Igniting Passion for Nature through Film

Share your work with the NatureTrack Film Festival…

The NatureTrack Film Festival is accepting submissions for the 2020 festival through the end of September, 2019, BUT after August 31, there will be a late submission fee of $10/film…so NOW is the time to get your film that ignites a passion for nature in through NTFF’s page on FilmFreeway!

Submissions in all categories will be accepted in both feature and short (40-min or less) lengths:

Adventure

Films submitted in this category should emphasize exploration and interaction with nature. A journey of discovery about or through our natural world.

Animation

Films in this category should focus on nature, positive conservation efforts, or the environment as related in the other categories.

Biography

Films submitted in this category should focus on a person who has lived, or is living, a lifestyle that enhances our understanding of nature, conservation, and/or our environment.

Conservation

Films submitted in this category should focus on positive conservation efforts that work toward preserving and/or protecting nature and the environment.

Kids Connecting with Nature

Films submitted in this category should showcase children connecting with nature through learning, exploring, discovering, or through community service in positive environmentalism or conservation.

Outdoors & Out of Bounds

Films submitted in this category should focus on extreme adventure and athletic interaction with nature and the natural environment.

Scenic

Films submitted in this category should focus on the beauty, majesty, or exploration of interesting environments that can be found in nature.

Student

Films submitted in this category must be submitted by a student (with proof of student enrollment at the time the film was created). Student films should be focused on nature, positive conservation efforts, or the environment as related in the other categories.

Complete entry application and rules are available at https://filmfreeway.com/NatureTrackFilmFestival.

Films will be judged by a jury of film industry professionals and nature experts. $1,000 cash prizes will be awarded for overall Best in Festival (feature and short). The “Dan Conaway Award” of $500 will be presented to the best depiction of Kids Connecting with Nature, and there will also be a $500 cash award for both the Audience Favorite winner and the film that best “ignites passion for nature.” All category winners will receive a custom designed award.

The NatureTrack Film Festival (NTFF) closed out a successful second year in March with over 60 films screening from around the world. Once again, the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley wine country hamlet of Los Olivos played host to the NTFF to the raves of filmmakers and filmgoers alike. Organizers are looking forward to an exciting third year by bringing an even more diverse and distinctive selection of outdoor film to the 3^rdannual NatureTrack Film Festival. All entries are thoughtfully curated and selected to “ignite passion for nature through film.”

NatureTrack founder and director Sue Eisaguirre conceived the idea for a nature-focused film festival (the only one between San Francisco and Los Angeles) as an extension of the non-profit she started in 2011 which introduces school children to outdoor spaces from the seashore to the inland oak woodlands. Sue reflected on the 2019 edition of the NTFF saying, “The growth we experienced in our second year was thrilling for us, and a fantastic validation that the Central Coast area is eager to support and sustain an event that brings nature to the big screen in the gorgeous natural setting of the Santa Ynez Valley. We are excited to build on our success and offer even more international films in 2020 focused on “igniting passion for nature through film.”

The NatureTrack Film Festival welcomes sponsor and advertiser inquiries and offers numerous participation levels for businesses and individuals who wish to support the NTFF as a sponsor, partner or advertiser. Please contact Sue Eisaguirre sue@NatureTrackFilmFestival.org for information on sponsor and advertising opportunities. Volunteer inquiries are also welcome!

A festival with one cause…

Kids puzzling the mysteries of nature; that’s NatureTrack’s story and we make it happen over 4000 times a year. We transport students outside, successfully engage their enthusiasm to focus on wild things like bird songs, animal tracks, and bones. We load their brains with nature, relating field science to school standards. They return to their teacher more curious and better grounded to ask the intelligent questions and make better decisions tomorrow about our planet. FREE NatureTrack field trips fill the school budget gap with ingenuity and wonder! We even cover the costs of getting there.

Founded by Sue Eisaguirre, NatureTrack introduces school children to outdoor spaces from the seashore to the inland oak woodlands of Santa Barbara County. Our mission at NatureTrack is to encourage students to embrace our natural world with respect and wonder, inspiring them to be stewards of our natural resources. Since its founding in 2011, NatureTrack has provided nearly 18,000 outdoor experiences for K-12 students in Santa Barbara County.

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 at the NatureTrack Film Festival so more people could enjoy and appreciate what her docents and students practice and experience in their outdoor “classrooms.”

Our Partners are the best!

Please join us in thanking Dos Carlitos Restaurant & Tequila Bar for its continued support!

From the very beginning owner Carlos Lopez-Hollis has been a big supporter of the NatureTrack Film Festival. And WE are all big fans of his family restaurant Dos Carlitos in Santa Ynez.

On his website, Carlos says “Dos Carlitos was conceived from a long-standing desire to bring Santa Ynez Valley the bold Mexican and Latin flavors from my family’s two restaurants, Carlitos Café y Cantina in Santa Barbara (Est. 1979) and Cava Restaurant & Bar in Montecito (Est. 1997).

The Dos Carlitos experience combines many elements: La Parrilla, our open fire grill, imparts a smoky essence to our authentic grilled especiales and delicious salsas; our comal fills the air with the aroma of fresh handmade tortillas; the tequila bar offers an extensive collection of over 60 premium 100% Blue Agave tequilas.

Dos Carlitos is a place for friends and family to enjoy a relaxed outdoor patio or a casual indoor setting with sunflower-colored walls and a cozy fireplace.”

Find them @doscarlitos on twitter and facebook

Together we can make a difference!

The NatureTrack Film Festival is so grateful for the continued support of our Partners in the community. These relationships not only help the film festival be a success, but also support the larger Cause of the NatureTrack Foundation – leading the way in bestowing the benefits of being outdoors on thousands of kids every year. Many studies support the health benefits for all of us when we get outside. A particularly excellent article on this topic was written by Kevin Loria for Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/why-spending-more-time-outside-is-healthy-2017-7

But for some families, access to the outdoors is greatly limited. Sue, Holly and KC attended panel discussions at ORS that addressed the challenges facing the outdoor industry in attracting lower income and more diverse explorers, campers, climbers, hikers, bikers and surfers, etc. This is where the mission of NatureTrack has significant impact in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties as its K-12 student, parent and teacher demographic is 70% Hispanic, 24.6% Caucasian, 4% Asian, 1% African American, <1% Islander, < 1% Indian/Alaskan Native, <1% 2 or more races. Also, 60% of students served are from low to moderate income families who qualify for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program.

Join with us!

The NatureTrack Film Festival has partner opportunities at a variety of levels. If you would like to explore how you can support NatureTrack through the film festival, download our Partner Packet here or contact Sue at 805-886-2047.

NatureTrack Film Festival is so appreciative of the news organizations/magazines that are helping us get the word out about the upcoming March 20-22, 2020 event in Los Olivos!

Maryam Morrison, Editor-in-Cheif for The Eden Magazine, wrote a 2-page spread about the event for their August 2019 edition! Check it out HERE!  Enjoy the whole magazine and don’t forget to look for the piece on NTFF2020 on pages 40-41.

Follow @theedenmagazine on facebook, twitter, google+, and instagram

Caleb Wiseblood, Arts Editor for the Santa Maria Sun, interviewed the directors and wrote a terrific piece for their August, Vol 20 – Issue 23 edition. Check it out HERE!

Follow @SantaMariaSun on facebook, twitter, and instagram.

Together we can make a difference!

The NatureTrack Film Festival is so grateful for the continued support of our Partners in the community. These relationships not only help the film festival be a success, but also support the larger Cause of the NatureTrack Foundation – leading the way in bestowing the benefits of being outdoors on thousands of kids every year. Many studies support the health benefits for all of us when we get outside. A particularly excellent article on this topic was written by Kevin Loria for Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/why-spending-more-time-outside-is-healthy-2017-7

But for some families, access to the outdoors is greatly limited. Sue, Holly and KC attended panel discussions at ORS that addressed the challenges facing the outdoor industry in attracting lower income and more diverse explorers, campers, climbers, hikers, bikers and surfers, etc. This is where the mission of NatureTrack has significant impact in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties as its K-12 student, parent and teacher demographic is 70% Hispanic, 24.6% Caucasian, 4% Asian, 1% African American, <1% Islander, < 1% Indian/Alaskan Native, <1% 2 or more races. Also, 60% of students served are from low to moderate income families who qualify for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program.

Join with us!

The NatureTrack Film Festival has partner opportunities at a variety of levels. If you would like to explore how you can support NatureTrack through the film festival, download our Partner Packet here or contact Sue at 805-886-2047.