The Local's Guide to the 2025 Banff Film Festival

The Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival lineup is out, and with 87 films showing between November 1 and 9, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Most people just want to know one thing: which days are actually worth showing up for.

For us, that meant finding out which sessions include the most Canadian-made films or highlight stories created by or connected to people right here in the Bow Valley.

So we combed through the entire schedule to find the best single-day or two-day combo to maximize how much local storytelling you can see and support.

Best Canadian Day Film Lineups

Out of 87 titles this year, 23 are proudly Canadian, from Arctic expeditions to Filipino-Canadian climbing crews. Here’s how to pack the most Canadian stories into your day:

• Best single day: Sunday, November 2

  • 7 films

• Best two-day combo: Saturday, November 1, and Sunday, November 2

  • 5 films

Between these two days, you’ll see up to 12 Canadian films, several of them world premieres.

Sunday, November 2

9:00 AM: Jenny Belzberg Theatre

• En Plein Air: Indigenous painter Alfred Villeneuve returns by canoe to paint the wilderness that launched his career.

• Lost Wolves of Yellowstone: The story of the Canadian-born wolves that changed Yellowstone forever.

• The Mighty Quay: Celebrating 100 years of Mount Norquay and the culture that grew around it.

2:00 PM: CLVB 33 Banff Centre

• The Sound of Japan: A short film composed entirely from real sounds recorded in Japan’s mountains and cities.

4:30 PM: CLVB 33 Banff Centre

• Iikaiksimatsa’pao’p (Grateful to Be on the Land): Canmore’s Cassie Ayoungman blends Siksika teachings with climbing to bring the healing power of the mountains to her community.

7:30 PM: Choose your finale

• Jenny Belzberg Theatre: Between Days and Slipstream: Snow, rhythm, and shared silence in the Japanese Alps.

• artsPlace Canmore: Trail to Bayanihan and Robson: Canadian grit on skis, bikes, and mountain faces.

Saturday, November 1

9:00 AM: Jenny Belzberg Theatre

• Becky Bates: Not a Running Story: A 62-year-old ultrarunner who insists she isn’t a runner.

• Beyond Parallels: A 6,900-kilometre crossing of Canada’s Far North by bike, canoe, sailboat, and on foot.

• Trailblazing: The Matt Hadley Story: After a devastating accident, a Canmore trailbuilder rebuilds his life and identity.

• The Sound of Japan: A sensory trip through Japan’s mountains and streets where every sound, from temple bells to snowboard turns, becomes part of the music.

7:30 PM: Jenny Belzberg Theatre

• Trail to Bayanihan: A Filipino-Canadian cyclist discovers how bikes build community.

• Robson: Two ski mountaineers attempt a first descent on Mount Robson, retracing the legacy of alpine pioneers.

Best Bow Valley Film Day Lineups

For those who want to see our own backyard on the big screen, six films this year were made in or about the Bow Valley.

Best Single Day: Sunday, November 9: 10 AM, Max Bell Auditorium

• Ahon: The Filipino-Canadian K8 Mountaineering Club uses climbing as a path to community and belonging.

• Elladj: Canmore’s ice-skating sensation glides across frozen mountain lakes with artistry and power.

• WOW: Wall of Walls: Will Gadd’s latest Banff-based expedition, featuring four new ice climbs on a wall hidden from everyone but pilots.

Best Two-Day Combo: November 1 and 2

• Saturday, November 1 at 9 AM: Jenny Belzberg Theatre: Trailblazing: The Matt Hadley Story. After a devastating accident, a Canmore trailbuilder rebuilds his life and identity.

• Sunday, November 2 at 9 AM: Jenny Belzberg Theatre: The Mighty Quay. Celebrating 100 years of Mount Norquay and the culture that grew around it.

• Sunday, November 2 at 4:30 PM: CLVB 33: Iikaiksimatsa’pao’p (Grateful to Be on the Land). Canmore’s Cassie Ayoungman blends Siksika teachings with climbing to bring the healing power of the mountains to her community.

Other Canadian Films Worth Catching

If you’re planning to hop between days or already have a festival pass, here are the rest of the Canadian titles playing throughout the week. These ones didn’t fit neatly into the most perfect stack, but they’re absolutely worth checking out.

• Mon, Nov 3: 7:30 PM, Jenny Belzberg or Margaret Greenham Theatre

  • A Baffin Vacation, Love on Ice: Adventurers Erik Boomer and Sarah McNair-Landry spend 69 days kite-skiing, climbing, and paddling along Baffin Island’s frozen coastline in a wild mix of love story and expedition grit.

  • La Rubia: Canadian climber Bronwyn Hodgins steps away from big-wall burnout to rediscover her drive through sport climbing and performance training.

  • The Skater: Longboarder Sean Young rockets down British Columbia mountain roads at over 100 km/h in a high-speed ode to downhill freedom.

• Tue, Nov 4: 7:30 PM, Jenny Belzberg Theatre
  Embers: A Jasper aerial artist rebuilds her life after wildfire and reflects on resilience in a changing climate.

• Sat, Nov 8: 9:00 AM, Jenny Belzberg Theatre
  Beauty in a Fall: A Revelstoke mountain guide embraces her identity as a trans woman while finding her way back to the mountains.

• Sat, Nov 8: 2:00 PM, Jenny Belzberg or Margaret Greenham Theatre
  Mountain of Mystery: A Source to Sea Adventure: A sweeping journey through British Columbia’s backcountry where skiers, kayakers, and surfers trace the path of melting snow to the ocean.

• Sun, Nov 9: 9:00 AM or 2:00 PM, Jenny Belzberg Theatre
  Eliot Jackson: Ode to LA: The pro mountain biker picks up a guitar, writes his own score, and proves he’s just as good on pedals as he is on chords.

How to Book

Tickets are sold by session (day + time + theatre).

• Example: “Sunday, November 2, 9 AM, Jenny Belzberg Theatre.”

Each session includes multiple short films, so you’ll often catch several titles in one sitting.

If your session sells out, check for repeats at artsPlace Canmore or Lux Cinema Banff, which host alternate screenings throughout the week.

Full schedule and tickets here.