The Wild and Scenic Film Festival on Tour, hosted by Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust, returns to Damariscotta on Monday, March 27 at 7 p.m. at Lincoln Theater, with a curated selection of the festival’s 2023 films. 

Now in its 20th year, the Wild & Scenic Film Festival on Tour is a selection of short films from the annual festival held the third week of February in Nevada City, California. The films speak to environmental concerns, outdoor adventure, and finding connection to nature.

The seven short films to be screened on March 27 include “Free to Run,” the inspiring story of UN human rights attorney, mountain runner and NGO founder, Stephanie Case, who was training hard during the summer of 2021 to take on the hardest ultra trail marathon of her life – the daunting Tor des Glaciers 450km self-navigated race through the A'osta Valley of Italy. 

But weeks before Case was set to toe the line, her life took an unexpected turn as she watched the Taliban sweep across Afghanistan, threatening the basic human rights of women across the country, including those of her NGO, Free to Run. As governments around the world failed to evacuate at-risk Afghans, she was thrown into crisis management mode, fighting to find a way forward for the women and girls of  Free to Run.

In “From My Window” we meet Melissa Simpson, who looks out her window at the highest peaks in Colorado. Despite being so close, the mountains have always been worlds away for Melissa, who was born with cerebral palsy. With the help of her friend and mentor, blind adventurer Erik Weihenmayer, Melissa sets out to conquer something far greater than a summit. Through humility and grace, Melissa proves that what is within us is stronger than what's in our way.

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival was started by the watershed advocacy group, the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) in California in 2003. The festival’s namesake is in celebration of SYRCL’s landmark victory to receive “Wild & Scenic” status for 39 miles of the South Yuba River in 1999. 

The festival is building a network of grassroots organizations connected by a common goal of using film to inspire activism. With the support of Wild & Scenic Film Festival on Tour’s National Partners, Rivers are Life, Peak Design, EarthJustice, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, hhmi Tangled Bank Studios, NIA Impact Capital, and EarthxFilm, the festival can reach an even larger audience.

Local sponsor Rising Tide Co-op is providing a complimentary dessert and coffee bar.

Lincoln Theater is at 2 Theater St., Damariscotta. Tickets are $10, $5 for kids 16 and under, and free for Coastal Rivers members, and may be purchased online at lincolntheater.net/on-screen/special-events.

“The event is a natural extension of Coastal Rivers’ work to inspire people to act on behalf of the environment,” said Coastal Rivers, in a news release.

Coastal Rivers is a non-profit, member-supported, nationally accredited land trust caring for the lands and waters of the Damariscotta-Pemaquid Region by conserving special places, protecting water quality, creating trails and public access, and deepening connections to nature through education programs. For more information, email info@coastalrivers.orgor visit coastalrivers.org.