The annual Wild and Scenic Film Fest returns to Monterey with a spirit of adventure.

Maybe you’ve heard a similar story: A friend packs up the car on a Friday after work and sets out in pursuit of solitude, headed for a favorite lakeside camping spot. After miles of treacherous driving on twisting dirt roads they arrive, only to find a group of teenagers blasting music and stumbling around a poorly built campfire.

Nature enthusiasts will tell you it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find solitude in nature. Whether it’s tourists descending upon Big Sur or the secret getting out about your favorite camping spot in South County on the inland side of the Santa Lucias, finding peace in nature is becoming more of an acquired skill than a leisurely pastime. The Wild and Scenic Film Festival showcases individuals working to keep wild spaces wild so that future generations can benefit from them – and still find some solitude.

The film festival, a benefit for the nonprofit Ventana Wilderness Alliance, returns to Monterey for its fifth year. The VWA also raffles off outdoorsy prizes from the likes of Patagonia and REI, as well as a limited-edition print by local artist Tom Killion, whose artwork will be on display during the festival.

The idea behind the collection of short films is to spread awareness about environmental issues and tell the stories of how people preserve, interact with and test the limits of the outdoors. While these are trying times for environmental activists, the films are curated to leave audience members feeling inspired and motivated. 

A Wild Legacy tells the story of recently deceased Doug Tompkins and his conservation efforts in Chile. An avid kayaker, skier and climber, Tompkins became famous for founding The North Face gear and clothing company. He went on to do conservation work in Chile and Argentina, founding famous national parks like Corcovado and Monte Leon. Tompkins did admirable work, and used his considerable wealth to advance his conservation efforts. It’s easy to glorify him, and the film leans that way, featuring the voices only of people who loved him, lacking diversity in perspectives.It would provide a more meaningful and honest depiction of him as a hero in the conservation world if it also included the perspectives of Chilean nationals who had opposed him at one point or another.

A hemisphere away, The Refuge takes viewers deep into Alaska where the Gwich’in people are fighting to preserve their way of life in the face of encroaching oil interests. The film, which is sponsored by Patagonia, tells the story of two women who find themselves on the front lines of the fight to preserve the coastal plains where some 40,000 porcupine caribou are born each year. The film sets up a stark contrast between the values of members of the Gwich’in tribe and those of the Western world. Oil is a clear contributor to economic growth, but the Gwich’ins’ fight raises the question, “at what cost?” The tribe’s cultural perspective sets them far apart from the oil industry: They believe their livelihoods are tied both physically and spiritually to the natural resources, which are being exploited. 

The Refuge also presents stunning and unique scenery filled with towering peaks and low tundra, usually shadowed by a blanket of gray clouds. The film transports viewers to a remote world they’re likely never to visit; the tribe members themselves are so spread out they must take puddle-jumpers to convene. 

While conservation vs. development is a common theme here, not all of the films are about conflict. In Ace and the Desert Dog, Ace Kvale takes his 10-year old blue heeler for a walk. That walk happens to last for 60 days (equivalent to one dog year, Kvale says), as they cruise over 400 miles through the Utah desert. 

The films are a curated collection of globally-minded stories. Even while the festival as a whole won’t bring about the next ecological awakening, the films do advance an awareness around the common responsibility of protecting the planet. There’s a predictability to the storylines here, but that doesn’t make them less fun. Think of it like a gumball machine: You know what you’re getting for your quarter, but the color is a surprise.  

Wild & Scenic Film Festival happens at 7pm (6pm doors) Saturday, Sept. 23 at Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $20/in advance; $25/at the door. 423-3191, ventanawild.org.