Overview
The International Wildlife Film Festival (IWFF) is the world's longest-running film festival dedicated to wildlife and natural history filmmaking. Founded in 1977 by bear biologist Charles Jonkel at the University of Montana, the festival returns in 2026 for its 49th edition, running April 18 to 23 at The Roxy Theater in Missoula, Montana. A virtual festival program follows from April 26 to May 1, 2026. The festival screens nearly 70 original documentary films and accepts open submissions through FilmFreeway.
IWFF evaluates films on scientific accuracy, ethical filmmaking practices, and creative excellence. The jury includes both filmmakers and scientists, reflecting the festival's dual commitment to factual rigor and storytelling craft. For wildlife and natural history filmmakers, IWFF is the most targeted competitive platform available. No other festival focuses exclusively on this genre with the same depth of scientific scrutiny.
The festival's home at The Roxy Theater - a nonprofit community cinema with three screens, a micro-cinema called The Annex, an outdoor Roxy Garden, 35mm projection, and state-of-the-art sound - provides an intimate screening environment in the heart of Missoula. The Roxy operates year-round as an arthouse theater and serves as the permanent base for IWFF operations.
Submission Details
IWFF accepts open submissions through FilmFreeway. Submissions for the 49th edition (IWFF49) are now closed.
Submission deadlines for IWFF 2026:
- Opening Date: October 15, 2025
- Regular Deadline: November 15, 2025
- Late Deadline: December 15, 2025
- Extended Deadline: January 15, 2026
- Notification Date: February 16, 2026
For submission categories and fees, visit the IWFF FilmFreeway page. Fees are tiered across the four deadlines.
Eligibility requirements:
- Films must have a release date, copyright date, or air date after 2024
- Films must have a central focus on non-domesticated wildlife species, natural habitats, or conservation
- Films must be permitted to stream virtually, at minimum to a Montana audience (geo-restrictions and audience caps are negotiable)
- Non-English language productions must include an English voiceover or subtitles
- The submitter must be legally authorized to enter the film and grant screening permission
- The submitter is responsible for all copyrights
- One viewing copy per entry, preferably online
- No refunds on submission fees
Important note: Programs with timecode, broken links, or other defects may be disqualified. Preview your entries before submitting.
Key Sections
- Feature Documentary Competition - wildlife and natural history features competing for Best of Festival and category awards
- Short Film Competition - wildlife short films and segments
- Student Film Competition - wildlife films by student filmmakers
- Youth Program - films selected for educational and youth audience screenings (some submissions in other categories may also be considered for this program)
- New Vision - innovative and experimental approaches to wildlife storytelling
- Series - wildlife film series or multi-part productions
- Special Events - opening night party, filmmaker workshops, IWFF trivia, mask-making events, art gallery openings, and closing night reception
What Filmmakers Should Know
The competitive program selects two to three films per category as finalists, with the full festival program consisting of approximately 50 to 60 film selections. Some films screen as general selections outside the competition.
Ticket prices:
- Individual Screenings: $10 adults / $9 students, seniors, military / $7 youth (13 and under)
- All-Screening Pass (In-Person Only): $100
- All-Access Pass (In-Person and Virtual): $150
The All-Access Pass grants access to every screening during the in-person festival (April 18-23) plus the virtual festival (April 26-May 1). Tickets and passes can be purchased at The Roxy Theater box office or online.
Awards
IWFF presents awards across multiple categories, with winners selected by a final jury of three qualified individuals:
- Best of Festival - the top award across all categories
- Best Feature - best feature-length wildlife documentary
- Best Short - best short-form wildlife film
- Best Series - best multi-part or series production
- Best New Vision - best innovative or experimental approach
- Best Student - best film by a student filmmaker
- Best Youth Program - best film for youth audiences
- Best Animal Behavior - best documentation of animal behavior
- Best Living with Wildlife - best film on human-wildlife coexistence
- Best Sustainable Planet - best film on environmental sustainability
- Best Wildlife Conservation - best conservation-focused film
- Audience Award - voted by festival attendees
Category winners and Best of Festival are announced during the festival. The Special Jury Prize may also be awarded at the jury's discretion.
Festival History
IWFF was founded in 1977 by Charles Jonkel, a bear biologist at the University of Montana. Jonkel established the festival as a watchdog and "guardian" of scientific and factual accuracy, ethical film practices, and creative excellence in the wildlife film genre. The festival predates the widespread popularity of natural history programming on television and helped establish the professional infrastructure for wildlife filmmaking as a serious discipline.
In 2002, the festival purchased the historic Roxy Theater as its permanent home. In 2013, The Roxy launched its year-round screening series and began an extensive collaboration with the University of Montana, local businesses, and the community, serving a diverse, all-ages population with broad programming. The Roxy now houses three cinema screens with HD projection, 35mm projection, state-of-the-art sound systems, two stages, The Annex micro-cinema, and the Roxy Garden outdoor screening space.
IWFF has operated continuously for 49 years, making it not only the first wildlife film festival but the longest-running. The festival has adapted to digital submission and virtual screening formats while maintaining its core mission of promoting awareness, knowledge, and understanding of wildlife through excellence in film.
Past Winners
2026 (IWFF49) Award Winners:
- Best of Festival and Best Feature: Snow Leopard Sisters (Nepal)
- Best Living with Wildlife: In the Path of Giants, dir. Fayed Khan and Kirsty Wells (Singapore/UK)
- Best Wildlife Conservation: Nuisance Bear, dir. Gabriela Osio Vanden and Jack Weisman (USA/Canada)
- Best Short: Life in the Ditch
- Best Short Short: Red Wolf in Time Out
2025 (IWFF48) Award Winners:
- Best of Festival: Lost Wolves of Yellowstone
- Best Feature: Out of Plain Sight
- Best Short: The Last Observers
- Best Series: Ireland's Wild Islands (RTÉ)
- Best Living with Wildlife: The Shepherd and the Bear
- Best Student Film: Even So
2023 (IWFF46) Award Winners:
- Best of Festival: Earthbound: Nzambi Matee
- Best Animal Behavior: Lion: The Rise and Fall of the Marsh Pride
- Best Wildlife Conservation: Heart of Maui
2022 (IWFF45) Award Winners:
- Best of Festival: The Territory, dir. Alex Pritz (Brazil/Denmark/USA)
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
The Territory (2022 Best of Festival): Directed by Alex Pritz and produced by Darren Aronofsky, this documentary about the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau people's fight against Amazon deforestation premiered at Sundance 2022, where it won the World Cinema Documentary Audience Award and a Special Jury Award for Documentary Craft. It was distributed by National Geographic Documentary Films and Picturehouse, receiving an Academy Award nomination.
Nuisance Bear (2026 Best Wildlife Conservation): Directed by Gabriela Osio Vanden and Jack Weisman, this documentary about polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba won the U.S. Documentary Competition Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2026. It is distributed by A24 and was selected for the Margaret Mead Film Festival.
In the Path of Giants (2026 Best Living with Wildlife): Directed by Fayed Khan and Kirsty Wells, this documentary about wild elephants trapped by the world's largest refugee camp in Bangladesh was also selected for Doc Edge New Zealand and nominated for Best Documentary Feature and Best UK Cinematography at Raindance Film Festival.
Snow Leopard Sisters (2026 Best of Festival): This documentary about two Indigenous women saving snow leopards in Nepal's Dolpo region screened at the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival, Wild and Scenic Film Festival, and ALT EFF before winning top honors at IWFF.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
- Center your film on non-domesticated wildlife. Films must have a central focus on non-domesticated wildlife species, natural habitats, or conservation. Domestic animal stories do not qualify.
- Ensure scientific accuracy. The jury includes both filmmakers and scientists, and films are evaluated on scientific accuracy, ethical filmmaking practices, and creative excellence. Inaccurate or misleading scientific content will disadvantage your submission.
- Prepare for virtual streaming. Films must be permitted to stream virtually, at minimum to a Montana audience. Geo-restrictions and audience caps are negotiable, but you must be willing to allow some form of online access.
- Submit early to save on fees. Fees are tiered across four deadlines from October to January. The opening date is October 15, 2025, with the extended deadline on January 15, 2026.
- Include English subtitles or voiceover. Non-English language productions must include an English voiceover or subtitles. Preview your entry for timecode issues, broken links, or other defects before submitting, as defective entries may be disqualified.
- Consider the student and youth categories. IWFF has a dedicated Student Film Competition and a Youth Program. The jury may reassign films to the Youth Program if appropriate, providing additional screening opportunities.
Industry Reputation Notes
IWFF is the world's longest-running wildlife film festival, operating continuously for 49 years. It is not Academy Award-qualifying and does not have FIAPF accreditation, but it holds a unique position as the only major festival exclusively dedicated to wildlife and natural history filmmaking.
The festival's jury evaluation criteria align with the standards expected by major natural history broadcasters like BBC Natural History Unit, National Geographic, and PBS Nature. The festival's connection to conservation organizations and wildlife research institutions creates networking opportunities specific to this community. Filmmakers can expect to meet biologists, conservationists, and producers who work in the wildlife film genre full-time.
IWFF is known for its casual, community-oriented atmosphere. Alumni highlight the camaraderie among filmmakers, the engaged Missoula audience, and clear communication from festival staff. The festival's location in Missoula, surrounded by wilderness, offers day trips throughout western Montana that no urban festival can replicate.
The festival does not have an attached film market. It is best understood as a targeted competitive platform for wildlife filmmakers rather than a market event.
Watch
See Also
Use the Festival ROI Calculator to weigh submission fees against potential returns from attending. For documentary filmmaking guidance, read Documentary Filmmaking Guide. For festival strategy and selecting the right documentary festivals for your film, see Film Festival Strategy.
