November On Screen in Santa Barbara County

November is not only a season of giving thanks, but in Santa Barbara, it is a time to celebrate film. With three exciting film festivals taking place this month, community members will have plenty to see on the screen. NatureTrack Film Festival kicks things off on November 5 and 6, followed by Wild and Free Film Festival on November 6 through 8, and the Santa Barbara Surf Film Festival on November 12 through 14. Whether you’re a cinephile or looking to discover something new, these festivals offer a reason to settle into a theater seat. Here’s a look at what each has in store.

NatureTrack Film Festival

NatureTrack Film Festival is taking their programming up a notch for the upcoming season, turning the once-a-year festival into year-round programming. Santa Barbara County is at the heart of the festival, founded as an offshoot of NatureTrack Foundation in 2018 and since steadfastly rooted in the mission of environmental education. The festival was founded with the mission of centering film in discourse about wildlife and considering our relationship to the natural world.

The year of programming will kick off with two Opening Nights to the South and the North.

The festival’s first night will take place in Carpinteria (on November 5 at the Alcazar Theatre) and its second in Los Olivos (on November 6 at the Santa Ynez Valley Grange in Los Olivos), with identical programming expanding its reach across Santa Barbara County. Both evenings will feature Frost Without Snow and Ice by Norwegian filmmaker Asgeir Helgestad, followed by a virtual Q&A moderated by Chris Jenkins of UCSB’s Film and Media Studies department. 

Helgestad’s film is a decade-long chronicle of a female polar bear named Frost and her cubs as they battle for survival in the Svalbard region of Northern Norway, the fastest-warming region on Earth. The film also represents the shifting human-animal relationship in light of these environmental changes, as polar bears are forced to change their prey and break into cabins for sustenance.

“I hope that one thing to come out of the film will be discussing the fact that we need to give space to other species,” said Helgestad. “We cannot continue to think that we are so disconnected from nature and so supreme. We need to give all those other species a space, and we need to take better care of nature because we all rely on it.”

Santa Barbara filmmaker Michael Love will receive the 2026 NatureTrack Outdoor Icon Award. A compilation of his Bring Back the Wild films will be screened, followed by a conversation with Love moderated by Jenkins. The festival will also recognize Tom Henderson as its 2026 Honored Artist.

Audiences will have the chance to see stories and landscapes from around the world, with this year’s festival receiving 136 films from 32 countries. The common thread through these stories is nature, but they widely explore conservation, adventure, climate issues, and human relationships with the natural world, through the lens of beauty, humor, and hope.

Tickets and additional festival information are available at naturetrackfilmfestival.org.

Wild and Free Film Festival

It’s Wild and Free Film Festival’s second year running, and they are excited to return the weekend of November 6-8 with a nonprofit designation, expanded showings, and accessible programming.

The concept came alive at the beginning of last year when Executive Director Gareth Kelly pioneered the kind of festival that he had always wanted to see and participate in as a filmmaker and frequent festival participant. Kelly latched onto the idea of the natural world and the environmentally conscious Central Coast community, and Wild and Free was born soon after.

“My view on films, the film industry, and film festivals is that the content in them should make you feel,” said Kelly. “The whole concept is to make people feel and to program films that perhaps do challenge the status quo and ignite conversation to make people think a little bit more about the natural world and our place within it.”

There are films and filmmakers from 11 different countries represented in this year’s festival, including submissions from Iran, Nepal, Germany, the UK, and Australia. The films represent a wide range of views and experiences of the world, while still highlighting local perspectives by featuring a film from the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network.

For opening night, there is a showing of The Siege of Paradise, a documentary from Irish director Gar O’Rourke, which features a small town in Italy that is swamped with four million tourists a year. There will also be a showing of Nuisance Bear from the acclaimed A24 Studios on Saturday night. The documentary follows a polar bear in Alaska and narrates the journey through the lens of climate change and human impacts.

With almost 40 films, some as short as two minutes and some feature films running 90 minutes, the weekend is set to be jam-packed with entertainment and education from various corners of the world, right here on the screen at Camino Real Cinemas in Goleta.

“There’s a real broad cross section of stories and themes this year,” Kelly said. He highlighted the fact that there was a major influx of submissions from Iran, for which the filmmakers had to receive special permission to submit to the festival due to current sanctions from the U.S. “This speaks to every community in every place on Earth.”

Several of the films will have free admission, as Kelly emphasized his desire to make the festival accessible to everyone in the community. Adult tickets are $12 and children’s tickets are $5. To see the full schedule, buy tickets, and learn more see wildandfreefilm.org.

Santa Barbara Surf Film Festival

Known for its rich surf culture and ocean views, this town was a natural landing spot for the Santa Barbara Surf Film Festival. Founded in 2019 by Santa Barbara native Sean Maurer, he was stoked to combine his love of surfing and films in this festival.

The sixth annual Surf Film Festival returns on November 12 to the original venue at the Arlington Theatre. November 13 and 14 will be held as community events and screenings around the Funk Zone.

This year’s recipient of the Legend Award is Tom Curren, a Santa Barbara native and world champion who surfed his entire life and helped to pioneer this generation of surfboard design. He has traveled the world in pursuit of perfect waves through Rip Curl’s The Search exploration program. He is also an accomplished musician and the subject of more than 100 surf films.

In addition to honoring Curren with the Legend Award, there will be several short film screenings from local filmmakers such as Maddie Malmsten, Morgan Maassen, and a few others.

“It’s bringing you know it’s showcasing local filmmakers, as well as bringing together the surf community and ocean lovers,” said Producer Heidi Van Den Oever. “It’s a place to share interests and just celebrate one another.”

Tickets ($20) are on sale now for the first evening at the Arlington Theatre on November 12 either at the Arlington box office or santabarbarasurffilmfestival.com. The Funk Zone events are not ticketed and are available to the community.