The 2026 NatureTrack Film Festival will take place on October 9-10 in Santa Barbara and Goleta, California, as an exciting two-day event showcasing world-class films that celebrate nature and outdoor adventure. Following this flagship event, we will host a monthly Special Screening Series in Los Olivos, where the festival was founded. The, continuing the celebration with “On Tour” events throughout the West Coast, bringing inspiring films to even more communities.

NTFF is a celebration of nature and outdoor adventure through film, featuring outstanding works from national and international filmmakers that captivate and inspire audiences.

All proceeds from NTFF support NatureTrack and its mission to foster a lifelong fascination with nature and inspire respectful stewardship of our natural world.

Join us in celebrating the power of film to inspire, educate, and connect people with nature—both in Santa Barbara and beyond!

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
• Films submitted should somehow tie into the tagline “igniting passion for nature through film"
• Work in progress cuts will be considered if it's at least at the picture-locked stage
• Entrant guarantees that third parties have no claim on the submitted films.
Each submission must include:
• Indication of the category, or categories. Filmmakers may enter a film in multiple categories, however NTFF reserves the right to ultimately program films in whatever categories we deem appropriate.
• Student-produced work must include a copy of a current student ID, or evidence of work being completed while entrant was a student, with the application.
• Non-English language productions must be narrated or subtitled in English.

IF ACCEPTED:
• Participants must provide a minimum of three (3) production stills from your film and a head shot for promotional use at high resolution (300 dpi and/or 1MB) suitable for print.
• Participants attending the festival in person will be invited to participate in a short Q/A session after their film screens.
• A self-addressed stamped envelope should be included with any correspondence requiring a reply.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
By entering this film:
• I state that I am authorized to submit this film/video to the NatureTrack Film Festival (NTFF) for consideration and have read, understand, and agree to all entry requirements.
• I hereby release the NTFF from all liability resulting from its exhibition of my film/video.
• I agree that if my film is selected for exhibition at the NTFF, I will make it available for that purpose without requiring the payment of a screening fee.
• Participant shall not withdraw their film from the NTFF once the selection has been confirmed.
• All films selected will be screened only at official NTFF events. Any additional screenings outside the NTFF shall require a separate prior consent expressed by the producer or distributor.
• All preview copies will remain in the NTFF archives and will be exclusively used for NTFF promotional and/or educational purposes.
• NTFF has permission to use clips or still from my film for promotional purposes.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Matthew Benton

    So thankful for NatureTrack accepting our film. Sue & the team were so great & communicated every step along the way.

    I unfortunately couldn't attend this year, but am looking forward to attending in the future.

    October 2025
  • Ryan Sedgeley

    We had a great experience with the NatureTrack Film Festival. They were on top of all milestones and communicated well each step of the way.

    October 2024
  • Nature Track is a wonderful venue to talk and reflect about the world around us, to watch beautiful movies about animals and mountains. The festival is place in the beautiful setting of Goleta, just few steps from the ocean, with palm trees and the sun above your head. The organization was great, Bryce Thompson was a perfect host. We met great people and a special mention to the movie theatre for the screen and the quality. Hope to come back!

    October 2024
  • Michael Love

    Wow! Amazing festival for nature filmmakers and I have been to many. Exceptional film selection by Mitchka and Francisco, excellent hospitality including good food and lodging for filmmakers. Film screenings are at a state of the art movie theater with surround audio. Highly recommended!

    October 2023
  • Paige Swift

    Had a great time at this festival! We were honored to screen our short doc, and the lineup of selected films was outstanding. Hospitality was great, and the parties, networking, and panel discussions were on-point as well. Thanks to the staff and congratulations on a fest well done!

    October 2023