Mountainfilm Festival

Telluride, Colorado
United States

ABOUT MOUNTAINFILM DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL

Celebrating  Indomitable Spirit Since 1979

Using the power of film, art and ideas, Mountainfilm inspires audiences to create a better world. Held every Memorial Day weekend, the Mountainfilm festival brings together a community of filmmakers and change makers, showcasing documentary films that celebrate adventure, activism, social justice, environment and indomitable spirit.

Mountainfilm takes place on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded homelands of the Nuchu (Ute) and Pueblo people.

Mountainfilm uses the power of film, art and ideas to inspire audiences to create a better world. Mountainfilm is a multi-dimensional festival that celebrates adventure, activism, social justice, culture, the environment and indomitable spirit. We accept and screen feature and short films on a broad range of subjects. We are always interested in work that focuses on mountains, mountain culture, and mountaineering, but we also showcase films about people who are dedicated to changing the world. See a complete list of films from the previous festival here.

Eligibility Requirements

• Mountainfilm is a documentary film festival. If your film is not a documentary, please do not submit.
• Feature documentaries are 40 minutes and longer. Shorts are under 40 minutes, including credits.
• Film entries may be of any length, from any country, and on any subject in keeping with our mission. Subtitled films should either be in English or include English subtitles.
• At this time, we do not accept VR projects.
• With very few exceptions, Mountainfilm requires that films have not been screened or broadcast in Colorado prior to the festival. We take other previous screenings, broadcasts, and online availability into consideration when making official selections.
• Mountainfilm prefers newer films for inclusion. For the 2024 festival, we are seeking films making their premieres after January of 2023.
• We will consider shorts that have had an online presence, though our preference is to highlight work that has not already reached a large audience.

Submission Guidelines

• Only complete applications will be considered. This includes full contact information, film synopsis and specs, hi-res production stills, a trailer (features only), a Vimeo screener link and director headshot and bio.
• We strongly prefer Vimeo links over FilmFreeway's video uploads.
• Your screener link must remain active until June 15, 2024.
• Entry fees are non-refundable.
• If you are from an LMIC, a BIPOC filmmaker, or a student, please contact us for a submission fee discount/waiver.

DEADLINES & FEES

Opening Submission Date
September 22, 2025

Notification Date
April 15, 2026

Event Date
May 21 – 25, 2026

Features are defined as 40 minutes and above, shorts as less than 40 minutes.

Visit the Mountainfilm Documentary Film Festival website for more information.