Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust will host its seventh annual Wild and Scenic Film Festival on Tour at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 4 at Lincoln Theater (2 Theater St., Damariscotta) with a curated selection of six short films. 

Wild & Scenic’s 2024 films feature exceptional filmmaking, breathtaking cinematography, and compelling storytelling to inform and inspire about environmental issues and the power of the natural world. Attendees can expect award-winning films about nature, outdoor adventure, conservation, wildlife, environmental issues, agriculture, and more.

Beer, wine, and concessions will be available through the theater, and guests may enter to win giveaways from the Wild and Scenic Film Festival’s national sponsors, Coastal Rivers, and local sponsor Rising Tide Co-op.

Tickets are $12, $7 for kids under 16, and free for Coastal Rivers members, and may be purchased online at coastalrivers.org/events. The event is sponsored locally by Newcastle Publick House, Rhumbline Maps, Rising Tide Co-op, and Twin Villages Foodbank Farm.

Now in its 21st 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 six short films to be screened on April 4 include “School of Fish,” highlighting a community of indigenous people in Bristol Bay, Alaska, whose lives have been intertwined with salmon for thousands of years. Today, kids learn from their elders how to fish – but must also learn to fight, as pollution from Pebble Mine threatens this pristine ecosystem and the most prolific salmon run on earth.

“Chicas al Agua,” was created by local filmmaker Liz McGregor. The film takes viewers to the spectacular landscape of Futaleufú, Chile, where teenage girls are learning how to kayak in the wild and beautiful river that sweeps through their hometown, developing friendships and self-confidence along the way.

In “Groundwork: A Family Journey into Regenerative Cotton,” the Kahle family breaks a cycle of generational health issues by revolutionizing their farming practices. Driven by a deep commitment to the health and well-being of their family and their community, the Kahles make revelatory changes in their practices to combat years of problematic, status-quo methods of farming.

The film festival is a natural extension of Coastal Rivers’ work to inspire people to act on behalf of the environment. 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.org or visit coastalrivers.org.