BanffPitch

• Submissions Open: April 16, 2026
• Submission Deadline: June 30, 2026
• Filmmaker Notifications: By August 10, 2026
• Live Pitch Showcase in Banff: November 7, 2026 

Read the submission rules and eligibility page for all requirements. Only completed applications will be considered for the competition. Only completed applications will be considered for the competition. Applications should be unique projects on FilmFreeway that include all required elements below.

You will be required to submit:

• Project proposal video for the project, which must be under 5 minutes. Must be in English or with English subtitles for a non-English project proposal video.
• Project outline/letter of intent. This should include the concept, ideal cast, and creative team (maximum 1 page).
• Project synopsis (maximum 200 words)
• Budget
• Timeline and stage of development.
• Link to past work samples (under 2 minutes).
• CV/Resume with relevant experience and training. 
  
  Apply Now

Your project will be assessed based on the substance, originality, and quality of your story and characters. The Festival team and Jury members will determine the viability of your project based on your artistic merit, your ability to communicate your idea clearly and concisely, and relevant filmmaking experience.

Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity welcomes applications from people with disabilities, Blind or have low vision and people who have barriers accessing technology. In exercising our commitment to providing equal access to our resources, applicants who require support with their application, can email banffmountainfestival@banffcentre.ca.

Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is committed to an equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment. We encourage women; First Nations, Métis and Inuit persons; members of visible minority groups; persons with disabilities; persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity and expression; and all those who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas at the Centre to apply.

Grand Prize Winner 

Echoes of memory (Australia, Colombia)
By Mateo Arango Guerrero

An unstable peace agreement is signed in Colombia, marking the end of over 60 years of armed conflict. But for Gisela Paredes, leader of the Colombian park rangers collective, the fight is far from over. She embarks on an unprecedented journey to demand that the agreement’s promises of truth, justice, reparation and non-repetition extend beyond her fellow ranger victims to include nature and its territories. Her quest takes her deep into some of the world's most biodiverse national parks, places of stunning beauty that also hold a painful past, revealing the hidden scars of war on the land and the people who protect it. These untold narratives become the foundation for an unprecedented legal case that Gisela will present to the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, challenging the world to redefine what "peace" truly means.

$25,000 - Sponsored by Bray's Run Productions

First Runner-Up

Waterkeeper (Kyrgyzstan)
By Nazgul Omurzhanova

Waterkeeper follows Nazgul's father, Rysbek, who has provided drinking water to a mountain village of 3,000 people for over 30 years. His work involves traveling 7 km through rugged terrain to a water base in the mountains 2–3 times a week, cleaning it, and sending water to the community. This year, due to health issues, Rysbek must leave his job, but no one in the village is ready to take his place. The film observes how the community faces this challenge, seeks a solution, and experiences the consequences of water scarcity. Through her father’s story, the film highlights the global challeng of limited access to clean drinking water and the vital role of individuals who sustain their communities.

$10,000 - Sponsored by Beyond Boundaries Films

Second Runner-Up

Making The Cut (Canada)
By Tyler Burr

A chronic infection is forcing Alicia Newell to consider an elective leg amputation. To understand what life and sport might look like as an amputee, Alicia turns to her climbing partner Nicolas Sabia, a member of Canada’s para-climbing team. With deep insight and an irreverent humour springing from lived experience, Nick and the adaptive community open Alicia’s eyes to the world of adaptive climbing and the daily realities of living with a disability.

The para team schools Alicia on the countless obstacles she could face, but one sticks out to her in particular: difficult approaches and added financial and logistical burdens limit the team from accessing much of Canada’s best outdoor climbing. Alicia decides to organise an adaptive training camp in Canmore in the summer of 2026. She’ll manage resources, support, and logistics—giving the team a chance to train together in the mountains, while Alicia learns from their experiences and reaches a decision regarding her own amputation. Between mountain views, irreverent one-liners, and occasional prosthetic malfunctions, Making The Cut will prove that laughter in the mountains is the best medicine (next to anti-fungals), and introduce Canada’s para-climbing team through the eyes of someone who may soon stand in their shoe(s).

Nikon Gear Certificate valued at $5000

The Land She Treads (Canada)
By Olivia Johnson and Erica Negrini

Echoes of memory (Australia, Colombia)
By Mateo Arango Guerrero

Making The Cut (Canada)
By Tyler Burr

Waterkeeper (Kyrgyzstan)
By Nazgul Omurzhanova

BEARPROOF (USA)
By Kyle Dudgeon