Summer Screening Series

June - September, 2025

Refugio State Beach

The 7th Annual festival journey begins this summer in partnership with California State Parks, bringing free outdoor film screenings to Refugio State Beach. This free, family-friendly program showcases select environmental films that inspire wonder and promote conservation awareness, while providing sponsors with enhanced visibility throughout the summer months.

Screening Schedule

Saturday, June 28th

Fish People

Directed By:  Keith Malloy

Country of Origin: United States
2018

The story of a unique cast of characters who have dedicated their lives to the sea. From surfers and spear fishers to a former coal miner and a group of at-risk kids in San Francisco, this is a film about the transformative effects of time spent in the ocean, and how we can leave our limitations behind to find deeper meaning in the saltwater wilderness that lies just beyond the shore.

The Long Kiss

Directed By:  Ivan Khanzhin

Country of Origin: Russia
NTFF 2021 Alumni

It’s hard to love from a distance. Especially if you and your partner are river snails, and the only obstacle to your meeting is your innate insurmountable sluggishness.

Saturday, July 19th

8,000 +

Directed By:  Girard Antoine

Country of Origin: France
NTFF 2020 Alumni

More than just a filmmaker, Antoine Girard is a paraglider, rock climber, and high-altitude mountaineer. In 2016, he spent a month in Pakistan, flying a remote, challenging, and ground-breaking 1,250-kilometer solo route through the Karakoram with his gear. Flying solo, he soared through this stunning mountain range and reached an altitude of 8,157 meters to view 8,051-meter Broad Peak from above, proving that flying in extremely thin air is indeed possible. In the process, he set a world record.

Stumped

Directed By:  Taylor Keating

Country of Origin: United States
NTFF 2019 Alumni

Maureen Beck says: 'I don’t want to be known as just a one-armed climber, I just want to be a good climber. Maureen Beck may have been born missing her lower left arm, but that hasn’t stopped her from going hard. She takes whippers on 5.12 and crushes overhanging boulders, while shot-gunning beers. But she is not here to be your inspiration. 'People say... 'Look, a one-armed climber, now I have no excuses. I’m like, dude, you never had any excuses in the first place.' Maureen is here to crush the gnar — with one bloody stump helping her get to the top. A film by climber and filmmaker Cedar Wright and Taylor Keating, screened and distributed as part of the Reel Rock 12 series.

Saturday, July 26th

Wild As A Raspberry

Directed By:  Debora Mendes

Country of Origin: Portugal
NTFF 2020 Alumni

New Paragraph

Two Point Four

Directed By: Natasha Brooks

Country of Origin: United Kingdom
NTFF 2024 Alumni

Not your typical family holiday, but this is not your typical family. Leo Houlding, his wife Jess, and their two children, Freya (9 years) and Jackson (5 years), climb Norway's national mountain via a 2,000 ft big wall.

Otter Space

Directed By:  Michael Love

Country of Origin: United States
NTFF 2024 Alumni

Southern Sea Otters were down to about 40 animals, but after a hunting ban, they have rebounded. Now they just need otter space to live their busy lives.

Saturday, August 16th

By Hand

Directed By: Kellen Keene

Country of Origin: United States
NTFF 2020 Alumni

Pismo Beach twins Casey and Ryan Higginbotham travel 2,200 miles from Alaska to Mexico on custom-built, 18-foot paddle boards. Determined to escape comfort and reconnect to nature, the brothers power their journey “by hand” — and set a new standard in ocean adventure. On March 18, 2016, the brothers embarked on their epic Pacific quest, each carrying nothing more than two bags of gear and a camera. No support boats. No paddles. Nothing like this had been done before.

Saturday, August 30th

Under the Arctic Sky

Directed By: Chris Burkard

Country of Origin: United States
NTFF 2018 Alumni

Six fearless surfers take a journey to the most remote corner of Iceland in the middle of winter in search of perfect surf. A few days in, the worst storm in 25 years blows through and shuts down the country, turning the search for waves into a life-threatening prospect. Enduring constant darkness and stormy seas, they discover perfect waves and make history by surfing under the dazzling northern lights

Ursa Major

Directed By:  Kerrin Keiser

Country of Origin: United States
NTFF 2018 Alumni

A young nomadic hunter is trying to prove himself. To do so, he shoots down the North Star from the constellation Ursa Major in the sky. This enrages the bear, who freezes the environment. Terrified of the consequences his actions have had on the environment, the boy shoots the star back to the sky. Grateful for having his brightest star back, the bear roars, and northern lights guide the boy home.

Saturday, September 13th

Looking For The Wild

Directed By:  Elena Mera

Country of Origin: Spain
NTFF 2018 Alumni

Unai is 9 years old, and he travels with his family on an extraordinary journey around the world. His father, a nature photographer, has the mission to search for seven emblematic animals to photograph and communicate the delicate situation in which they find themselves. For over a year, following in his footsteps, Unai shares with his sister and his mother experiences that convey an unconditional love for nature. Wolves, elephants, lions, bison, penguins, hornbills, and crocodiles are the protagonists of this exciting journey across all continents.