NEVADA CITY, Calif. — For more than two decades, the Wild & Scenic Film Festival (WSFF) has combined film, art, and activism to inspire environmental stewardship — work that now benefits not only its hometown of Nevada City and Grass Valley but also the Truckee-Tahoe region and communities across the country.

As one of the largest environmental film festivals in the nation, WSFF draws more than 8,000 attendees annually — including filmmakers, activists, outdoor athletes, students, and artists — to the Sierra Nevada foothills. This year, WSFF returns for its 24th Flagship Festival from February 19–23, 2026, in Nevada City and Grass Valley.

The festival offers far more than film screenings, with excursions, panels, workshops, and hands-on activities that range from snail hunting after a documentary about Galápagos snails to bird watching after the film… about, you guessed it, birds.

“Even if you aren’t the hugest film fest fan, we offer something for everyone,” said Eric Dunn, Wild & Scenic Film Festival director. “And it’s a great way to support an organization protecting the watershed that’s in many of our backyards.”

The festival is produced by the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL), a grassroots organization based in Nevada City that has spent more than four decades restoring the Yuba River watershed and supporting stewardship from “the Sierra to the sea”. As SYRCL’s largest annual fundraiser, WSFF helps support key restoration and conservation efforts across the country, including the Van Norden Meadow restoration project in Truckee.

WSFF also has a substantial local economic impact, generating more than $900,000 annually for Nevada County. These funds help create jobs, drive tourism, and support arts and environmental initiatives in the rural community.

Following the February festival, Wild & Scenic goes on tour, bringing its films and messages to more than 100 events nationwide. Partner organizations use the festival to inspire environmental activism in their own communities. In the Tahoe region, Mountain Area Preservation and Sierra Nevada Alliance have partnered with WSFF for more than 20 years, hosting smaller film events as community fundraisers. On average, each partner organization generates an estimated $1.5 million in economic impact over the course of the tour.

“We’re really honored to serve as a tool to bring communities together and remind people why it’s so important to get involved and support your local nonprofit organization,” Dunn said.