New details emerge for 22nd annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival
Dec. 28—The 2024 Wild & Scenic Film Festivalhas now unveiled its full lineup of films for the 22nd annual event.
Presented by the South Yuba River Citizens League, the festival will take place from Feb. 15-19, 2024, in both Grass Valley and Nevada City. This five-day event will feature six world premiers, one international premiere, a North American premiere, four U.S. premieres, eight West Coast premieres, and six California premieres. In total, 114 environmental and adventure films will be shown, kicking off the festival's nationwide tour, which is projected to reach over 30,000 people across the country.
The 2024 Wild & Scenic Film Festival will also feature many mainstay elements of the past, including activist workshops, an art exhibition, youth programs, outdoor excursions, the community EnviroFair, along with opportunities to interact with filmmakers and special guests.
One special excursion will be a trip to Gold Crush Climbing Gym with renowned climber Timmy O'neil. O'neil directed the 2024 Official Selection Soundscape where he and Erik Weihenmayer, an accomplished climber who is blind, tackle an ascent in the Eastern Sierra. For the Gold Crush excursion, O'neil will help the group explore what it's like to climb blindfolded as well as how to guide a climber doing so. Space is limited and organizers encourage early registration.
Also new to the 2024 festival is the specially priced Watershed Pass, which gives holders access to all in-person film programming including Thursday night's 3D Films, Saturday morning's Family Friendly Films, Best of Fest Award Winners, and Local's Night sessions. It also gives access to the virtual programming and the newly offered Dinner and a Movie event at the Stone House.
"For 22 years, our Festival has united people inside and outside the theaters, allowing us to engage with filmmakers and learn from activists and scientists about the subject matters presented on screen," said Wild & Scenic Film Festival Director Lívia Campos de Menezes. "I cannot wait to share the inspiring program our team has put together. In 2024, we will continue our mission to use film to spark conversations and ignite solutions. We are excited to share an array of national and international established and emerging filmmakers with our audiences. I am also thrilled about our special events, such as the Late Night Movies on Friday, the Dinner and a Movie on Saturday, and the family-friendly VR lounge throughout the weekend, offering participants unique ways to experience the films presented at the festival."
Highlighted films at this year's festival include the following: — "Café Y Aves" directed by Roshan Patel, California premiere. Coffee farms in Colombia exist in some of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. However, agriculture is putting pressure on biodiversity, causing catastrophic declines in migratory bird species. Farmers are working alongside Smithsonian scientists to develop solutions that will be better for birds and coffee. — "Farming While Black" directed by Mark Decena. In 1910, Black farmers owned 14% of all American farmland. Over the intervening decades, that number fell below 2%, as the result of racism, discrimination, and dispossession. The film chronicles Black farmers' efforts to reclaim their agricultural heritage. Collectively, their work significantly impacts sustainable agriculture and food justice movements. — "Near The River" directed by Darby McAdams. In the tourism town of Livingstone, Zambia, a group of local men who make their living portering kayaks aspire to become safety kayakers on the Zambezi River. The proposed Batoka Gorge Hydroelectric Scheme threatens to flood the famous Zambezi rapids and eliminate river-related jobs. — "NUKED" directed by Andrew Nisker, international premiere. A timely documentary focusing on the human victims of the Cold War Era nuclear arms race, tracing the displaced Bikinian's ongoing struggle for justice and survival even as climate change poses a new existential threat. — "PATROL" directed by Brad Allgood and Camilo de Castro. Illegal cattle ranchers and miners are decimating the Indio-Maiz Biological Reserve, one of the last remaining rainforests in Central America. Commodities produced on illegally converted lands are finding their way to unsuspecting consumers in the United States and other major markets. The indigenous and Afro-descendent peoples are addressing the threat head-on, fighting back to protect their territory and way of life. — "Ripples of Plastic" directed by Chris Langer, West-Coast premiere. An eye-opening journey through the unseen impacts of plastic pollution in the Great Lakes region. Beyond individual action, the film inspires a collective movement for transformative progress toward a plastic-free future. — "Usugilix Awakun" directed by Matt Mikkelsen and Palmer Morse, world premiere. A passionate Unangax̂ scientist delves into the vital research concerning toxic shellfish, a staple Indigenous food for the Unangan people, and her unwavering dedication to preserving her ancestral traditions, culture, and community health.
The full lineup of films and the schedule of programming can be found at WSFF.eventive.org. To learn more about the festival, visit wildandscenicfilmfestival.org.
