Nature Track Film Festival Oct 6-8

NatureTrack Film Festival (NTFF) is a three-day celebration of nature and outdoor adventure through film. Started in Los Olivos in 2018, the festival has showcased hundreds of national and international filmmakers’ works to the thrill and delight of thousands of attendees.

The three-day festival is October 6-8 celebrating nature and outdoor adventure is taking place mainly at the Metropolitan Fairview Theatre (225 N. Fairview Avenue) with the exception of some special events. Opening night festivities and movie screening on Friday, October 6 at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara is SOLD OUT. Tickets are still available for all the films and for special events at the Leta Hotel (5650 Calle Real). To check out the lineup and purchase tickets, go to naturetrackfilmfestival.org/tickets.

This year NTFF is celebrating its 5th anniversary and will be held in the Santa Barbara area for the first time, bringing the festival to a wide and inclusive community full of nature enthusiasts and film lovers, as well as a region famous for its world class hospitality.

Festival includes ‘long and short form submissions in the categories of Adventure, Animation, Biography, Conservation, Kids Connecting With Nature, Scenic, Student, and a special genre called Outdoors & Out of Bounds. Juried awards will be determined by a panel of film industry professionals, outdoor guides and teachers. Awards will be given out for Best in Category, Best Depiction of Children Connecting to Nature – the “Dan Conaway Award,” Best in Festival Overall, and an “Igniting Passion for Film Award.” There will also be an Audience Favorite award.

The concept of a Santa Barbara County based film festival dedicated to the outdoors and situated in the stunning natural setting of the Santa Ynez Valley, originated with NTFF founder and director Sue Eisaguirre who conceived the idea for a local nature film festival as an extension of the non-profit NatureTrack Foundation that she started in 2011. NatureTrack introduces school children to outdoor spaces from the seashore to the inland oak woodlands of Santa Barbara County by providing cost-free outdoor field trips. Utilizing local trails and beaches throughout the county, NatureTrack instills students with leadership skills, attitudes and habits for lifelong learning, inspiring them to be respectful stewards of the natural world. Since 2011, over 18,000 students have had the opportunity to experience a NatureTrack field trip. Demand for the curriculum coordinated program has increased every year with teachers praising the docent-led excursions that align with classroom instruction. Sue was inspired to bring her outdoor vision indoors and onscreen for more people to enjoy and appreciate what her docents and students practice and experience in their outdoor “classrooms.”

Learn more about the NatureTrack Film Festival at: https://naturetrackfilmfestival.org/