The Banff Mountain Film Festival is the most prestigious international film competition and an annual presentation of short films and documentaries about mountain culture, sports, and environment. It was launched in 1976 as The Banff Mountain Film Festival by The Banff Centre and is held every October in Banff, Canada.
Approximately 375 films are entered into the film festival annually, and the top 80 films are selected by a pre-screening committee to be shown at the week-long festival in Canada. During the festival, the international film festival jury chooses the best films and presents awards in various categories including: Best Film on Mountain Sport, Best Film on Mountain Environment, Best Film on Mountain Culture, Best Film on Exploration and Adventure, and more.
From this selection a program of over 2 hours of thought-provoking films, with subject matter ranging from remote landscapes and cultures to adrenaline-packed action sports, are selected to tour Australia each April, May and June. In Australia, the same 2+ hours of films are shown at each screening.