International Wildlife Film Festival (IWFF)

Overview

The International Wildlife Film Festival (IWFF) is the oldest and longest-running wildlife film festival in the world. Founded in 1977 by wildlife biologist Charles Jonkel at the University of Montana, the festival is held annually in April at the Roxy Theater in Missoula, Montana. The 49th edition runs April 18 to 23, 2026, with a virtual program extending from April 25 to May 1, 2026. The festival programs approximately 50 to 60 films across 12 competitive categories, with two to three finalists selected per category.

IWFF is the only major film festival dedicated exclusively to wildlife and environmental filmmaking that has operated continuously for nearly five decades. The jury evaluates films on scientific accuracy, ethical production practices, and cinematic craft. Submissions are accepted through FilmFreeway, with an opening deadline of October 15, 2025, a regular deadline of November 15, 2025, a late deadline of December 15, 2025, and an extended deadline of January 15, 2026. Notification of selections occurs by February 16, 2026. Eligible films must have a release date, copyright date, or air date after 2024.

The festival is headquartered at the Roxy Theater, 718 S. Higgins Ave, Missoula, Montana 59801 - a historic venue with three cinema screens, a micro-cinema, an outdoor movie garden, 35mm projection, and two stages. The Roxy also operates as a year-round art-house theater, making IWFF a community-embedded event rather than a fly-in festival.

Submission Details

All submissions go through FilmFreeway. The festival does not accept physical media for initial submission. Filmmakers must provide one viewing copy per entry, preferably via online screener.

For public screenings during the festival, selected films must be delivered as a Blu-ray Disc, H264, or .mov file. Non-English language productions must include English voiceover or subtitles. The submitter is responsible for all copyrights and must be legally authorized to enter and screen the film. Entries with time codes, broken links, or other defects may be disqualified. No refunds are issued for disqualified entries.

Films must be permitted to stream virtually, at minimum to a Montana audience. Geo-restrictions and audience caps are negotiable. Due to the festival's Youth Matinee program, some films submitted in other categories may also be considered for the Youth Program category.

Competition Categories and Awards

IWFF presents awards across 12 categories, plus a Best of Festival prize and an Audience Award. The winner in each category is chosen by a final jury of three qualified judges. Category winners, Best of Festival, and the Audience Award are announced during the festival.

Competitive Categories

• Best of Festival + Feature - top prize, awarded to the best film overall and best feature-length production
• Best Short - best short film (under 40 minutes)
• Best Short Short - best film under 10 minutes
• Best Series - best series of three or more programs
• Best New Vision - best innovative or experimental approach to wildlife storytelling
• Best Student - best film made while the filmmaker was enrolled in an academic institution
• Best Youth Program - best program for young audiences
• Best Animal Behavior - best footage of rare or notable animal behavior
• Best Living with Wildlife - best film about human-wildlife coexistence
• Best Sustainable Planet - best film on environmental sustainability
• Best Wildlife Conservation - best film with a conservation message
• Audience Award - voted by festival attendees

Two to three films are selected as finalists in each category. The festival program consists of approximately 50 to 60 film selections total. Some films screen as general selections outside the competition.

2026 Award Winners (49th Edition)

The 2026 award winners include:

• Best of Festival + Feature: "Snow Leopard Sisters" - a film weaving gender, tradition, poverty, and snow leopard conservation in Dolpo
• Best Short: "SLOOT - Life in the Ditch"
• Best Short Short: "Red Wolf in Time Out"
• Best Series: "Kingdom of Fish"
• Best New Vision: "Rock Pool"
• Best Student: "COLOURISE: Exploring the Magical World of Biofluorescence"
• Best Youth Program: "Escape"
• Best Animal Behavior: "Heart of a Lion"
• Best Living with Wildlife: "In the Path of Giants"
• Best Sustainable Planet: "SPILLOVER - Planet of Viruses"
• Best Wildlife Conservation: "Nuisance Bear"

IWFF Labs

IWFF Labs is a highly competitive, science-driven filmmaking intensive held in conjunction with the festival. The program brings together emerging filmmakers with working scientists to develop wildlife film projects grounded in biological research. IWFF Labs is one of the few programs in the world that pairs scientific mentorship with filmmaking craft instruction, and it has produced filmmakers who have gone on to work for National Geographic, BBC Natural History Unit, and PBS Nature.

What Filmmakers Should Know

Scientific Accuracy Is Judged

Unlike general documentary festivals, IWFF jurors include working biologists and conservationists alongside filmmakers. A film with exceptional cinematography but inaccurate science will not win. The jury evaluates ethical decision-making during production - meaning films that harass wildlife, bait animals, or misrepresent behavior for dramatic effect are penalized. This is a distinguishing factor from festivals like Jackson Wild or Wildscreen, which also evaluate scientific accuracy but with different jury compositions.

No Premiere Requirement

IWFF does not require any premiere status. Films that have screened at other festivals, broadcast on television, or been available online remain eligible, provided they meet the release date requirement (after 2024). This is an advantage for filmmakers whose films have already had festival runs but want to reach the wildlife film community specifically.

Virtual Distribution

All selected films must be available for virtual streaming during the festival's online program (April 25 to May 1, 2026). Filmmakers can negotiate geo-restrictions and audience caps. The virtual program extends the festival's reach beyond physical attendees in Missoula to an international audience.

Missoula as a Documentary Hub

Missoula hosts two significant documentary festivals: IWFF in April and the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in February. The city is home to the University of Montana's journalism and film programs, and the Rocky Mountain West setting attracts filmmakers working on environmental, Indigenous, conservation, and natural history themes. Filmmakers attending IWFF can expect a community-oriented atmosphere with post-screening Q&A sessions, daytime panels, and direct access to filmmakers and scientists.

Ethical Filmmaking Standards

IWFF was founded as a "watchdog" and "guardian" of scientific and factual accuracy in wildlife filmmaking. The festival maintains this founding principle. Filmmakers should be prepared to answer questions about their production methods, permits, and ethical decisions during the production process. The jury explicitly evaluates "ethical decision-making made during production" as part of the competition criteria.

Festival History

IWFF was founded in 1977 by Charles Jonkel, a wildlife biologist at the University of Montana. Jonkel was a leading polar bear researcher who saw the growing art of wildlife cinematography as both an opportunity and a risk - opportunity because films could inspire conservation action, risk because inaccurate or staged wildlife films could mislead audiences and harm conservation efforts. The festival was created to promote ethical, scientifically accurate wildlife filmmaking.

The festival has operated continuously for 49 years, tracking the evolution of wildlife cinematography from 16mm film to 8K digital capture, from static tripod shots to remote camera systems, drone cinematography, and underwater imaging. In 2013, the Roxy Theater became the festival's permanent home and began operating as a year-round art-house theater with three screens and community programming.

The 2022 festival (45th edition) selected winners from over 300 submissions across 12 categories. The 2021 festival's final judges included Janet Han Vissering (Senior Vice President of development and production at National Geographic Wild), Ami Vitale (Nikon Ambassador and National Geographic photographer), and curator Pipaluk Lykke. In 2021, a student film ("Life on the Rocks" by George Pretty) won Best of Festival for the first time in IWFF's 44-year history.

See Also

Calculate your total festival submission costs and projected return using the Festival ROI Calculator. For the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, also held in Missoula, see Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. For documentary filmmaking approaches, see Documentary Filmmaking Guide. For festival strategy and planning, see Film Festival Strategy. Submit through the IWFF FilmFreeway page or visit the official submissions page.