Best of the Fest
NatureTrack Film Festival Presents:
“Best of the Fest” Screening in Los Olivos
Award-winning films return to the big screen
Friday, December 5 at the Santa Ynez Valley Grange
Event Details
Doors open: 6:00 p.m.
Film program begins: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Santa Ynez Valley Grange Hall, 2374 Alamo Pintado Avenue, Los Olivos
Tickets:
$25 adults
$15 students (with valid ID)
$10 children (10 and under)
2025 NTFF Passholders: Complimentary Admission
A brief Q&A with filmmakers and special guests will follow the screenings. Light refreshments will be served. Seating is limited; advance purchase is encouraged.
The NatureTrack Film Festival (NTFF) will once again bring some of its most celebrated films back to the big screen at its annual “Best of the Fest” showcase on Friday, December 5, 2025, at the Santa Ynez Valley Grange Hall. The event features jury-recognized films from around the world that illuminate the beauty, complexity, and urgency of protecting our planet.
This special evening offers audiences a chance to revisit standout films from the 2025 festival, meet filmmakers, and engage in meaningful conversations about conservation, creativity, and community.
Saving Our Ancestors – Reflections by Dr. Biruté Galdikas
Winner, Dan Conaway Award for Connecting to Nature | Special Mention, Best Short Film
Produced by Charles Annenberg Weingarten, this intimate film captures rare insights from renowned primatologist Dr. Biruté Galdikas on orangutan conservation and the fragile rainforest ecosystems they call home. Charlie Annenberg Weingarten, Keegan Wilcox, and Adam Biddle will join the audience for a post-screening Q&A.
Winner, Best Short Film
Director Chad Weber reveals how wildfire wood waste is being transformed into a regenerative resource for prairie soils, demonstrating the remarkable power of fungi to restore damaged landscapes.
Nilgiris – A Shared Wilderness
Winner, Best Short Film
From National Geographic filmmaker Sandesh Kadur, this visually stunning documentary transports viewers to India’s Nilgiri Mountains, a biodiversity hotspot where wildlife and local communities coexist in delicate balance.
Winner, Best Student Film
Directed by Meghna Nandy, this compelling short explores human–crocodile coexistence in India’s Charotar region, a rare conservation success story shaped by community commitment and coexistence.
“‘Best of the Fest’ is a homecoming,” said Sue Eisaguirre, Executive Director of NatureTrack Foundation. “These films were chosen because they move us, they connect us to nature, to each other, and to the stories that shape our understanding of stewardship. Bringing them back to Los Olivos, where the festival began, makes the experience even more meaningful.”
About the NatureTrack Film Festival
Founded by the nonprofit NatureTrack Foundation, the NatureTrack Film Festival celebrates films that inspire a connection to nature for people of all ages and abilities. Through programs such as free outdoor field trips for students and Freedom Trax wheelchair adventures that open beaches and trails to those with mobility challenges, NatureTrack ensures that everyone has access to the wonder and healing power of the natural world.