HOW WILD ARE YOU?
With a record number of submitted films, the 23rd annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival, hosted by the South Yuba River Citizens’ League (SYRCL), will be held in person February 13-17, 2025, and has been working to pair down their collection of environmental and adventure films into a curated selection of screenings designed to meet this year’s theme, Wild at Heart. A definition that Festival Director, Eric Dunn, says is being redefined. “Wild and wilderness can mean different things for different people,” Eric begins, “One person’s wild might be Central Park, where another person’s wild might be hundreds of miles into the backcountry of Alaska. They’re both valid, and through the festival we work hard to bring a variety of films that redefine what it means to experience ‘wilderness’ from a unique point of view.”
Through the efforts of SYRCL, established in 1983, 39 miles of the South Yuba River has been designated Wild & Scenic, a classification (both federal and state-wide) that protects the watershed from future dams and development, securing the river in its natural state for future generations. Today, SYRCL is a hub for environmental activism in Nevada County. It’s also the epicenter of the festival’s broader mission, to connect these vastly different definitions of wilderness, by showcasing humanity’s need for the natural world and its nexus in our lives. “Part of the beauty of having preserved that stretch of river is preserving the stories that have run from it, whereas without those protections, the river would have been dammed and, I believe, so would have much of our town. The stories in our festival films are examples of these types of global environmental issues, highlighting everything from an indigenous population in South America fighting to preserve their land from a multinational mining corporation, to a professional athlete navigating a mountain, and the risks and challenges they face.” Curating the sessions in the way they do also allows for this juxtaposition, and asks moviegoers to find that common ground between two very different journeys. “Ultimately,” Eric continues, “we’re telling the stories of humanity, and how each of us interacts with our own personal ‘wilderness.’”
Dispersed across theaters in both Grass Valley and Nevada City, the festival draws more than 250 volunteers and more than 7,000 attendees, filmmakers, activists, outdoor athletes, students, and artists creating an economic impact during what is traditionally a ‘slow season’ for the region; filling hotels, short term rentals, restaurants, retail, and small businesses with out of town guests before, literally, taking their show on the road. “When the festival leaves Nevada County it goes on tour, stopping in over 100 different cities across the nation. We work with environmental nonprofits, land trusts, water keepers, and schools to essentially provide them a festival in a box, allowing them to put on an event that can raise money and drive awareness to similar issues facing their communities.”
Traversing the nation means sharing similar content with a broad range of political ideology, but Eric believes film has the power to penetrate preconceived ideas around cultural and environmental differences. While travel is not always accessible, film is a means for experiencing places and people beyond our daily horizons. “I feel really privileged to have traveled and gotten to meet people from other cultures,” adds Eric, “but it’s not cheap to do that.” Wild & Scenic brings the world from an, often unreachable distance, into the comfort of a theater seat, offering viewers a chance at common ground in very divisive times. “It’s a really powerful tool, similar to the Yuba River, for cultivating reflection and compassion outside of our day-to-day experiences.”
The Wild & Scenic Film Festival, well into its second decade, features more than 100 films along with art exhibits, panel discussions, coffee talks, and workshops showcasing Nevada County’s rich collective of unique venues, from the Odd Fellows Hall, to the Stone House, to the Grass Valley Center for the Arts, Sierra College and, of course, the Nevada and Del Oro Theatres. “Every year we see a substantial percentage of post-festival survey respondents who are impacted by these films,” says Eric. “People who walk away from the festival and feel like they can make a change in their local environment. It’s also been a powerful method for educating on the incredible resources in our region, and how to recreate sustainably. It’s a unique approach to supporting local tourism, not only during the festival, but all year long.”
Wild & Scenic Film Festival is accessible both in-person and online, visit their website for tickets, passes, and virtual access.
Attend Virtually: Feb 13-23 or In Person: Feb 13-17
530-265-5961
