Every January for the past 18 years, the streets of Western Nevada County have been filled with activists, environmentalists, authors, artists, audiences and filmmakers alike, all celebrating at SYRCL’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival. At Wild & Scenic, we believe in the power of the communal festival and theatrical experience. However, due to the impacts of COVID-19 on large public gatherings, we must now rethink what the festival experience looks like.
With the forecast of uncertainty around how COVID will continue to impact these larger public gatherings, we have made the decision to move the 19th annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival to a completely virtual platform. The health and wellbeing of our attendees and community is our priority and we feel this will be the best way to ensure everyone’s safety. Wild & Scenic depends on the support of so many in our community from volunteers, speakers, and attendees to local businesses like hotels and restaurants. We look forward to continuing to make this an event that serves and uplifts our community.
Wild & Scenic remains committed to the mission of inspiring activism through film and is excited for the opportunities this new virtual festival platform will afford us in reaching audiences that would otherwise be unable to attend the festival. Not only will the amazing lineup of films Wild & Scenic is known for be presented, but there are plans to incorporate the festival’s tradition of workshops, talks and chats, networking and more, into this new digital space.
More than ever we look to the power of film for its ability to inspire and transform, to heal and unite us, to highlight our resilience, and to give us hope. We invite you to accompany us through this uncharted territory. Please be sure to signup for our newsletter to be the first to hear more about this exciting new festival experience. While the future remains uncertain, the strength we find in community and creativity is powerful and enduring. As our theme for 2021 posits, we are indeed “Resilient by Nature,” and look to our planet for inspiration as we adapt and innovate the ways in which we work together. We are grateful for your continued support and eagerly anticipate what the future will bring.
-The Wild & Scenic Film Festival Team
