Announcing 2020 NTFF Film Selections

The NatureTrack Film Festival is proud to announce the films which will be judged and screened during the March 20-22, 2020 film festival!

Check back on January 1 to learn more about each film!

10 Miles Out
Directed by Preston Maag 83° Ski the North
Directed by Matthias Meyr Amrita
Directed by Swati Agarwal BALLY Peak Outlook Everest Cleanup Expedition
Directed by Samir Jung Thapa Bayandalai – Lord of the Tioga
Directed by Aner Etxebarria Moral & Pablo Vidal Santos The Beauty
Directed by Pascal Schelbli The Beaver Believers
Directed by Sarah Koenigsberg The Bee Rescuer
Directed by Bidit Roy Better Together
Directed by Isaac Hernandez Bicycle Hero
Directed by Gopal Shivakoti Birth of a Pride
Directed by Wildlife Films The Butterfly Trees
Directed by Kay Milam By Hand
Directed by Kellen Keene Carrizo Plain – A Sense of Place
Directed by Jeff McLoughlin Colors of Longyearbyen
Directed by Feline Geerhardt Conservation Challenge: Saving Papua’s Leather Back Turtles
Directed by John K. Dutton The Earthing Movie: The Remarkable Science of Grounding
Directed by Josh Tickell & Rebecca Tickell Escape
Directed by Yeliz Motro Everyday Cyclists: Challenging Prejudice
Directed by Bidit Roy Ferret Town
Directed by Virginia Moore The Final Breach
Directed by Jess Webster Free to Dive
Directed by Julien Granier George & The Whales
Directed by Nessim Stevenson Glimpses of Ice
Directed by Christian Uhlig Guidance
Directed by John M. Mastriano The Hart
Directed by Henry Lin Home
Directed by Inuk Jørgensen The Human
Directed by Harko Wubs ICEolation
Directed by Sophie Ballagh & Ewan Blyth Inside the Fence
Directed by Daniel Clarke & Amy Pysden The Kodiak Queen
Directed by Rob Sorrenti Kokoly
Directed by Blue Ventures Lammergeier, the Wind’s Beards
Directed by Manu Mateo Literacy for Environmental Justice: Cultivating Youth Leaders in Southeast San Francisco
Directed by Kristin Tieche Lost Kings of Bioko
Directed by Oliver Goetzl The Middle Way
Directed by Dean Leslie One Breath Around the World
Directed by Guillaume Néry One. Long. Day.
Directed by Robert Jahrig Out There – Cypress Provincial Park
Directed by Christopher R. Abbey Poachers and Protectors: The Story of Scarlet Macaws in Honduras
Directed by Christi Lowe Queen without Land
Directed by Asgeir Helgestad Realm of the Robber
Directed by Moritz Katz & Braydon Moloney (Re)Connecting Wild
Directed by Jake Willers Rios Patagonicos
Directed by Marie Leclère & Bruno Fromento River Raisin Legacy Project
Directed by Bradley M. Egan Rooted in Arizona
Directed by Christian Ely Saliega’s Lineage, the Return of the Iberian Lynx
Directed by Javier Ortega Martínez Six Mile Stretch
Directed by Carol Chambers Spinnaker Documentary
Directed by Nadine Licostie Street Surfers
Directed by Arthur Neumeier Taming Wild: Pura Vida
Directed by Elsa Sinclair Things Were Better Before
Directed by Lu Pulici Threats in the Northern Seas
Directed by Jacques Lœuille Traces
Directed by Sébastien Pins Victory Swim
Directed by Matt Yamashita Visions of the Lost Sierra
Directed by Matt Ritenour Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago
Directed by: Lydia B. Smith A Walk Through the Land of a Thousand Hills
Directed by Chema Domenech Waters of March
Directed by Elizabeth Lewis Waters of the U.S.
Directed by Kelly Marshall Wild as a Raspberry
Directed by Zahra Alemohammadi The Wild Heart of Spain
Directed by Nacho Ruiz Rizaldos Wild Hope
Directed by Dave Devine & Suez Jacobson Wild Toddler Chronicles: Legacy
Directed by Brian Lewis Yikásdáhí – Awaits the Dawn
Directed by Gabriela Clar Young Hunters
Directed by Iris Grob Screen Shot 2019-12-02 at 5.14.50 PM

Creek Week Featuring Showing of 3 NTFF Films!

Movie Night Under the Stars
Saturday, September 28
6:00-8:30pm

Watershed Resource Center at Arroyo Burro County Beach Park, 2981 Cliff Dr

Films start at sundown. Approx. 8:00pm.

The NatureTrack Film Festival (NTFF) is proud to partner with ExploreEcology during Creek Week. Bring a picnic, blankets, and chairs for an evening of water-related films at the Arroyo Burro County Beach park!

The triple feature lineup features 3 films shown during the 2018 or 2019 NTFF events. These excellent films: FishPeople, We Live Underwater, and Our Last Trash, bring extraordinary attention to the importance of our most precious commodity – water.

Contact Liz Smith LSmith@SantaBarbaraCA.gov or (805) 897-2606 for details.

Fishpeople
USA, 2017, 52 mins.
Directed by Keith Malloy Photo 4 03_the_jetlagged_sinking_the_biorock We Live Underwater
Germany, 2015, 7 mins.
Directed by Hendrik S. Schmitt Our Last Trash Our Last Trash
United States, 2018, 20 mins.
Directed by Joanne Yue

SAVE THE DATE FOR 3rd ANNUAL NTFF
March 20-22, 2020

NatureWillBlowYourMind

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.

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.”

What are our Partners up to?

Welcome to our new Partner!

We are excited to welcome Badger as our latest Partner! They have a wonderful mission to “…create fabulously pure and effective products of the highest natural quality, based on simplicity and thoughtful preparation, with the intention to protect, soothe, and heal.” They also believe in running their business so that it is “…fun, fair, and profitable; where money is fuel, not a goal; and where our vision for a healthier world finds expression through the way we work and through the way we treat each other and the people we serve.”

Passholders will receive one of their classic lip balms in the Passholder Swag Bag, along with many other special goodies from other Partners!

Looking for a fun outing in Goleta?
Check out M. Special Brewing Companies 4th Anniversary Event!

 

 

 

BBC Earth Offers Filming Techniques

Crew filming "Loved by All: The Story of Apa Sherpa," directed by Eric Crosland. Crew filming “Loved by All: The Story of Apa Sherpa,” directed by Eric Crosland.

Who doesn’t want to record incredible footage!

Those who attend the NatureTrack Film Festival often marvel at footage that seems almost impossible to record on film. We have been fortunate to have many filmmakers attend over the last two years to talk about their films being screened, answer questions, and explain the techniques and thought process that went into their creative decisions. Many of them are self-taught, many have attended film school, or have been mentored by other professionals in the field. We always enjoy hearing their perspective and eagerly look forward to meeting the new filmmakers and welcoming back our NTFF seasoned filmmakers.

For amateurs, filming a story can be a bit daunting. Most of us just try to muddle through and hope it turns out ok. Wistfully though, we all desire to learn just enough to improve on the casual films captured on trips or during special occasions.

Luckily, in a quick search online, a myriad of self-help lessons are there for the browsing to the casually curious. One site, BBC Earth, offers almost a dozen little insights into their process that are very interesting to read.

BBC Earth produces some of the most amazing nature films recorded in recent history. Their mission, “Think beyond your everyday world, and experience the Universe as it really is,” allows them to cover “anything from big questions about our Universe to the road to humanity and how we got here; from understanding how life itself evolved to the catastrophes that shaped our planet, and the weird and wonderful behaviours of the species that call Earth home.”

Within BBC Earth’s website, there is a tab dedicated to information about different filming techniques. From capturing “sounds of nature” to  “filming with remotely operated cameras” to “working with animals for wildlife films”, BBC Nature offers 9 different little explanations into how they captured incredible footage, which might help you in your nature filmmaking!

#BBCEarth

Bee’s Wrap is returning as a Partner with the NatureTrack Film Festival

Our Partners are the best!

Please join us in thanking BeesWrap for its continued support!

According to their website, “Bee’s Wrap was founded in 2012 by Vermonter Sarah Kaeck, a mother of three who has been, by turns, an avid gardener, milker of goats, keeper of chickens, and seamstress. Bee’s Wrap started with a question facing many families and home cooks: How could we eliminate plastics in our kitchen in favor of a healthier, more sustainable way to store our food?

What she discovered is a lost tradition made new again. By infusing organic cotton with beeswax, organic jojoba oil, and tree resin, she created a washable, reusable, and compostable alternative to plastic wrap.”

Director Holly Cline has used Bee’s Wrap for years and loves their product! As a more sustainable alternative to plastic and foil, she has found Bee’s Wrap to seal well around bowls and objects, and is super easy to clean.

NTFF is so excited that Bee’s Wrap will be donating samples of their product again for our pass holder swag bags. #beeswrap

@beeswrap on Twitter, Facebook, & 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.

“Our Last Trash” is a semi-finalist in the Student Academy Awards.

Congratulations to Joanne Yue!

Shown during the 2019 NatureTrack Film Festival, Joanne Yue director and producer of “Our Last Trash” was notified through FilmFreeway that her film had advanced to the semi-final round of the 46th Annual Student Academy Awards. One of 81 films to advance this year, out of 1615 received, “Our Last Trash” is now in the roughly top 5% of all films submitted.

Our Last Trash highlights the implications of plastic pollution in the environment, and how some individuals are combating this issue through a “zero waste” lifestyle.

Joanne was an intern for the NatureTrack Film Festival in 2018 while she was a student at UCSB. Her film “Our Last Trash” debuted at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival before the showing in March at NTFF.

Since then, we have watched Joanne’s movie be awarded the “Best Short Film” this year from the Colorado Environmental Film Festival and selected for the “Wild and Scenic Tour” which took “Our Last Trash” and Joanne around the United States.

We are so happy for Joanne and wish her the best outcome in the Student Academy Awards. If you would like to follow Joanne’s journey you can connect on Facebook.

#OurLastTrash

 

Thank you to returning Partners!

These businesses Rock!

Please join us in thanking iFixit for its continued support of the NatureTrack Film Festival. iFixit is a wiki-based site that teaches people how to fix almost anything. Anyone can create a repair manual for a device, and anyone can also edit the existing set of manuals to improve them. Their site empowers individuals to share their technical knowledge with the rest of the world. iFixit also provides an online store where you can purchase specialty tools, parts, and repair kits for most gadgets. We are excited that iFixit will be donating their professional grade “jimmy” tool for prying open electronics safely for our pass holder swag bags. #ifixit

We are especially proud that the Hampton Inn & Suites in Buellton will be Partnering with us for the 3rd year! The official hotel for our visiting filmmakers, the Hampton Inn & Suites in Buellton offers hotel rooms with hillside views for enjoying the scenic surroundings and an efficient space to get work done at a comfortable work desk with an ergonomic chair. All of their rooms have 50-inch HDTVs for enjoying movies or your favorite shows, and you can catch up with friends and family with their complimentary WiFi. They guarantee a great night’s rest on their clean and fresh Hampton bed®! The hotel is conveniently located just off Hwy 101 and about 15-min from Los Olivos and the NatureTrack Film Festival. #hamptoninnandsuitesbuellton

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.

 

 

What’s cooking for some of NTFF’s past Directors?

It is always exciting to see what Directors, who have presented films at the NatureTrack Film Festival, are up to these days!

Ali Ijaz

Ali Ijaz, Pangolins in Peril – A Story of Rare Scales, has recently been interviewed for an article in Youlin Magazine written by Khadijah Rehman titled “Stories from the Wild: An Interview with Ali Ijaz”

In the interview, Ali talks about his early influences and what set him on the path of documenting wildlife. His passion has led him to explore animals that are misunderstood within his own country of Pakistan, such as the Pangolins, as well as possibly never even heard of outside the borders. Bringing these animals to the forefront of the public’s mind helps in better understanding their place in the environment and the need for conservation efforts to keep the populations healthy into the future.

Ali also talks about his latest venture filming the Magar Crocodile located in the Hingal River of Balochistan in southwestern Pakistan. Worried that this ancient species is headed toward extinction, Ali is excited to be exploring the area in an effort to know these magnificent creatures.

NTFF looks forward to seeing Ali’s latest project once it is completed and wishes him all the best in his journey!

https://vimeo.com/aliijaz

 

Chris Smead

Chris Smead, Rae Lakes and The High Sierra Trail, started off his film career with “Chris is Awesome Productions,” which quickly grew into “Outmersive Films” as he attracted collaborators who were as passionate about his goal to create “High quality outdoor films that explore multiple dimensions. The modern experience, the history, and the human stories and experiences thats come with all life adventures

Recently Chris announced that “Outmersive Films” has joined forces with Greg Aiello. Says Chris, ” ‘Chronicles From The Wild’ is a new outdoor adventure series featuring the crew of Outmersive Films and Greg Aiello, accomplished host of ABC’s “Motion”, and PBS’s “Outside with Greg Aiello”.

Follow Greg and his crew as they venture deep into wild and remote places in search of stories from the past. Their mission is to remind people that these wild places are not just great pictures for social media. They’re museums, containing the history of our planet, and the history of us.” It’s a good thing that Chris has lots of energy, in addition to this new venture, he has been working on finishing up his first feature-length film “Highline”! NTFF looks forward to watching Chris’ career grow and are looking forward to seeing what comes next! https://www.facebook.com/outmersivefilms/ www.outmersivefilms.com

http://www.facebook.com/ChroniclesFromTheWild

http://www.instagram.com/ChroniclesFromTheWild

https://twitter.com/chroniclsfrmwld

https://chroniclesfromthewild.com

 

NTFF Excited by Submissions for 2020!

Mushrooms_web

NTFF2020 is going to be another MUST ATTEND film festival!

Since the beginning of June, the NatureTrack Film Festival has been watching the submissions pour into NTFF’s FilmFreeway page. The team has been very excited to view the entries and astounded by the quality of filmmaking. It is clear to see that nature provides a boundless opportunity to share amazing adventures, conservation efforts, and exotic locales.

Viewing the hundreds of submitted films each year is an intense educational experience on a variety of subjects, and this year it will be even harder to choose the best of the best for the 2020 NatureTrack Film Festival, but our team is up to the task!

Submissions are open until September 30 – and we’re looking toward our wider audience to help share the information far and wide so that we reach all corners of the earth with our “call to action” to Directors who focus on producing nature-based films. We know there are still more amazing stories out there!

Submit Your Film Here!

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.”

NTFF Directors Home from the Summer Outdoor Retail Market

Trip to Outdoor Summer Market artist David Rollyn creating one-of-a-kind product for sale to raise funds for Keep America Beautiful Big Blue Bear looking in to conference center Directors shooting the rapids KC with Jen at Patagonia Provisions KC playing with SOLE's wine cork board 2019 Partner Stasher FinalStraw

Everybody should go to the Outdoor Retail Market!

Sue, KC, and Holly all made it safely back from the Summer Outdoor Retail Market in Denver, Colorado. What an exciting trip! The Directors made new contacts and were able to meet up with some of the Partners who came on board for the 2019 NTFF. Sue, KC, and Holly really appreciated the opportunity to meet with representatives of these companies and express a heartfelt “Thank you!” personally.

#mpowerd #stasherbags #4ocean #FinalStraw

The market covered almost every square inch of the Denver Convention Center, and spilled out onto the sidewalk in front. Thousands of people converged to learn about the latest products and celebrate all things outdoorsy. The energy was upbeat, everyone was friendly and willing to talk and share about their products.

The NatureTrack “cause” resonated with all of the people that the directors spoke with, and they have high hopes of continuing to add to NTFFs sponsor Partner family.

Back in Santa Barbara county, the directors are catching up on all of the films that have been submitted so far for the 2020 NTFF event. So many wonderful films from talented directors! Submissions are open through September 30 through FilmFreeway. 

The trip was a good opportunity to reenergize with synergy among like-minded nature enthusiasts and brainstorm between the directors about improved experiences for the 2020 NTFF. Sue, KC, and Holly are READY TO ROCK the next NatureTrack Film Festival!

Don’t forget to Save the Date: March 20-22, 2020 in Los Olivos, California!