New Zealand Mountain Film Festival

New Zealand Mountain Film Festival The 2026 Festival is on in Wānaka June 19 - 23, Queenstown June 25-26, & online July 1 to 31 Film finalists and the world’s best adventure movies!

NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival runs in Wanaka June 25 to 29, Cromwell June 30 & in Queenstown July 1 to 3. Scheduled activities include:

Opening night with film awards announcements and previews, and live music and socialising. NZ guest speakers
Workshops and book readings
Adventure Film School
Adventure trade show
Film maker and author talks
Art exhibition
Photography Competition

Mountain Boo

k Festival run in Wanaka June 27 to 29. Scheduled activities include:
Workshops and book readings
Adventure Writing School. Author talks
Art exhibition
Old fashioned story telling

Full programme released and tickets go on sale 1 June on mountainfilm.nz

Outdoor culture looks different depending on where you stand — and the Mountain Culture Show is your chance to see it th...
02/06/2026

Outdoor culture looks different depending on where you stand — and the Mountain Culture Show is your chance to see it through fresh eyes.

Journey from Icelandic sheep musters and Mongolian eagle hunting to Greenlandic ski guides, Chamonix creatives and an Angolan village forever changed by two young brothers’ climb. These films explore mountain culture in all its forms and are a good reminder that while landscapes may differ, a shared connection to wild places runs deep.

One of the must-see sessions at this year’s NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival, proudly supported by Wilderness Magazine.

📍 Saturday 20 June | 11.00 am – 2.00 pm
📍 Lake Wānaka Centre
🎟 Tickets at mountainfilm.nz

Join us for a powerful lineup of films exploring conservation, climate, connection and the fragile places we call wild, ...
31/05/2026

Join us for a powerful lineup of films exploring conservation, climate, connection and the fragile places we call wild, at the Nature & the Environment Show on Sunday morning, 21 June.

Journey from Patagonia, where a biologist cycles in search of peace between pumas and farmers, to retreating glaciers, ocean clean-ups and the quiet art of building homes for wild bees. Along the way, meet the people paying close attention to the natural world — and asking what it will take to protect it.

📍 Sunday 21 June | 11.00 am – 2.00 pm
📍 Lake Wānaka Centre
🎟 Tickets: mountainfilm.nz/sessions/session-5

With thanks to the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council for supporting this session

A complimentary glass of Maude Wines, extraordinary stories and an afternoon well spent 🍷📚Words & Wine returns to the NZ...
29/05/2026

A complimentary glass of Maude Wines, extraordinary stories and an afternoon well spent 🍷📚

Words & Wine returns to the NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival — one of our most loved events and the perfect way to settle in for an afternoon of storytelling.

Hear from adventurers, conservationists and storytellers as they share tales spanning New Zealand’s rugged mountains and vibrant oceans — from grassroots conservation in Kahurangi and rare underwater encounters to mountaineering history and powerful personal journeys of resilience.

Sit back, sip, and enjoy stories from people who’ve truly lived the adventure.

📍 Wānaka | Sunday 21 June | 5 – 6pm

Find out more and book tickets 👉 mountainfilm.nz/sessions/session-book1

PURE NZ Tahi celebrates the spirit of Kiwi adventure filmmaking — and the mountain people behind the stories.Presented b...
27/05/2026

PURE NZ Tahi celebrates the spirit of Kiwi adventure filmmaking — and the mountain people behind the stories.

Presented by Rab NZ, this standout session brings together filmmakers, explorers and big-screen adventures from Aotearoa’s wildest places. Many of the filmmakers will be at the festival to introduce their films, including multiple world premieres and major award winners — among them Best NZ-made Film.

From Fiordland expeditions and high-altitude mountaineering to paragliding across the Southern Alps and gravel journeys through the lower South, these are stories of grit, connection and life lived outdoors.

These sessions regularly sell out, so don’t leave booking your tickets too late.

Info and tickets 👉 mountainfilm.nz/sessions/session-3

📍 Wānaka | Saturday 20 June

We’re delighted to announce the winners of the NZ Mountain Book Competition! Mountain and Adventure Heritage AwardCaring...
26/05/2026

We’re delighted to announce the winners of the NZ Mountain Book Competition!

Mountain and Adventure Heritage Award
Caring for Kahurangi: The inspiring story of Friends of Flora by Sandy & Robin Toy

Mountain and Adventure Narrative Award
Whales, Snails and Lobster Tales by Andrew Penniket

Sandy Toy will share the inspiring legacy of Caring for Kahurangi, detailing the grassroots efforts to restore a wilderness, as part of our Words and Wine Session on Sunday 21 June at 5pm. Andrew Penniket will also be joining this session, recounting exciting adventures and rare encounters during his career as an underwater cameraman and documentary maker.

You can also catch Robin and Sandy Toy, alongside photographer Ruedi Mosimann in the Book 2 Session on Monday 22 June at 5pm.

Find out more and book tickets at mountainfilm.nz

Alpinist, filmmaker and master storyteller from the world’s wildest places, Sébastien Montaz-Rosset (Seb Montaz Studio) ...
23/05/2026

Alpinist, filmmaker and master storyteller from the world’s wildest places, Sébastien Montaz-Rosset (Seb Montaz Studio) will be making two appearances at the NZ Mountain Film Festival next month.

Catch him on Saturday 20 June at 7.30pm in Wānaka or on Opening Night in Queenstown on Thursday 25 June. The talks will be followed by the 2026 Grand Prize winner K2 – Chasing Shadows, where Séb was behind the lens as Director of Photography.

A unique chance to hear the stories — and then watch them unfold on screen.

Book now 👉 mountainfilm.nz

Want to be part of the NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival magic? We’re on the lookout for friendly, reliable volunteers to...
21/05/2026

Want to be part of the NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival magic?

We’re on the lookout for friendly, reliable volunteers to help bring the festival to life in Wānaka and Queenstown.

From ushering and ticket scanning to helping in the café and behind the scenes — it’s a great way to meet people, soak up the atmosphere and be part of something special.

✨ Plus, volunteers get access to shows!
Sign up here: mountainfilm.nz/volunteer

A huge congratulations to all the winners of our annual film competition 🎬This year, we received 266 submissions, includ...
19/05/2026

A huge congratulations to all the winners of our annual film competition 🎬

This year, we received 266 submissions, including 30 from NZ filmmakers. The standard was incredibly high, and selecting the final 63 films for the programme was no easy task.

Join us in celebrating this year’s winners 👏🏻

Grand Prize
K2 – Chasing Shadows, Directors: David Arnaud & Hugo Clouzeau, USA.

Hiddleston/MacQueen Award for Best NZ-Made Film
100 Days in Fiordland, Director: Dan Sutherland.

Best Short Film
Mia, Directors: Marco Noe, Chico Kretzer, Australia.

Best Film on Mountain Culture
Cumbira, Director: Mateo Barrenengoa, Chile.

Best Film on the Environment
Chasing Time, Directors: Jeff Orlowski-Yang & Sarah Keo, USA.

Best Climbing Film
The Queen Swing, Director: Thibaut Marot, France.

Best Snow Sports Film
Hunter’s Moon, Directors: Christina Lustenburger & Gee Pierrel, USA.

Best Film on Adventurous Sports & Lifestyles
Mountain of Mystery, Directors: Jake Hopfinger, Justin Fann & Eric Parker, USA.

Special Jury Awards
Beyond Parallels, Directors: Ariane Moisan & Laurent Poliquin, Canada.
The Five Treasures of the Snows, Directors: John Porter & Dom Bush, UK.
Robson, Director: Philip Forsey, Canada.
Better Up There, Director: Mathis Dumas, France.
Falling into Place, Directors: Todd Jones & Steve Jones, USA.
Dissidence, Director: Rama Dio Syahputra, Indonesia.
The Fast Line, Director: Jochen Schmoll, France.

NZ Award Winners

Grassroots Award
Packraft Paradise, Director: Charlotte Barry-Walsh.

Festival Spirit Award
Project RedLine, Director: Matheson Brown.

(not) Making an Impact Award
Greensteam: More Than A Movement, Director: Chris Chase.

Spirit of Adventure Award
The Pole of Inaccessibility, Directors: Danny Warley & Ned Brannigan

Find out more and book tickets at mountainfilm.nz

We're stoked to launch the 2026 festival programme! Check it out and book your tickets at mountainfilm.nzWānaka: 19–23 J...
19/05/2026

We're stoked to launch the 2026 festival programme! Check it out and book your tickets at mountainfilm.nz

Wānaka: 19–23 June
Queenstown: 25–26 June

18/05/2026

The wait is over — the 2026 NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival programme is now live!

From big mountain adventures to powerful human stories, it’s shaping up to be something special.

Browse the programme and book your tickets at mountainfilm.nz

Wānaka: 19–23 June
Queenstown: 25–26 June

Or stream the films online from 24 June to 31 July.

Here’s a sneak peek…

With thanks to our Presenting Partners: LUMIX NZ

Address

Lake Wanaka Centre, 89 Ardmore Street
Wanaka
9193

Telephone

+642040848775

Website

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