Astoria, Ore.— Climb the cliffs of Vermont, track the world’s smallest, fattest reindeer across the Arctic, and immerse yourself in the sounds of the Indonesian jungle at the 3rd annual Wild Coast Film Festival, taking place in Astoria from March 12–15, 2026.

The festival features 34 short films that celebrate wildlife, wild places, and the people working to protect them. Attendees will also enjoy nearly a dozen guided nature walks and community building pop-up events, including conversations with filmmakers, photographers, and scientists, focused on exploring nature and our role in caring for it. Thanks to the generosity of local businesses, all ticket sales support wildlife rescue and education programs at the Wildlife Center of the North Coast. 

Events include:

• Multiple film blocks filled with conservation and nature stories.
• Tours of the Warrenton High School Fish Hatchery program, the Wildlife Center of the North Coast property, the Oregon State University Seafood Research and Education Center, Circle Creek Habitat, and salmon restoration projects at Tansy Point by the Chinook Tribe.
• Try the latest Sony cameras on a photo walk led by National Geographic Explorer Morgan Heim and Gretchen Kay Stuart, both fellows of the International League of Conservation Photographers, and sponsored by Pro Photo Supply and Sony Cameras.
• Free pop-up events around town about sea otter reintroduction, conservation photography, wildlife rehabilitation, and more.
• A festival party for ticketholders, including food and drink.
• Potential special animal ambassador encounter with Cormie the double-crested cormorant, live at the Columbian Theater!

“My hope is that Astoria becomes a destination for the best in conservation storytelling and highlights the remarkable work by conservation groups on the North Coast,” says festival co-founder, Morgan Heim of Neon Raven Story Labs. “But most of all, it’s a way to give back to the frontlines of wildlife rescue. Those birds need food and bandages!”

Tickets
Visit https://www.wildcoastfilm.org/ to purchase tickets and view the full festival program. Not in the Astoria area? Select films will be available to stream online.

Brought to you by a collaboration of the Wildlife Center of the North Coast and Neon Raven Story Labs. 

Thank you to the following businesses for their support: KRKZ, SonyAlpha, Pro Photo Supply, Salty Raven, Columbia River Maritime Museum, Fort George Brewery, Tuff Puffin Media, Oregon Film, Ophelia Astoria, Oregon Film Museum, AdvantEdge, Astoria Co+op,  Icefire Glassworks, Imogen Gallery,  Bronze Coast Gallery, Obelisk Beer Co, The Anita Building, and Pilot House Distilling.