Listen wins the 2026 Banff Mountain Film Competition Grand Prize

The Banff Mountain Film Competition is excited to announce Listen (USA) by director Taliesin Black-Brown as winner of the Grand Prize ($5,000 CAD) during the 51st annual Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

A short documentary set in one of the largest wilderness areas on Earth, Listen follows Alaskan author Hank Lentfer as he records forgotten sounds of the natural world and cares for his mother with dementia. Listen is a sensory immersion that dissolves the boundaries between us and the more-than-human world. Directed by American filmmaker Taliesin Black-Brown and produced by Sam Davis, Listen also previously won the Grand Jury prize at the 2026 Tribeca Festival and was recently acquired by New York Times Op-Docs. 

“As human beings in the 21st century, we are confronted with an unprecedented challenge and abundant opportunity to restore and create foundational belonging with the environments that support all life on Earth. When cinema is used as an elemental and catalytic antidote for isolation, dissociation, and pervasive material loss with such precise moral clarity, artistic mastery, and salient brevity; the result is a film that engages human caused environmental devastation—the existential dilemma of our time—at its nucleus with overwhelming love and hope. For this achievement in filmmaking and in personhood, the jury awards the 2026 Banff Mountain Film Competition Grand Prize to Listen.”

– Rose Bush, 2026 Film Competition Jury

This year’s international jury includes David Arnaud (France), a film director and former professional kayaker; Rose Bush (USA), an Oscar Award-winning director of photography and sought-after teacher and mentor; Beki Henderson (UK), a BAFTA-nominated producer, series producer, and expedition specialist; Kerry Stauffer (Canada), former Managing Director of the Digital, Film and Media department at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and former Director of Production and Program Competition at Achilles Media.

The Banff Mountain Film Competition received a record-breaking 610 film submissions from 59 countries, with 83 films representing 16 countries selected as finalists. You can view the A-Z guide of the 2026 Banff Mountain Film Competition finalists here. Nearly all award-winning films will be available to watch online from November 12-22, 2026 (available in Canada and USA only).

Category Award Winners and the Grand Prize were announced on the final evening of the 51st annual Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, held October 31 to November 8, 2026, at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Banff, Alberta.

Recognized as one of the world’s leading celebrations of mountain and adventure filmmaking, the 2026 festival featured 12 world premieres, 24 North American premieres, and 20 Canadian premieres. $30,000 CAD in prize money was awarded across 10 categories, plus a $5,000 CAD Grand Prize.

Following the festival, the annual World Tour hits the road, bringing a curated selection of films from the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival to audiences in more than 45 countries on seven continents, with over 1,000 screenings held around the world each year—the largest adventure film tour on the planet!

The 2026 Banff Mountain Film Competition Award winners are:

Grand Prize
Sponsored by Nikon Canada | $5,000
Listen
(USA, 2026, 15 minutes)
Director: Taliesin Black-Brown
Producer: Sam Davis

Best Film: Adventure
Sponsored by Clipper Race | $3,000
The Navigator
(Canada, 2026, 90 minutes)
Director: Jordan Manley
Producer: Laura Yale

Nearly 50 years after becoming the first Native Hawaiian in six centuries to navigate a voyaging canoe to Tahiti, Nainoa Thompson embarks on the demanding deep-sea crossing one final time. Guided solely by the stars and nature's clues, Thompson and his crew sail the same sea road as their ancestors, bearing the responsibility of keeping this ancient knowledge alive.

“The Navigator is a visually stunning film that weaves together adventure, cultural identity and ancestral knowledge. It challenges our reliance on modern technology, revealing the extraordinary courage required to venture into the unknown guided by skills passed down through generations. Above all, it offers a powerful reminder of how easily invaluable knowledge can be lost, and the importance of preserving it for future generations.”

– Beki Henderson, 2026 Film Competition Jury

Best Film: Mountain Culture
Sponsored by Rab | $3,000
Land of Canaan
(Palestine, 2025, 87 minutes)
Director: Maggie Lemere
Producer: Maggie Lemere

As Palestinian culture and land are threatened with systematic destruction, this documentary presents a rare and intimate view of Palestinian farmers and their ancient olive trees—symbols of resilience, heritage, and home. Faced with ongoing political violence and the loss of their land, a visionary olive farmer brings thousands of small-scale olive farmers together in fair trade cooperatives that connect them to global markets and create a future for their families.

“Mountain culture is unique. It is itself a gathering of colossal geologic forces and acclimatized adaptations of humanity to belong in resonance with one another indefinitely. Life here, lives on the edge of Earth’s story. Through devotion to the endurance of the human spirit against unimaginable pressure while maintaining the integrity of both humanity and Earth’s story, one film illuminated the vital relationship of courage, vision, hope, and traditional ecological knowledge in service of the essential value of sovereignty via mountain culture. Through its delicate yet vigorous cultivation of decolonial cinema, olive groves, and enduring Palestinian life in Palestine, the award for Best Mountain Culture Film goes to Land of Canaan.”

– Rose Bush, 2026 Film Competition Jury

Best Film: Environment
Sponsored by Nature United | $3,000
Derek vs Derek 
(UK, 2026, 88 minutes)
Director: James Dawson
Producers: David Broder, Serena Kennedy

In the idyllic English countryside lives a dairy farmer named Derek. One day his neighbour, also a Derek, forsakes tradition and starts to turn his land over to wild nature, sparking a long-running feud. This film charts the two Derek's turbulent and often funny relationship as tempers fray, wild animals escape, and the land is transformed.

“This is the story of two men on opposite sides of the fence, in every sense. One wants to feed the world; the other wants to save it. The debate is deeply polarizing. Yet these two grumpy Devon farmers keep up a (mostly) civil conversation, something the world has been short of lately. James Dawson’s film tackles one of the most urgent issues of our time with humour, tenderness and quiet hope.”

– David Arnaud, 2026 Film Competition Jury

Best Film: Climbing
Sponsored by Arc’teryx | $3,000
Zindabad
(UK, 2026, 45 minutes)
Director: Tom Fish
Producers: Sam Maynard, Sammer Sultan, Tom Fish

In the heart of the Karakoram, Pakistani climber Mueez Ud Din attempts a first ascent in his own backyard—where the biggest peaks have long been claimed by outsiders. Climbing with his uncle Javed Ali and French alpinist Mathieu Maynadier, he enters an unexplored glacier system, confronting unstable conditions, limited resources, and the realities of operating at the sharp end of alpinism for the first time. Against a backdrop of recent mountaineering tragedies in the Karakoram, the film highlights opportunities to strengthen Pakistan's climbing industry and improve safety for local and international climbers alike.

“Zindabad is a beautifully crafted and inspiring film that challenges traditional mountaineering narratives by placing local Pakistani climbers, at the heart of their own stories. Celebrating community, breaking down barriers and creating opportunities, the film invites us to reconsider the meaning of exploration itself. It reminds us that adventure isn't always about reaching the summit, but about the journey and what we achieve along the way.”

– Beki Henderson, 2026 Film Competition Jury

Best Film: Mountain Sports
Sponsored by YETI | $3,000
Roots
(France, 2026, 54 minutes)
Director: Alexis Berg
Producer: Alexis Berg

Roots is an intimate portrait of Ruth Croft: a reserved New Zealand trail runner whose quiet exterior conceals an enormous heart, fierce loyalties, and human qualities that ultimately matter far more than her results.

“Few sports are as hard as ultra-trail running. And yet, for one of the best runners of her generation, the hardest climb was never on the mountain. Broken by injury, at war with her own body, Ruth Croft was hurt by the very thing she loved. Alexis Berg’s film is not so much about the rise of a champion as about an inner journey of healing and acceptance, rooted in the essential joy of running outdoors.”

– David Arnaud, 2026 Film Competition Jury

Best Film: Snow Sports
Sponsored by the American Alpine Club | $3,000
Threshold
(USA, 2026, 84 minutes)
Director: Torsten Brinkema
Producer: Lars Brinkema

At the peak of her career, Jessie Diggins was silently unravelling. Told over the course of a year, this is the story of the most decorated American skier ever and the struggle behind her smile—a painful battle with an eating disorder as Diggins fights to regain her World Cup title.

“Threshold is an intimate and deeply moving film that takes us beyond the triumphs of elite sport to reveal the vulnerability behind success. Through sensitive storytelling, it shines a light on the personal struggles so many will recognise, both within sport and beyond. The jury particularly commends Jessie Diggins for her extraordinary courage and honesty in sharing her story, reminding us that true strength often lies in vulnerability.”

– Beki Henderson, 2026 Film Competition Jury

Best Short Film
Sponsored by DUER | $3,000
Hello, Beautiful
(Canada, 2026, 13 minutes)
Director: Darcy Hennessey
Producer: Sarah Steele

While training for the Paris Olympics, elite climber Alannah Yip is suddenly diagnosed with alopecia universalis, forcing her to confront her identity beyond the competition world and embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery, healing, and redefinition.

“This film is told with tender pacing, and visuals that reflect the transformative journey into identity that an elite climber embraces with curiosity and courage as she redefines herself beyond the competition world. It resonated deeply with the jury because through her connection to nature and climbing, the film explores the journey of releasing and the joy of rediscovering who we are. Beautifully observed, the film reminds us that personal transformation does not always come from pushing harder.”

– Kerry Stauffer, 2026 Film Competition Jury

Best Feature Film
Sponsored by Myron and Catherine Tétreault | $3,000
Ceremony
(Canada, 2026, 84 minutes)
Director: Banchi Hanuse
Producer: Banchi Hanuse

Through Nuxalk Radio—a small community radio station which becomes a courtroom, confessional, and conjuring ground—the disappearance of the ooligan from the Bella Coola River reveals a buried history deeper than the river itself.

“The jury was especially moved by this film’s ability to reveal the significance of the disappearance of a seemingly small fish, and how that loss opens up a much larger story of culture, belonging, tradition, resilience, and community. Giving voice to the community through broadcasts from the Nuxalk radio station, and through personal stories and reflections, integrated with exquisite watercolour animations bridging past to present, the film masterfully explores not only what has been lost, but also the community’s determination to reclaim its traditions, bring the ooligan back to the river, and live on the land where those traditions were born.”

– Kerry Stauffer, 2026 Film Competition Jury

Creative Excellence Award
Sponsored by Nikon Canada | $3,000
75’ Seconds
(Switzerland, 2026, 12 minutes)
Director: Marco Tribelhorn

On a foggy March evening in Norway, freeskier Jacob Wester triggers an avalanche and is swept off a cliff. For 75 seconds, he fights for his life inside a roaring mass of snow, while his wife Sofia waits in silence below. 75 Seconds is an account of chaos, fear, and hope inside an avalanche.

“A compelling visual treatment brings to life an experience that is impossible to imagine. Through the powerful personal testimony and recorded audio captured as the event unfolds, we don’t simply watch or observe; we are brought inside a defining day—and inside an avalanche, with all the thoughts, fears and emotions of being swept away. The filmmaker masterfully weaves moments of intimacy and stillness into the harrowing chaos, creating an extraordinary intimate experience for the viewer.”

– Kerry Stauffer, 2026 Film Competition Jury

Audience Choice Award
Sponsored by The Lake Louise Ski Resort | $3,000
Only Music // Snake River
(USA, 2025, 40 minutes)
Director: Justin Fountain
Producer: Rush Sturges, AJ Fountain

Follow a group of musicians as they trade concert stages for river currents, embarking on a multi-day journey down the Snake River with little more than their instruments and a shared willingness to connect. Along the way, music becomes a universal language breaking down barriers, sparking unexpected encounters, and revealing the generosity of strangers in wild places.

Special Jury Mention
Just Climber / Cap ou pas Cap?
(France, 2025, 24 min)
Director: Jérôme Tanon
Producer: Cyril Salomon

Watching Solenne Piret climb is almost like witnessing magic. You wonder how she will get through, and then, with a fluid, effortless motion, she progresses up the wall. Born without a right hand, Piret has always found her own path on the wall. A four-time world champion, she now takes on a new challenge: leading the legendary Grand Capucin.

“This boundary pushing film takes us to the edge of human achievement in wild spaces and into the depths of perseverance over stigma and categorization while shattering expectations of who can hold centre stage in climbing and in the mountains. A celebration of communal and self love, the endurance to achieve excellence, and the raw grit necessary to expand equity, this film is an enriched embodiment of spiritual athleticism that echoes far beyond sport and mountain life, and boldly manifests a culture of limitless possibility accessible to all.”

– Rose Bush, 2026 Film Competition Jury

Special Jury Mention
The Last of the Lookouts
(Canada, 2026, 20 min)
Director: Ryan Wilkes
Producer: Ryan Wilkes

Bart Vanderlinde scans the forest for smoke and reflects on a 50-year career in the British Columbia Wildfire Service as other fire lookout towers across the province stand empty around him. He is one of the last guardians of a vanishing profession.

“Imagine looking at the same landscape day after day, year after year, decade after decade. Can you ever get enough? ‘I’ll miss it when I go,’ replies Bart Vanderlinde, one of British Columbia’s last fire lookouts. Masterfully crafted and suspended in time, tinged in equal measure with melancholy and beauty, Ryan Wilkes’s film is a moving portrait of a life spent watching over Canada’s forests.”

– David Arnaud, 2026 Film Competition Jury

2026 BanffPitch Competition Winners Announced!

The Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival is excited to announce the winners of the BanffPitch competition—an exciting initiative supporting young and emerging filmmakers, now in its second year! Five filmmakers. Five incredible stories. One big opportunity to bring them to life.

The live pitch event took place on November 7, 2026, in the Max Bell Auditorium at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, during the festival. The event was free and open to public to attend. Five filmmakers pitched their film projects in front of a live audience. The pitches were evaluated by a jury of renowned filmmakers, producers, and industry experts—Woody MacPhail (Canada), Dina Mufti (UK), Geraldine Carr (Canada), Darcy Hennessey (Canada), and Keith Partridge (UK).

Congratulations to all five filmmakers, we're excited to follow these projects as they continue to develop.

The 2026 BanffPitch winners are:

First Place
$25,000 – Supported by Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
Moving Mountains (India)
By Lobzang Wangtak

In a remote Himalayan village, farmer Chokhla refuses to leave as retreating glaciers and failed harvests threaten his community. He's rebuilding a forgotten glacier canal at 5,000 metres to bring water and hope back to the village.

Second Place
$10,000 – Supported by Beyond Boundaries Films
Kills the Root (Canada)
By Maia Wikler

When Maia's father receives a non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis following decades of Roundup exposure, she begins investigating glyphosate, its environmental impacts and the wider questions surrounding its use.

Third Place
$7,500 – Supported by Reel Girls Media
The Unmeasured Ascent (Canada)
By Alex Mackenzie Williams

The film revisits the story of physiologist Mabel Fitzgerald, whose 1911 research into high-altitude breathing went overlooked after she couldn't join a Pike's Peak expedition to the summit. More than 100 years later, researchers continue to investigate differences in how women and men respond to altitude.

Fourth Place
$500 gift card – Supported by The Camera Store
Water is Life (Canada, Guatemala)
By Matt Steeves

After a life-altering accident, Guatemalan swimmer Bárbara Guerra begins rebuilding her strength. Now, she's preparing to swim the entire circumference of Lake Atitlán.

Fifth Place 
$500 gift card – Supported by The Camera Store
Lithium Ghosts (Argentina)
By Nicolás Muñoz

In Argentina's High Andes, biologist Dr. Enrique Derlindati investigates how lithium mining threatens fragile wetlands and flamingo habitats, while exploring the lives and traditions of the people connected to this landscape.

BanffPitch is sponsored by Beyond Boundaries Films. With support from Reel Girls Media and The Camera Store.

Mark your calendar for next year’s Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, October 30 to November 7, 2027!

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Get a head start on planning the ultimate festival adventure next year ($1,500 CAD early bird offer available until January 5, 2027).