The South Yuba River Citizen League (SYRCL) unveiled the full lineup for its 2026 Wild & Scenic Film Festival. Taking place February 19-23, 2026, in Grass Valley and Nevada City, CA, the 24th annual film festival will feature over 110 environmental and adventure films including:<\/p>\n
- \n
- 10 world premieres<\/li>\n
- 3 U.S. premieres<\/li>\n
- 2 North American<\/li>\n
- 9 West Coast premieres<\/li>\n
- 5 California premieres<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Tickets and passes to the festival are now on sale at WSFF.eventive.org<\/a> — just in time for people to give the gift of inspiration this holiday season.<\/p>\n
For over two decades, SYRCL\u2019s Wild & Scenic Film Festival has welcomed audiences to the picturesque Sierra foothills of Nevada County, CA for this annual event. The 2026 edition will feature a program including 17 features and 117 short films, while bringing together top filmmakers, activists, and social innovators to inspire environmental awareness and action.<\/p>\n
The festival will also feature an array of non-film programming, including activist workshops, art exhibitions, youth programs, outdoor excursions, the community EnviroFair, Q&A sessions, and countless opportunities to interact with filmmakers and special guests. A special festival event returning this year will be a Dinner & a Movie program on both Saturday and Sunday evenings at the Holbrooke Hotel in Grass Valley. Enjoy an intimate three-course meal paired with a specially curated selection of films. Stay tuned for the full announcement of non-film programming to be released in January.<\/p>\n
Each year, SYRCL\u2019s Wild & Scenic Film Festival chooses a particular theme to guide its programming. This year\u2019s festival theme, \u201cMobilize,\u201d is a call to action and a celebration of movement and progress towards tangible change. Films that mobilize elevate voices, organize efforts, and address challenges with urgency and persistence. From grassroots resistance to international coalitions, from Indigenous land stewards to youth climate strikers, our films honor those who are mobilizing to create change. The official 2026 artwork \u2013 created by artist Jeremy Collins \u2013 celebrates these ideas, and audiences can expect to see it reflected throughout this year\u2019s programming.<\/p>\n
Summing up what audiences can expect during the event, Wild & Scenic Film Festival Director Eric Dunn says, \u201cSYRCL and Wild & Scenic are honored to bring audiences engaging and impactful stories of people and places around the world. We\u2019re proud to provide a space to gather and share stories and wisdom and be able to look around and know we are not alone on the pathway to environmental justice and wellbeing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some of the films highlighting this year\u2019s festival theme include:<\/p>\n
“Best Day Ever” follows the stories of adaptive mountain bikers Greg Durso and Allie Bianchi as they navigate the relentless challenges of their disabilities and embrace the tremendous support, friendship and joy they find in their rural Vermont riding community. Allie and Greg navigate disability and regain independence with humor, attitude, and grit on mountain bike trails that dismantle ableism, build community, and become a blueprint for trails anywhere.<\/p>\n
“The Book of George” \u2014 From Brooklyn’s concrete jungle to the heart of the Everglades, meet George McKenzie Jr., a Black photographer transforming his lens into a beacon of change. Swapping the weight of a gun for the promise of a camera, George found his calling amid nature’s raw grandeur, capturing everything from city pigeons and rats to elusive panthers. His unique perspective earned him the title of National Geographic Explorer, but his mission runs deeper than recognition. George, a rare gem in the predominantly white canvas of wildlife photography, is empowering kids of color to shift their gaze to conservation. He’s proof that the color of your skin shouldn’t define the wild dreams you pursue, nor the impact you aspire to make.<\/p>\n
“Out of Plain Sight” \u2014 From the Los Angeles Times and Pulitzer Prize-finalist Rosanna Xia, “Out of Plain Sight” is a cinematic expos\u00e9 of an environmental disaster lurking just off the coast of Southern California. Not far from Catalina Island, aboard one of the most-advanced research ships in the world, David Valentine discovered a corroded barrel on the seafloor that gave him chills. The full environmental horror sharpens into greater clarity once he calls Xia, who pieces together a shocking revelation: In the years after World War II, as many as half a million barrels of toxic waste had been quietly dumped into the ocean \u2013 and the consequences continue to haunt the world today.<\/p>\n
“Heart of a Lion” follows cougar biologist Mark Elbroch into the parallel worlds of two mountain lion mothers: F61, who revealed their hidden social lives, and Yoko, struggling to raise her young on the edge of human encroachment. From the rugged wilderness of Wyoming\u2019s Tetons to the misty forests of Washington\u2019s Olympic Peninsula, this intimate and immersive journey reveals one of North America\u2019s most misunderstood predators\u2014asking us to see them with admiration instead of fear.<\/p>\n
“Catching Pinecones” is the story of Jan and Herb Conn, pioneering rock climbers and cave explorers who lived life to the fullest on their own terms. Rejecting a conventional lifestyle in pursuit of adventure and fun, the Conns\u2019 story reveals a legacy of renowned discoveries and their philosophies for a simple, well-lived life.<\/p>\n
“Mountain Roots” \u2014 A 9-year-old climber travels from Wyoming to the Italian Alps with her grandfather to scale a mountain together, embarking on a journey to reconnect their family after more than a century of separation.<\/p>\n
To learn more about the festival, please visit wildandscenicfilmfestival.org<\/a><\/p>\n
To explore the full film lineup and purchase passes visit WSFF.eventive.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n
ABOUT THE 2026 WILD & SCENIC FILM FESTIVAL<\/strong><\/p>\n
One of the nation\u2019s largest environmental and adventure film festivals, SYRCL\u2019s 24th 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 2026 Wild & Scenic Film Festival is hosted and produced by South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) and takes place Feb. 19-23 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.<\/p>\n
Official Artwork, Photos, Film Stills etc.: https:\/\/wildandscenicfilmfestival.org\/wsffpress2026\/<\/a><\/p>\n
For more information, visit https:\/\/www.WildandScenicFilmFestival.org<\/a><\/p>\n
ABOUT SYRCL<\/strong><\/p>\n
The South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL, pronounced \u201ccircle\u201d) is the leading voice for the protection and restoration of the Yuba River watershed. Founded in 1983 through a rural, grassroots campaign to defend the South Yuba River from proposed hydropower dams, SYRCL has developed into a vibrant community organization with over 3,500 members and volunteers based in Nevada City, CA. See: www.yubariver.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n
\u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.theunion.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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