PORT ANGELES — Less than a month after pulling off its second victory in Outside magazine’s “Best Town Ever” contest, Chattanooga, Tenn., is reaching out to other contenders to share in enjoyment of the arts and the outdoors.
The 2016 Lookout Wild Film Festival — which features outdoors and conservation films — is reserving 50 free passes for residents of other cities and towns that took part in the contest, including Port Angeles.
The festival will be held Jan. 29 through Jan. 31, in Chattanooga.
Port Angeles lost in the final round of the Outside contest to Chattanooga earlier this month.
One of four last-minute wild-card entries, Port Angeles won five rounds in a 64-city tournament modeled on the NCAA-style “March Madness” elimination contest before going up against Chattanooga, the Southern Division winner and a former national winner of the annual Outside contest.
Port Angeles wears the crown as the contest’s Western Division champ, and it will be profiled — along with Chattanooga and 14 other finalists — in the September issue of Outside, a nationally recognized outdoor and adventure magazine.
A massive community response helped Port Angeles outperform Santa Barbara, Calif.; Kitsap County’s Bainbridge Island; Glenwood Springs, Colo.; Flagstaff, Ariz.; and Bar Harbor, Maine, in the contest.
Residents from any of the 64 towns in the 2015 first round bracket can apply for tickets to the film festival.
To reserve tickets, email organizers at info@lookoutfilmfestival.org.
Proof of residency is required, and tickets will be given on a first-come, first served basis.
One person will be drawn from the pool of those receiving free tickets to also receive free weekend lodging for the festival from Lookout Mountain Vacation Rentals.
The 2015 festival featured 58 outdoor adventure and conservation films, after-parties and question-and-answer sessions with filmmakers and adventurers.
For more information, visit www.lookoutfilmfestival.org.