Range of Light Film Festival debuts in Yosemite on February 27

The Range of Light Film Festival will debut in Yosemite National Park from Thursday, February 27, through Sunday, March 2, 2014. The festival is presented by Yosemite Conservancy, Yosemite National Park, and DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite, Inc. The festival, part of the park’s commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Yosemite Grant, will be held in the Yosemite Theater behind the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center.

More than 25 films will be shown over four days in the Yosemite Theater, which has recently received a renovation and features a state-of-the art digital sound system. The program ranges from short films to feature-length movies, from archival films shot in the park to pioneering climbing films from the 1960s and contemporary, never-before-exhibited premieres.

“The festival is a great opportunity for people to see stories of Yosemite on the big screen and to meet filmmakers, artists and musicians as we enjoy the glory of winter in Yosemite Valley,” says Steven Bumgardner, award-winning filmmaker behind the popular web video series Yosemite Nature Notes.

Over 20 filmmakers and artists will be in attendance, including Glen Denny (El Capitan), John Else (Yosemite: Fate of Heaven), Christopher Munch (Color of a Brisk and Leaping Day), Amy Marquis (The Way Home), Jeremy Collins (The Wolf & the Medallion) and Ian Ruhter (Silver and Light). There will also be a live concert on Saturday night, February 28, by Sierra Nevada soul and funk collective Jelly Bread, sponsored in part by Mammoth Brewing Company.

In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant Act, establishing Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove as the first protected wild land for all time. In addition, this grant marked the first time land was set aside by the federal government for preservation. Almost 200 activities will be conducted this year, with the majority of them, occurring in communities near Yosemite National Park. For a complete list of activities and anniversary updates, please visit www.nps.gov/yose/anniversary.

-Yosemite National Park

(Photo: Badger Pass Ski Area 1936, courtesy of San Joaquin Valley Library System)