Santa Barbara County is blessed with a diversity of vital nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving the health, well-being, growth, civic leadership and compassion of our community.
Charitable giving and philanthropy are part of our identity, which is why Noozhawk is proud to support the nonprofit community through sponsoring local community organizations and events.
To showcase our support of the event, Wild and Free Film Festival, Noozhawk spoke with Gareth Kelly, Executive Director at Wild and Free Film Festival to learn more about their event.
Wild and Free Film Festival
Question: What is the name and date of your event?
Answer: Wild and Free Film Festival – Launch – Oct 18th & Film Festival Nov 14-16th.
Q: What is the mission, goal, and/or theme of this occasion?
A: Wild and Free Film Festival (WAFFF) is a bold, independent film festival celebrating adventurous, diverse, and environmentally conscious storytelling from around the world.
The festival aims to become a cultural destination event, inspiring audiences through thought-provoking films and community experiences. To this end, we are committed to showcasing films that defy genres, challenge the status quo, and ignite conversations. Wild and Free is a true film festival.
Our goal is to become a signature West Coast festival in the environmental media space that also collaborates with the film industry to help support filmmakers in the developing stages of their careers.
Along with traditional film festival awards we are working to offer filmmakers meaningful professional networking with studio executives and industry professionals.
Q: Have you held this event before?
A: No, this is a brand new event and probably the coolest new film festival anywhere in the world!
Q: Tell us some more details about your celebration?
A: The Wild and Free Film Festival (WAFFF) presented by Santa Barbara Honda, kicks off October 18th with a bold outdoor launch party at Elings Park, Santa Barbara.
This first-of-its-kind event will feature live music, food trucks, local beer and wine, and an interactive nonprofit village culminating in a screening of The Goonies on a massive outdoor screen under the stars.
This is a family-friendly, community event you won’t want to miss. Come early, soak in the cool Elings Park vibes, and celebrate the launch of a bold new festival dedicated to wild storytelling and the natural world.
A month later, WAFFF continues with a three-day film festival at Camino Real Cinemas in Goleta from November 14–16, showcasing more than 30 films that span cultures, genres, and wild terrains — all united by a love for the outdoors and the stories that connect us to it.
The festival will also feature filmmaker Q&As, filmmaker panels, award presentations, parties, and community events. Expect powerful screenings, unforgettable conversations, and experiences that inspire wonder and action.
Q: How do people get involved with your event? (volunteer, attend, etc.) – If your event includes ticket sales, please note the price and include a link to purchase tickets.
A: We hope everyone in the community gets involved by coming to our launch party and then to the film festival! We wanted ot make the event as affordable as possible in the hopes of bringing the entire community together for a very special evening.
The launch party costs $20 for adults, $10 for kids and kids 5 and under are free. Tickets for the film festival will start at $10 for adults for a single film block, $5 for kids, with all access passes granting access to the entire weekend of films also available. Tickets and passes will go on sale Sunday October 19th.
Q: Is this a fundraising affair? If so, how will the funds raised help your organization?
A: Yes, the festival is a fundraising affair. We are in the process of attaining our own 501c3 status (we are fiscally sponsored by Creative Visions a 501c3 organisation for our first year) with the goal of supporting the Wild and Free Film Festival in presenting a dynamic slate of environmentally focused films and educational programming year round aimed at inspiring community engagement around conservation, sustainability and storytelling.
Through screenings, panels, workshops, and outdoor events, the festival will spotlight diverse voices and urgent climate and environmental issues. The goal is to use the power of storytelling to spark dialogue, raise awareness, and encourage meaningful action. Funding will help amplify these efforts and expand access to environmental education through film.
Our approach prioritizes accessibility, diverse storytelling, and educational impact ensuring high-quality programming, and creating an inclusive festival experience.
Q: Who is sponsoring your event, and why is their support important?
A: We firmly believe in the power of partnerships and our festival would not be possible without the support of our incredible sponsors and partners.
The Wild and Free Film Festival is proudly supported by our presenting sponsor, Santa Barbara Honda, along with Yardi, UCLA Health, Teva, Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, the City of Goleta, Elings Park, Santa Barbara Zoo, South Coast Chamber of Commerce, Cox Communications, Aqua-Flo, Echobend Pictures, Eagle Inn, VNA Health, Visit Santa Barbara, Noozhawk, and the Santa Barbara, Independent, among many others.
Q: Do you work with an Event Planner? If not, who are the key people who make it all happen?
A: We are a lean and mean operation! Most of the heavy lifting in all areas is being done by our founder and executive director, Gareth Kelly.
Our video assets are being created by Francisco Lopez, programming by Nicole Noren and we are all being assisted by the wonderful members of our advisory council which includes, Jill Seltzer, Nicole Noren, Lauren Trujillo, Micheal Love, and Shelley LaMon.
We are also being helped by a team of incredible local independent contractors, none of whom we could achieve our goals and aims without.
Q: Does your organization have any other upcoming events this year?
A: Our launch party will kick things off on Saturday October 18th at Elings Park with the main film festival taking place the weekend of November 14-16th.
Those are our only events for this year, but our goal is to grow into a year-round calendar of programming and events. We are already planning a spring event in 2026.
Q: What are you planning as a post-event follow up?
A: Lots of thank you’s! We’ve been truly humbled by the support of local businesses, organizations, individuals and the community at large as we launch our first year so while we have nothing formal planned post-event, there will be emails, thank yous and of course lots of photos posted to socials!
To learn more about Wild and Free Film Festival click here!
If you would like to apply for Noozhawk’s 50/50 Match Sponsorship Program for your upcoming nonprofit event please click HERE to view our sponsorship application. The deadline for consideration is 30-45 days prior to the event. You can also contact our sales team at sales@noozhawk.com.