Wow! Our 1st ever Wild and Free Film Festival was a huge success!

We had a sold out opening and closing night events!

We awarded the first ever Wild and Free Spirit Award to the film, How to Change the World and had a 10 year anniversary screening attended by Greenpeace Co founder Rex Weyler.

The award for best feature went to Sitka's Hidden Wonders
Best Short went to Love Birds
Audience award went to Her Shark Story

Submissions for the 2nd Wild and Free Film Festival are now open!

🌍 Wild & Free Film Festival
Bold Stories. Incredible Adventures. The Natural World Unleashed! 🎬🌿

The Wild & Free Film Festival (WAFFF) is a bold celebration of adventurous storytelling, diverse voices, and our incredible planet 🌎.

We showcase thought-provoking films that span cultures, genres, and wild terrains — all united by a love for the outdoors and the stories that connect us to it.

Jaws, Nyad, Free Solo, and even The Goonies are all Wild and Free films!

🎥 Our 2025 launch included:
• An outdoor blockbuster movie night in Santa Barbara 🌄
• A weekend film festival in Goleta this November with panels, parties, world-class hospitality, industry folks, and more! 🍁
WAFFF Audience Award Prize Package includes $500 Post Production credit from Echobend Pictures.
Over 2000 engaged movie goers across all events and film blocks.

Expect powerful screenings, unforgettable conversations, and experiences that inspire wonder and action.

Born from a deep love for nature and a drive to celebrate every species, every ecosystem, and every storyteller 🌱 — WAFFF is committed to expanding the definition of “nature films” to include unexpected, daring, and visually stunning perspectives, both documentary and narrative.

🌟 What makes us different?
We’re filmmakers, festival producers, and event creators with decades of experience — and we’re building a cinematic movement that’s Wild, Free, and fiercely independent.

We aren't scared of DEI, we celebrate it!

We are a festival FOR filmmakers BY filmmakers because we know filmmakers MAKE a festival!

Let your story run wild. 🌿 Submit your film. Join the adventure. 🚀

Awards & Prizes

Best Short Doc
Best Documentary Feature
Best Student Film
WAFFF Audience Award

Rules & Terms

🎬 Wild and Free Film Festival – Submission Terms & Conditions
Thank you for your interest in submitting to the Wild and Free Film Festival (WAFFF)!

By submitting your film, you agree to the following terms:

✅ ELIGIBILITY
We welcome bold films of all lengths and genres that celebrate adventurous, diverse, and environmentally conscious storytelling from around the world.

All non-English language films must include English subtitles.

📦 SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
All submissions must be made via FilmFreeway.

Screeners must be available via secure online link (YouTube, Vimeo, or direct upload).

Exhibition copies of selected films must be delivered in MP4 or ProRes format.
We are a DCP-only festival.

💵 FEES & WAIVERS
Submission fees are non-refundable, regardless of acceptance.

WAFFF does not offer screening fees.

Fee waivers may be considered on a case-by-case basis for student or community projects — please contact us.

🗓️ NOTIFICATION & SELECTION
Selected filmmakers will be notified by TBD 2026

Programming decisions are made by our selection committee and are final.

WAFFF reserves the right to determine the date, time, and location of all screenings.

📸 RIGHTS & USAGE
You affirm that you have full legal rights to your submission, including music and visual content.

By submitting, you grant WAFFF permission to publicly exhibit your work during the festival and to use excerpts, stills, and promotional materials for marketing and press purposes.

⚖️ LIABILITY
While every effort is made to handle all materials with care, WAFFF is not responsible for loss or damage of submissions.

The festival reserves the right to update or amend these terms as necessary.

✉️ QUESTIONS?
Please contact us at info@wildandfreefilm.org with any questions or concerns.
5 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
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Networking
  • Kimberly Danek Pinkson

    The Wild and Free Film Festival is new, but you would think it has been around for years. From the back end and the front end, it was smooth, professional, and excellent every step of the way! The communication from the team was responsive; the range of programming for cinephiles was rich; and the networking and educational opportunities for filmmakers was abundant. Gareth, Francisco, and Nicole did a phenomenal job; as did all of the volunteers. They really straddled that magical line of making it feel like a community event but also, a top-notch film festival. I was honored to be a part of it, and am already looking forward to next year!

    January 2026
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  • Derek Robitaille

    While I wasn’t able to attend the festival due to my schedule at the time, I was genuinely impressed by the communication throughout the entire process, from submitting my film to receiving photos from the screening. It looked like such a great event with a full house, and I truly hope I can attend in the future!

    November 2025
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  • Amy Smyth

    Congratulations on the 1st year. I was so happy to be a part of your beautiful festival!

    November 2025
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  • Benjamin Hamilton

    Super impressed by this new festival. Amazing communication and support for the filmmakers. Quick responses. Would gladly submit again!

    November 2025
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  • Elliott Kennerson

    Wild and Free was a great experience for us! So awesome to see more nature festivals happening. Thank you for everything, Gareth and Nicole!

    November 2025
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