the Nevada County Arts Council, this year will also feature Kevin Byrd’s “Big Fly Big Fish” art installations at various locations in Nevada City and Grass Valley. For those wanting to move around after a weekend of films there will be a special performance by Southern California’s surf-influenced instrumental rock project Par Avion on Sunday evening. SYRCL’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival offers a number of other fascinating experiences including and a two-day outdoor EnviroFair, coffee talks at Three Forks Bakery and Brewing, and workshops at City Hall in Nevada City focused on environmental, justice, and sustainability issues.

This year, the EnviroFair in downtown Nevada City will be held on North Pine Street in Nevada City. Come meet and interact with festival national partners along with Bear Yuba Land Trust, Buffalo Field Campaign, CA State Parks, California Wolf Foundation, CCL Citizen Climate Lobby, Community Environmental Advocates Foundation, Friends of Bear River, Gold Country Fly Fishers Conservation and Education Committee, Mountain Bounty Farm, Nevada County Arts Council, Sierra Harvest, Sierra Nevada Alliance, the Tahoe National Forest, and more to inspire your activism and find out how you can get involved.

For those interested in learning about investing for environmental and social justice, Wild & Scenic Film Festival’s national partner, Nia Impact Capital, a women-first investing firm promoting diversity and sustainability, is offering an excursion, Walk The Talk: Learning about Financial Activism. During this interactive walk along the Tribute Trail in Nevada City, Kristin Hull, the founder and CEO of Nia Impact Capital, will talk about case studies and help participants think of ways to align their finances to a more just world.

Throughout the run of the festival, there will also be activist workshops held at City Hall in Nevada City. For example, on Saturday, February 15^th from 2:30pm to 3:30pm, the festival will be presenting the Health Under Fire: Climate Change’s Impact on People and Healthcare panel, featuring Dr. Tara Benesch, who will discuss the direct health effects of climate change, shedding light on how rising temperatures and environmental shifts impact our well-being. Dr. Glenn Gookin will talk about the vulnerabilities in our healthcare system and our healthcare system’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. He will share proactive initiatives from Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital to improve resiliency and reduce its carbon footprint. Laura Gravelle will explore the mental health effects of climate change on youth and the importance of supportive interventions. The panel will offer practical ideas for individuals and organizations to take action, fostering a sense of hope and empowerment in addressing these important issues.

Another workshop of note is on Sunday, February 16^th from 1030am – 12pm. This will be a free community screening of the short film Cycling Without Age followed by a panel discussion on Aging and the Outdoors. By 2030, 10.8 million Californians will be considered “older adults,” making up one quarter of the state’s population and representing California’s fastest growing demographic. The film Cycling Without Age shows how important it is to continue activities as we age, because the human desire to connect with the outdoors and feel the wind in our hair is ageless. Join us for a panel discussion with the filmmakers and leaders from state and local aging services to hear more about what we can do collectively to reimagine the aging experience, connect across generations in new ways, and ensure people of all ages and abilities can access wild and scenic places.

An especially timely workshop will be held on Sunday, February 16^th from 4pm – 5pm titled Modern megafires and the power of forest restoration. This will be a panel discussion with filmmaker Evan Barrientos of this year’s film Fireforest, which documents the crucial impacts of forest restoration in halting Colorado’s Cameron Peak Fire of 2020. After the film, a panel of local and regional fire experts will share the methods, impacts, and challenges of forest restoration techniques in the face of our modern-day megafires. This will be a powerful dialogue tying together lessons in fire management across the evolving landscapes of the west and highlighting the vital role of forest restoration in adapting to large-scale wildfire.

Building on the success of SYRCL’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival’s sold-out inaugural Dinner and a Movie in 2024, this event will return this year with an exciting expansion—an additional night to accommodate a larger audience, offering more people the chance to experience this one-of-a-kind program. Embrace the theme of Wild at Heart during Valentine’s Weekend this year at Dinner and a Movie on either Saturday or Sunday evenings at the Stone House in Nevada City—and experience this specially curated session that offers a unique way to engage with the powerful stories showcased during the festival. The Stone House’s Michelin Star Chef, Scott McDonald, has crafted a menu inspired by the films featured during this special evening. There is limited seating for this event – you must reserve your ticket with a Watershed Pass or purchase an individual ticket.

Passes and tickets to the 2025 Wild & Scenic Film Festival are still available – be sure to get yours today at WSFF.eventive.org. Once you have purchased your passes, make sure you reserve your space for the session or event that you want to attend.

ABOUT THE 2024 WILD & SCENIC FILM FESTIVAL:

One of the nation’s largest environmental and adventure film festivals, the 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. 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. The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is hosted and produced by South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) Feb 15-19, 2024. This flagship festival kicks off a nationwide tour bringing Wild & Scenic films to more than 30,000 people annually.  

For more information, visit https://www.WildandScenicFilmFestival.org

EnviroFair info: featuring WSFF National Partners along with Bear Yuba Land Trust, Buffalo Field Campaign, CA State Parks, California Wolf Foundation, CCL Citizen Climate Lobby, CEA Foundation (Community Environmental Advocates Foundation), Friends of Bear River, Gold Country Fly Fishers Conservation and Education Committee, Mountain Bounty Farm, Nevada County Arts Council, Sierra Harvest, Sierra Nevada Alliance, Tahoe National Forest

10am to 11am – The “Dos Rios” Story: Transforming California’s Future with Floodplain Restoration – Panel Discussion

Discover why Dos Rios, California’s newest state park, is hailed as a “Park of the Future” by state leaders. Once marginal farmland, Dos Rios is now a thriving floodplain ecosystem that reduces flood risks, recharges groundwater, and restores habitats for wildlife and people. Join River Partners President Julie Rentner, River Partners Director of Tribal Engagement Austin Stevenot (Northern Sierra Mewuk), filmmaker Alan Sanchez, and a special guest from the California Natural Resources Agency to explore how floodplain restoration renews watersheds, heals historic wrongs, and safeguards biodiversity for future generations.

1130am to 1230pm – Tim Palmer presents Seek Higher Ground: The Natural Solution To Our Urgent Flooding Crisis

This slide show by author, photographer, and WSFF veteran Tim Palmer illuminates the compelling case for changing our response to floods, which are growing alarmingly worse with the heating climate. Instead of relying on dams, levees, and relief after the fact, more needs to be done to protect floodplain open space and help people relocate to higher ground.

Director Chad Berginnis of the Association of State Floodplain Managers called Seek Higher Ground “The most comprehensive and compelling book written on the history and challenges of floodplain management.” Tim is the award-winning author of 33 books on rivers, the environment, and adventure travel. His work includes the original Wild and Scenic River study of the South Yuba, leading to its protection in the California Wild and Scenic Rivers system. See his work at www.timpalmer.org.

1pm – 2pm  – Financial activism at Nia Impact Capital – A Look at Nia’s Engagement with Tesla: Investing for Environmental Justice.

As a leader in company engagement on climate, social, and racial equity, Nia Impact Capital’s shareholder activism is one of the ways that Nia is differentiated from other investment firms. Discover what goes on behind the scenes when Nia Impact Capital engages directly with companies to create positive change on behalf of investors. We will look at Nia’s financial activism case studies, with a deep dive into Tesla, and learn more about how you can join the movement to invest in the world we all want to have.

2:30pm to 3:30pm – Health Under Fire: Climate Change’s Impact on People and Healthcare

This vital panel features Dr. Tara Benesch, who will discuss the direct health effects of climate change, shedding light on how rising temperatures and environmental shifts impact our well-being. Dr. Glenn Gookin will talk about the vulnerabilities in our healthcare system and our healthcare system’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. He will share proactive initiatives from Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital to improve resiliency and reduce its carbon footprint. Laura Zettler-Mann will explore the mental health effects of climate change on youth and the importance of supportive interventions. The panel will offer practical ideas for individuals and organizations to take action, fostering a sense of hope and empowerment in addressing these important issues.

4pm to 5pm – Grounding in Gratitude: A Community Grief Ritual

How do we navigate the emotions of grief, anger or despair as we witness the loss, destruction and injustices of this world? Our predominant culture teaches how to suppress or distract from our painful emotions and yet, as activists, we can support each other in being whole and present by coming together to honor our emotional landscape. In this community-based grief ritual, we begin in gratitude, open our hearts toward the painful truths and remember that we are not alone.

Sunday, February 16

1030am – 12pm – Aging and the Outdoors – Free Community Screening of Cycling Without Age followed by a panel discussion on Aging and the Outdoors

By 2030, 10.8 million Californians will be considered “older adults,” making up one quarter of the state’s population and representing California’s fastest growing demographic. The film Cycling Without Age shows how important it is to continue activities as we age, because the human desire to connect with the outdoors and feel the wind in our hair is ageless. Join us for a panel discussion with the filmmakers and leaders from state and local aging services to hear more about what we can do collectively to reimagine the aging experience, connect across generations in new ways, and ensure people of all ages and abilities can access wild and scenic places.

12:30pm – 1:30pm – Adaptation: In-Progress Film Screening + Panel Discussion

As wildfires, hurricanes, and hail storms become more frequent and severe, how can our communities prepare? How can we adapt to this new reality?

Join us for an exclusive sneak peak of Adaptation, a new short documentary from Spruce Tone and SLOMotion exploring unique experiments and research by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS). Behind the walls of their state-of-the-art facility, engineers simulate wildfires, recreate hail, and hurricane force winds to understand how humans can adapt to the climate crisis.

Post screening, join Palmer Morse Co-Director of Adaptation, Steve Hawks, Senior Director for Wildfire at IBHS, and other panelists TBA for a conversation on future proofing housing in the face of a changing climate and wildfire in California.

2pm – 3pm – Be an Activist for your Health:  Cancer Screening for Early Detection and How to Live your Best Life with a Cancer Diagnosis

This panel discussion will offer current diagnosis directions in the leading cancers, shedding light on alarming trends in younger populations.  We will discuss screening procedures for the top cancers, including colon and breast, as well as what age to begin and how often.  Lastly, If you are diagnosed with cancer, we cover some resources that are available to help maintain your optimal self physically, mentally, and even spiritually, while living through treatments and surgeries.

4pm – 5pm – Modern megafires and the power of forest restoration

Join us for an exciting panel discussion with filmmaker Evan Barrientos of this year’s film Fireforest, which documents the crucial impacts of forest restoration in halting Colorado’s Cameron Peak Fire of 2020. After the film, a panel of local and regional fire experts will share the methods, impacts, and challenges of forest restoration techniques in the face of our modern-day megafires. This will be a powerful dialogue tying together lessons in fire management across the evolving landscapes of the west and highlighting the vital role of forest restoration in adapting to large-scale wildfire.