As we’ve spent our summer watching the world, commuting from our home office to our backyard when the clock strikes 5pm, and entertaining each other during virtual happy hours; we’re preparing for colder backyard commutes and cozier home office sweaters and looking ahead to the 16th annual Backcountry Film Festival like we’ve never seen it.

For 15 winters, the Backcountry Film Festival has brought people indoors to celebrate our favorite adventures in the outdoors. The 2019-20 season featured many a’ cheers over Sierra Nevada brews, a brand new logo, sweet gear giveaways thanks to our awesome sponsors, and a line-up of films from an inspiring crew of storytellers, adventurers, and conversation-starters in the backcountry. 

But as we all know, COVID-19 interrupted many things, including the tail end of last season’s film tour. The pandemic has also dramatically changed the landscape of film gatherings as we know and love them. The health, safety, and access of our backcountry communities is at the forefront of our minds. But we like to focus on the positives. The pandemic gave us an opportunity to reimagine the Backcountry Film Festival. The future of our shared vision has been dynamically rearranged and challenged to present more diverse stories in ways we haven’t thought about before. 

So, what’s the plan?

We hope to present a unique festival experience that inspires action, engages through knowledge, and brings together a community of backcountry storytellers. In order to better serve our communities, lift up the voices that are typically not heard as loudly as others, and to continue celebrating our backcountry experiences, we’re leaning in deeper to just that: the “Backcountry” in our name. Here’s what we’ve got coming your way:

• “Best of Fest” – A collection of our favorite films from the past fifteen years of BCFF screenings.
• Beyond Backcountry – A series of follow-ups with your favorite filmmakers, athletes, and storytellers! Keep your eyes peeled as we release more and more of these throughout the season. Check out our first episode with Caroline Gleich and Rob Lea of 2019’s film, “Climb for Equality,” here.
• 2020-21 Season – The show must go on! We are planning an entirely virtual film tour this winter with all your favorite local partners, a collection of truly wild stories, and “keep you on the edge of your couch” human-powered stoke.
• Film Fund – We’re working to provide intentional film funding opportunities for those who share our vision for a diverse and accessible backcountry.
• Summer 2021 – Shh! This is our biggest project still in the works… but let’s just say, the backcountry fun doesn’t stop once the snow melts.

With all this in mind, we can’t wait to launch into another Festival season with you – set to inspire your backyard human-powered adventures all year long. A collage of human-powered stories and backcountry-inspired experiences, our film collection will continue to bring wild conversations and better inspire action. A mixture of films featuring backyard adventurers, grassroots groups, and more are featured on-screen adjacent to the standard industry, large-sponsor films to relay important messages around policy and advocacy, youth, and backcountry culture across all streams.

We’re grateful to have such a unique community who shows up in full force at every screening; a wide range of films that speak to many experiences in the snowy backcountry season-after-season; to be able to adapt to changes in the forecast; and to continue sharing the backcountry with our fellow human-powered audience. What is adventure without change?