Winter Wildlands Alliance Announces 22nd Annual Backcountry Film Festival

September 29, 2026

Human-powered winter film festival kicks off October 29 in Boise before touring ~100 communities across North America

BOISE, Idaho (September 29, 2026) /OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ — Winter Wildlands Alliance is proud to announce the 22nd annual Backcountry Film Festival, returning this fall with a new collection of films celebrating human-powered adventure, winter landscapes, and the communities working to keep them wild.

The 2026-27 tour kicks off with the Backcountry Film Festival World Premiere on October 29, 2026, at Treefort Music Hall in Boise, Idaho, before making its national tour to roughly 100 communities throughout the winter season.

For more than two decades, the Backcountry Film Festival has brought skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers, filmmakers, conservationists, and winter enthusiasts together around a shared love of winter. This year’s lineup continues that tradition with stories spanning powder days and big backcountry objectives to friendship, adventure, conservation, and the people working to protect the places where those stories unfold.

“This year’s festival is centered around a simple idea: Ski Kind,” says Emily Scott, Events & Operations Manager at Winter Wildlands Alliance. “It’s about how we show up for each other, for our communities, and for the wild places that make winter possible. We hope these films inspire people to carry a little more kindness into the season ahead—whether that’s on the skin track, at the trailhead, or in the way we care for our shared winter landscapes.”

Unlike a traditional film tour, Backcountry Film Festival screenings are hosted by local conservation organizations, SnowSchool sites, avalanche centers, outdoor groups, retailers, and other community partners. Proceeds from these events stay in local communities, supporting human-powered recreation and conservation efforts, winter outdoor education, and avalanche and safety programs.

During the 2025–26 season, nearly 100 Backcountry Film Festival screenings brought together approximately 20,000 people and raised roughly $160,000 for local programs and organizations.

The Boise World Premiere will bring the winter community together for an evening of films, raffle prizes, silent auction, and SnowSchool games to celebrate the start of winter. Doors open at 5:30 PM, with films beginning at 7:00 PM.

For the latest tour schedule, tickets, film information, and details on hosting a screening, visit winterwildlands.org/backcountry-film-festival.

About Winter Wildlands Alliance

Winter Wildlands Alliance is a national nonprofit working to inspire and empower people to protect America’s wild snowscapes. Since 2000, the Alliance has worked at the intersection of conservation and outdoor recreation to protect public lands, safeguard winter ecosystems, and advocate for thoughtful winter recreation management. Through national policy and grassroots advocacy, SnowSchool outdoor education, and the Backcountry Film Festival, Winter Wildlands Alliance connects people to winter landscapes and empowers communities to protect the places they love. Learn more at winterwildlands.org.

Media Contact:
Addi Jenkins
Communications & Marketing Director
ajenkins@winterwildlands.org