Editor

Turning five is the first milestone for NatureTrack Film Festival (NTFF) which will be kicking-off its’ wildly popular nature-centric film fest with a celebration at the five-star Ritz-Carlton Bacara Resortin style.  From 6:30pm to 10pm on Friday, October 6, the evening will be bookended with merrymaking before and after the screening of an astonishing new documentary called Wild Waters about a female kayaker who is making a name for herself - Nouria Newman.  An after-party with lively conversation, live music, and light appetizers featuring Tito’s Handcrafted Vodka, M Special beer and wines from local wineries will make for a stellar evening in Goleta. The festival continues Oct. 7 & 8 with screenings, panels, Q&A’s, a few parties and on Sunday evening an awards presentation.  

“We're thrilled to welcome the film Wild Waters to Santa Barbara for its California premiere! Noria’s captivating story instantly grabbed our attention, offering the perfect blend of thrills, awe-inspiring beauty, and a whole lot of heart,” said Festival Director Mitchka Saberi.  She continued,  “It sets the stage perfectly for an incredible weekend of nature and outdoor films, and we’re so excited to have the chance to share this amazing adventure with our audience on Opening Night.”

Francisco Lopez, Festival Director, added, “Having dipped my toe in kayaking on a trip from UCSB to Platform Holly and back, watching Nouria’s expeditions reminded me of that feeling of adventure and made me want to get out there to experience it again.”

In honor of the fifth year, NatureTrack wants to make you an offer you can’t refuse. Buy an all-access VIP festival pass now, during the early bird deal for $150 on through the beginning of August. Once the films are chosen and announced in August, the VIP Festival Pass will go up to $200. Let us tempt you with The Bacara opening night party which is included in the full festival pass but can be purchased as a single ticket for $75. Visit naturetrackfilmfestival.org/tickets to purchase. Plus, the NTFF Best of the Fest unspools where it all began the following weekend in Los Olivos, Saturday, October 14 at the Grange.  This one-day immersion is included in the VIP Festival Pass.  How can you refuse? 

Screening everything from nature documentaries to outdoor adventure films to narrative and animation films,  NTFF will have a veritable buffet of choices on the big screen for the first time at the Metropolitan Fairview Theatre.  From birders to mountain climbers, from the depths of the ocean to jungle adventures in the canopy, this is a film festival for nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts. All this packed into the weekend of October 6-7-8 – filled with panels, parties, popular topics and great people of all ages.  

Our first-year sponsor partner, Bacara will help set the celebratory tone for the 5th festival.  General Manager for the property, Steve Janicek said with a smile, "All of us here at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara are honored to host the opening party for the film festival.  As a coastal property with longstanding ties to the local community, we recognize the value and importance of the natural world and the environment around us.  We look forward to sharing our property with the festival attendees for an exciting evening of film and inspiration.”  Gareth Kelly, Development Director for NatureTrack Film Festival added, “Just above one of my favorite local beaches, Haskells, the Bacara resort is the perfect place to kick off the 5th-anniversary of NatureTrack Film Festival. We can't wait to wow attendees with everything we have planned.”  

Finding those organizations with a similar mind-set is one of the keys to creating strong  collaborations in our community for NatureTrack and the film festival too. Sponsors like The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County have supported the festival since its inception 2018 in Los Olivos.   As the driving force behind the mission of NatureTrack, founder Sue Eisaguirre believes when you introduce someone to nature, you create stewards of the land for generations to come. This is also a belief of the Land Trust. Many of the trails the founding organization NatureTrack uses for field trips are on properties the Land Trust is a conservator for or owns and watches over like the Arroyo Hondo Preserve. “We’re grateful to NatureTrack for their partnership in nurturing the next generation of conservationists in Santa Barbara County and we’re pleased again this year to be part of the Film Festival. The Land Trust shares their commitment to providing access to nature for communities throughout Santa Barbara County.  In particular, we look forward to a long-term, productive partnership around increasing accessible open space in North County.”  Meredith Hendricks, Executive Director, Land Trust for Santa Barbara County.

Welcoming back to NTFF: The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County,  M Special Brewery, CEC, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, El Rancho Market,  Mechanics Bank, Visit Santa Barbara, Global Gardens, Montecito Bank & Trust,  Hutton Parker Foundation, REI, McFadden & McFadden PR,  Noozhawk and the Santa Barbara Independent. 

New sponsors for NTFF include the City of Goleta, Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara,   UCLA Health, Santa Cruz Markets, Jersey Mike’s, The Leta Santa Barbara Goleta, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce for the Lemon Festival where NTFF will have a booth, Jump on the School Bus,  Fly SBA, A and J Limousine, and Rad Power Bikes, Golden Cage Films, Bowline Media, along with Montecito Journal and Cox Communications.  

“We invite you to expand your company’s commitment to supporting a sustainable world while also supporting the arts, culture and your local community. Become a partner today,” said Kelly.  He continued, “Our mission of Igniting Passion for Nature through Film resonates with all of these fine sponsors – Please be sure to support them in return.”   All these wonderful organizations and businesses are showing their commitment to educating our local  students to the natural world through NatureTrack and to the artistic challenges filmmakers face when making their documentaries.  

Look for NatureTrack at the Goleta Lemon Festival which happens the weekend before our event.  It’s the 30th year for the Lemon Festival so pucker up!  You’ll find us among the vendors at Girsh Park come say hello plus, you can buy your tickets or festival passes while you’re there. 

This will be the first year the films will be screened in an actual movie house – the Fairview Theatre in Goleta.  Thanks to Metropolitan Movie Theatres for making this possible. 

If you love nature and all it adds to your life, you need to save these dates October 6-7-8 and October 14.  NTFF is the only nature-centric film fest between L.A. and San Francisco.  Make your plans now to spend a weekend in Goleta to enjoy these talented  filmmakers’ viewpoint on Mother Nature. Hotel deals at Bacara and The Leta too by mentioning NTFF. 

411: 

WHO: NatureTrack Film Festival

WHAT: 5th Anniversary of NTFF    

WHEN: October 6-8 and October 14, 2023    

WHERE: Fairview Theatre, 225 N. Fairview Ave., Goleta, 93117 (Oct 6-8)

Los Olivos Community Organization Hall  (formerly Grange Hall), 

2374 Alamo Pintado Ave., Los Olivos 93441 (Oct. 14)

TICKETS:  https://naturetrackfilmfestival.org/tickets/

MORE INFO: e-mail info@naturetrackfilmfestival.org or call 805.844.5406

WATCH the trailer to the opening night film Wild Waters HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0TmNTQL4uw

Learn more about how you can become a sponsor here:  https://naturetrackfilmfestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/NTFF-Sponsorship-Kit-2023.pdf

Follow us for updates on Instagram or Facebook (@naturetrackfilm). 

Igniting Passion for Nature Through Film

NatureTrack Film Festival was founded in 2018 by Sue Eisaguirre, who conceived the idea as an extension of, and fundraiser for, the non-profit NatureTrack Foundation, which she started in 2011. NatureTrack introduces schoolchildren and wheelchair users of all ages to outdoor spaces from the seashore to the inland oak woodlands of Santa Barbara County by providing cost-free outdoor field trips. Since it began, NatureTrack has provided more than 35,000 outdoor experiences for school-aged students. More information on NatureTrack Foundation can be found at www.naturetrack.org. 

Questions? NatureTrack call (805)886-2047 or email Sue@naturetrack.org

https://NatureTrackFilmFestival.org

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