Banff is about to get very busy with people who like cold mountains and big stories. The Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, now in its 51st year, runs from Saturday, October 31 to Sunday, November 8, 2026, and packs in more than 80 screenings across nine days.
This year's programme features 83 films from 17 countries, covering climbing, skiing, wildlife, conservation and general outdoor obsession. Several are world premieres, and the lineup has some genuinely big names attached.
The headline act is Everest: The Other Side, directed by Oscar winners Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi. It follows ski mountaineers Jim Morrison and Hilaree Nelson as they attempt to climb and ski down Everest's North Face — one of the most difficult routes on the mountain. It screens on October 31 and November 7.
Also worth a look: Mountains of the Moon (October 31), filmed almost entirely at night with glowing costumes, lasers and animation following surfers, skiers and climbers through mountains and oceans. The Lost Cache (November 5-6) retraces a team's hunt for equipment explorer Bradford Washburn abandoned on a remote Yukon glacier more than 80 years ago. Nuisance Bear (November 7-8) is a Canadian documentary tracking polar bears along Hudson Bay as tourism reshapes their world. And Derek vs Derek (November 7) takes a gentler angle — two English farmers with clashing visions for their land, one traditional, one rewilding.
Most screenings happen at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, but some events spill into other venues around Banff and nearby Canmore, so check the schedule before you go. Individual tickets start at $20, with prices varying by screening. If you're committing to a full weekend, festival passes cover all eligible events across either the opening or closing weekend.
Can't make it to Alberta? The films stream online from November 12 to 22, 2026 — a decent consolation prize, though it lacks the après-film mountain town atmosphere.
For travellers, this is one of the better excuses to visit Banff in late autumn. The summer crowds are gone, the larches have turned, and evenings are made for sitting in a dark theatre watching people do slightly terrifying things on mountains. Pair a screening day with hikes around Banff or a detour to Canmore, and you've got a solid shoulder-season trip with a festival at its centre.
