Wild & Free Film Festival Roars Ahead

As the sun’s last light shone over Elings Park, a crowd of families with their curious kids littered the field. The smell of tacos, popcorn, and waffle cones hung in the air — leaving just enough eagerness to explore surrounding pop-up booths.

Live band Neon Blonde set the scene with ’80s covers, while sponsors such as Girls Inc., the Santa Barbara Zoo, and the Santa Barbara Public Library mingled beside a fleet of shiny Honda cars. 

There was no shortage of community enjoyment at the launch party and public debut of the Wild & Free Film Festival (WAFFF) on October 18 — a fitting preview of what’s to come when the festival officially kicks off next month with a three-day celebration of film and the environment. 

“I felt that there was a need [for] a film festival that was focused on environment-conscious storytelling, the natural world, but also with a bit of edginess to it,” founder and executive director Gareth Kelly said. “Something that wasn’t going to be afraid to show films that make people push boundaries, ask questions, spark debate and conversation.”

From concept to reality in less than a year, the festival has gathered an impressive coalition, with sponsorship from Santa Barbara Honda and support from partners such as Yardi, UCLA Health, and the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.

But what’s so wild and what’s so free about this film festival? 

The answer? Environmentally conscious films, intentionally and meticulously chosen for their insight into human nature and our connection to the natural world.

“When choosing the films, I want to focus on aspects of nature that you aren’t used to seeing, in areas that perhaps you didn’t consider,” Kelly said. “I especially want to connect humans with how we interact with the natural world in an effort to make people think.”

Looking ahead, Kelly hopes WAFFF will grow into a platform for emerging filmmakers, connecting them with mentors, studios, and the ability to create something new. Talks of partnering with Netflix are already underway.

“I’ve always felt that if you can make people feel something about the world we live in, they’re more likely to care about protecting it,” he said. “We’re all part of the natural world. The stories we tell, the adventures we take, the places we love. They’re all connected.”

I asked Kelly at the launch party if he was stressed, like a parent monitoring a new baby. A silly question, in retrospect. Of course he was; how do you make waves in a community that already hosts world-renowned festivals like SBIFF?

“It’s been kind of hard in this first year, just trying to break through the noise among everything else going on in Santa Barbara,” he said. “But It was important to me to bring in other nonprofits because locally we have so many amazing organizations.”

Still, with more than 150 submissions from more than 35 countries, Kelly, a filmmaker himself, has relied on his networking experience to navigate the challenges of organizing a completely new event.

“We’re trying to expand people’s understanding of ‘nature films,’” Kelly said. “We’re not preaching to the choir; we’re saying [to] come hang out, have a beer, watch a movie under the stars, and maybe leave thinking differently about the world.”

The success of the launch party and the beloved choice of The Goonies brought people together on that Saturday night. But that was just the launch party.

Next up, WAFFF‘s three-day festival at Camino Real Cinemas in Goleta (November 14-16) will feature more than 25 films, filmmaker Q&As, and stories from around the world. 

Opening night will be the Central Coast premiere of Checkpoint Zoo, executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, ambitiously blending Hollywood with environmental storytelling. Other highlights include the world premiere of Ellwood Mesa: Beyond the Bluffs, a local documentary exploring conservation on the Central Coast, alongside Her Shark Story and the U.S. premiere of Wildflowers.

“I want a film to take your breath away. To make you cry, laugh, angry, or even sad. Whatever it is, I want you to feel,” Kelly said. “Maybe even feel the passion to create films yourself. It’s such an incredible medium for storytelling, and we have to lean into stories that make an impact and get under people’s skin.”

Tickets and the full festival schedule are available at wildandfreefilm.org.