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

The Wild & Free Film Festival (WAFFF) is a BOLD NEW 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 includes:
• A fall outdoor blockbuster movie series in Santa Barbara 🌄
• A weekend film festival in Goleta this November with panels, parties, world-class hospitality, industry folks, and more! 🍁 WAFFF Audience Award winner receives $500 Post Production credit from Echobend Pictures.

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 arent scared of DEI, we celebrate it!

We are a festival FOR filmmakers BY filmmakers.

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

Awards & Prizes

Best Short Doc
Best Narrative Short
Best Narrative Feature
Best Documentary Feature
Best Student Film
Best Central Coast Film SLO/SB/Ventura
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.

💵 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 October 10th, 2025.

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.