Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival

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Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival

A nine day mountain culture & adventure sports Festival in Banff, AB, then an annual World Tour.

08/18/2026

📸 What’s the story behind your favourite photograph?

The Photo Rodeo is back for its fourth year, and we’re looking for photographers from around the Canadian Rockies to share their best images and the stories behind them at the 2026 Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival.

This free event celebrates outdoor photographers working across mountain culture, from adventure sports and wildlife to landscapes and everything in between. We’re looking for stories that are funny, bizarre, gripping, awkward, surprising or simply unforgettable.

The evening will feature an introduction from Paul Zizka of Paul Zizka Photography, followed by presentations from three selected photographers. Each presentation should combine compelling imagery with an entertaining story about capturing the images.

📅 Application deadline: September 2026
📍Photo Rodeo: November 7 | Rab Stage, Festival Marketplace

Applications are open to photographers living in and around the Canadian Rockies. Submitted images should be a sample of your best work and do not need to relate to your proposed story.

Ready to share your story? Apply now: https://www.banffcentre.ca/2026-banff-centre-mountain-film-and-book-festival-photo-rodeo

📸: Paul Zizka

08/10/2026

🎃🗻 Halloween. Mountains. Psychedelic skiing. Live music. That’s how we’re opening the 51st Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival.

Join us October 31 for Mountains of the Moon, Chris Benchetler’s visually stunning film experience, brought to life with a live score performed by Denver-based famed Grateful Dead tribute bandleader Ross James of the The Terrapin Family Band. Narrated by Paul Stamets, the film combines breathtaking skiing, immersive visuals, and a timeless soundtrack in a surreal exploration of adventure, art, and imagination.

Opening Night festivities begin with a Halloween patio party, costume-friendly fun, and craft cocktails from Wild Life Distillery | WLD. Following the screening, Ross James and guest performers return for an additional live set, extending the celebration well into the evening.

Festival-goers can also attend a separate ticketed performance by The Wardens, whose acclaimed mountain-inspired songs and stories have made them a beloved fixture of Rocky Mountain culture.

Single tickets for Opening Night are on sale now: https://tickets.banffcentre.ca/filmfest/Online/mapSelect.asp

📸: ChrisBurkard

07/28/2026

🔊 Tickets are on sale NOW!

The countdown is officially on! In just over three months, the 51st Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival returns for nine epic days of unforgettable films, inspiring stories, and incredible guests from October 31–November 8, 2026.

Planning to attend with friends or family? We've got an Early Bird deal for you:
✨ Save $5 per ticket when you buy four or more tickets to any event in the Jenny Belzberg Theatre before September 15.

Browse the full festival lineup, start planning your schedule, and secure your seats today through the link in our bio.

More free events and festival experiences are still to be announced, so stay tuned—we can't wait to welcome you back for another unforgettable adventure! Buy your tickets now: https://www.banffcentre.ca/film-fest/passes-tickets

07/24/2026

Looking for your next family movie night?

Explore our brand-new Family Friendly Program, featuring a curated collection of films for all ages part of our online films platform!

These uplifting stories celebrate courage, perseverance, outdoor adventure, and the joy of discovering the world around us. Meet inspiring athletes, follow unforgettable journeys, and experience stories that prove determination can take you almost anywhere.

Films include:

🎥SLIDING
🎥Eliot Jackson – Drop The Mic
🎥A Team Sport
🎥THE STREIF – Fabio Wibmer
🎥Footprints on Katmai
🎥2 Legs is Easy

Whether you're exploring Alaska's wild landscapes, racing down iconic mountain slopes, or meeting people who redefine what's possible, there's something here for all ages.

Start watching today: https://watch.banffcentre.ca/onlinefilms?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22864106148&gbraid=0AAAAAD2tbmU92q3ZK1O8f-BF25hcNsq4A&gclid=CjwKCAjwmozTBhAeEiwAkEGZzg_FrGTSZHbQ6zpdaggvjTPHcbwCKdUnLMwyEVa8ulLRfh-YCYSKmBoC2r0QAvD_BwE

📸Harrison Mendel

06/22/2026

Want to experience some of the standout films from the 50th annual Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival—for free?

In celebration of National Indigenous History Month in Canada, we're offering a curated collection of short films by Indigenous filmmakers that share Indigenous cultures, stories, and voices. The lineup includes Borrowed from the Earth, En Plein Air, The Hard Way, Iikaiksimatsa’pao’p (Grateful to Be on the Land), and Shaped by Land.

These powerful films highlight Indigenous perspectives, experiences, and connections to the land from communities across the country.

📅 Available online until June 27
🎟 Free to watch

Views are limited, so act fast to unlock your films - and you have until June 27 to finish watching them! Start watching the films today: https://www.banffcentre.ca/summer-arts-fest/indigenous-arts/online-films-screening

📸1: Iikaiksimatsa’pao’p (Grateful to Be on the Land)
📸2: Chris Murphy
📸3: Matt Steeves
📸4: The Hard Way
📸5: Emily Sullivan

06/10/2026

A giant mountain. A dream line. Two of the best ski mountaineers on the planet. 🗻We're spotlighting Robson, a film currently touring New Zealand as part of the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour's Aoraki Program.

The film begins beneath the shadow of Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. For generations, climbers have been drawn to its immense faces, unpredictable weather, and larger-than-life reputation. Now, elite ski mountaineers Christina Lustenberger and Guillaume Pierrel are adding their own chapter to that story.

The film by Director Philip Forsey had its world premiere at the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival in November. ⛷️ It follows two of the world’s world’s most accomplished ski mountaineers, as they turn the sights on Mount Robson.

The film gives background and history on the greatness of Mount Robson as the two skiers retrace the steps of pioneering alpinists who came before them, pushing the line between past and present mountaineers attempt a daring first descent of Mount Robson’s South Face. Their journey becomes as much about resilience and legacy as it is about the pursuit of a descent few have ever dared to imagine.

Robson is a reminder that some adventures are about more than reaching the summit—they're about writing the next chapter in mountain history. Check your local World Tour stop to see if Robson is on the lineup.

📸1, 3, 6 & 7: Blake Gordon
📸 2 & 5: Phillip Forsey
📸4: Josh Lavine

06/07/2026

"At first, I wondered if I had heard my name correctly. Only when the title of my film was mentioned did I realize it was me," recalls BanffPitch First Runner-Up Nazgul Omurzhanova. "It was around 5 a.m. in Kyrgyzstan, and I could not fall back asleep for a long time afterward."

Last summer, took a chance on BanffPitch with her documentary Суу башы (Waterkeeper), which was still in early production at the time. The film follows her father, Rysbek, who has supplied drinking water to a mountain village of 3,000 people for more than 30 years. As health issues force him to step away, the community must find a way forward.

Her pitch earned the $10,000 First Runner-Up Prize.

Since then, the award has helped transform the project. Nazgul spent more than four months filming full-time, expanded her team, and gained an executive producer through a connection made with BanffPitch juror Ava Karvonen.

"The support gave me the confidence to think bigger about my film," she says.

For filmmakers considering applying, her advice is simple: go for it.

"Even though I participated online, I connected with many people from Canada, and honestly, it felt almost like attending in person."

⌛ June 30, 2026 — Deadline

The top five finalists will pitch live on November 7, 2026 for a chance to win the $25,000 Grand Prize and additional awards. Your story could be next. Apply through the link in our bio.

📸 2-9: Saule Mukanbetova

06/02/2026

What image will become the face of the 2027 Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival? It could be yours.

Each year, the Festival’s Signature Image is featured on promotional materials in Banff and travels around the world through the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, reaching audiences in more than 40 countries. There’s only a few days left for professional outdoor adventure photographers to submit to our 2027 Signature Image call. We welcome images captured anywhere in the world, ideally within the last five years.

The selected photographer will receive $3,000 CAD, prominent exposure across Festival platforms, a feature on our website with their biography, and the opportunity to attend Festival screenings and events.

Deadline to Apply: June 5, 2026

We’re excited to see what you share. Head to the link in our bio to apply today.

📸1: Antoine Mesnage
📸2: Jordan Manoukian

05/30/2026

“What excited you most about applying to BanffPitch?”

We asked the top three placements from the 2025 competition—and despite coming from different countries, different filmmaking backgrounds, differ and different stages of production, different story focuses, they all said the same thing: they took a chance on their story.

Mateo Arango Guerrero took home the Grand Prize for Echoes of Memory. Nazgul Omurzhanova earned First Runner-Up for Waterkeeper (Суу башы), while Tyler Burr and Alicia Newell were named Second Runner-Up for Making The Cut.

Watch the video above to hear from our Grand Prize Winner, Mateo, and our Second Runner-Up team, Alicia and Tyler.

Now we’re asking: are you our next BanffPitch finalist?

⌛ Deadline: June 30, 2026

The top five finalists will pitch live on November 7, 2026, for a chance to win the $25,000 Grand Prize plus additional awards. There is just over one month left to apply:
https://www.banffcentre.ca/film-fest/competitions/banffpitch

05/27/2026

Love mountain culture, film, books, and live events? Join our team at Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival.

Our Mountain Culture department is hiring for several exciting roles supporting the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival and World Tour. From helping deliver this year’s 51st Festival to supporting audiences around the globe, we’re looking for creative, organized, and passionate people to join us.

Current openings include:
⛰️ Events Specialist, World Tour
⛰️ Film and Events Specialist
⛰️ World Tour Manager

Banff Centre is looking for passionate new team members. View all current opportunities at Banff Centre: https://www.banffcentre.ca/careers

Address

107 Tunnel Mountain Drive
Banff, AB
T1L1H5

Telephone

+14037626100

Website

http://www.banffmountainfestival.ca/

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