A YEAR FOR THE RECORD BOOKS

2023 Festival Recap

Through breathtaking cinematography and world-class hospitality, NatureTrack Film Festival has provided an escape full of unforgettable experiences in natures most riveting sights and sounds from award-winning filmmakers across the globe and all within a welcoming an inclusive community of nature enthusiasts.

Look through our 2023 Festival program to get a preview of the NatureTrack Film Festival experience! You'll find more details about the films we've featured, our team, special VIP opportunities, and more.

A picture is worth a thousand words, and glancing through our photos from the 2023 Festival will give you a taste of what it's like to join us at this remarkable cinematic experience.

Past NTFF films have won prestigious awards across the film festival circuit, and often their journey started with us as NTFF award winners! Find all the award-winning films from our 6-year history on our Awards page.

You can find all of the featured NTFF stories that have been distributed locally and internationally right here. This is a great way to learn about how the NatureTrack film Festival has evolved since 2018!

Closing Night

The festival will close with the World Premiere of "Tagliamento—The King of Alpine Rivers," followed by a Q&A with director Giuseppe Bucciarelli, the 2023 NTFF Audience Award winner. The 2024 Awards ceremony will follow, followed by a final party for pass holders.

Schedule

Sunday, October 13

8:30 AM - Festival hub at Camino Real Marketplace opens


9:00 AM -
Screen 1 Programming Begins and runs throughout the day


9:10 AM - Screen 2 Programming Begins and runs throughout the day


10:00 AM - Filmmaker Panel in the Festival Hub


7:00 PM - World Premiere of Tagliamento, King of the Alpine Rivers with director John Dutton in attendance. 


8:15 PM - 10:30 PM - Official Closing Night Party & Awards

Opening Night

The festival kicks off with the Central Coast Theatrical Premiere of "Jane Goodall's Reasons for Hope." 

Opening Night will also include World Premieres of two short films: “Open Space” by local filmmaker Cody Westheimer and “Otter Space,” directed by Michael Love.

To close the first official event of the 2024 NatureTrack Film Festival, VIP attendees and opening night ticketholders will enjoy a celebratory reception in the official Festival Hub, where they can connect with attending filmmakers and fellow nature advocates and meet the NatureTrack team ahead of the whirlwind weekend schedule.

Schedule

Friday, October 11

10:00 AM - Festival hub at Camino Real Marketplace opens!


6:00 PM - Official Opening night Filmmaker & VIP Pass holders happy hour in the Festival VIP Lounge


7:00 PM - Central Coast Premiere of Jane Goodall - Reasons for Hope and World Premieres of Open Space and Otter Space. 


8:30 PM - 10:30 PM - Official Opening night party in Festival hub featuring music, light bites, and an Open Bar serving Titos Cocktails, M Special Beer and wine.

Check Out the Program

Saturday Night

On Saturday, the festival will host the World Premiere of "Animal Pride," in partnership with Innsbruck Nature Film Festival, a remarkable new PBS film exploring queer animal behavior and its history through the eyes of naturalist Connel Bradwell. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in a Q&A session with director Rio Mitchell and Bradwell himself to learn about this new piece of storytelling showcasing an underrepresented aspect of the natural world. 

Additional film features for this evening include the World Premiere of UCSB’s Coastal Media Project short film, "Ploverize," and the Southern California Premiere of "399: Queen of the Tetons." Saturday will conclude with a lively party at the Festival Hub, featuring live music from the Brasscals and opportunities to meet the day’s attending filmmakers.

Schedule

Saturday, October 12

8:30 AM - Festival hub at Camino Real Marketplace opens


9:00 AM -
Screen 1 Programming Begins and runs throughout the day


9:10 AM -  Screen 2 Programming Begins and runs throughout the day


10:00 AM - Filmmaker Panel in the Festival Hub


6:50 PM - Southern California Premiere - 399: Queen of the Tetons 


7:30 PM - World Premiere of Animal Pride, in partnership with Innsbruck Nature Film Festival, and World Premiere of UCSB Coastal Media Project - Ploverize - filmmakers from both films will be in attendance.


8:30 PM - Official Saturday Night Party in the festival hub featuring live music by The Brasscals!, light bites, and an Open Bar serving Titos Cocktails, M Special Beer and wine


9:25 PM - Late Night Shorts film block - NTFF Screen One - Camino Real Cinemas