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Event: International Wildlife Film Festival

Dates: April 17 - May 14, 2021
Where: The Roxy Theater, Missoula, MT

The International Wildlife Film Festival returns for its 44th year with the theme, “Rising from the Depths.” IWFF runs April 17 through May 15, showcasing a catalog of 65 films, most of which are available to an international audience. Every week of the festival new films are added to the virtual catalog, as well as online discussions, offering viewers access to intimate conversations with filmmakers following select screenings.

Outdoor screenings allow viewers to celebrate the festival safely under the Big Sky at popular locations such as the Roxy Garden, Ogren Park, and pop-up media installations throughout Missoula. Single tickets, punch passes, and full festival passes are available on April 1. Roxy Members receive discounts on tickets and passes. All sales support the IWFF and its home, the Roxy Theater.

  • The festival kicks off on Saturday, April 17 with a Roxy popcorn-pickup and WildWalk tribute. Outdoor screenings at the Roxy Garden will begin Thursday, April 22, and will continue every Thursday and Friday of the festival, Thursday, April 22 through Friday, May 7. Roxy Garden’s lineup includes 2040, Beast of Our Time, The Coyote: Yellowstone’s Underdog, Secrets of the Whales: Orca Dynasty, and the 2021 Best of Festival Winner.
  • Celebrate Earth Day, Thursday, April 22, at the UM Wildlife Biology’s 85th Anniversary party that will include a pop-up installation of the film Lichen.
  • Out of the sixty-five films selected, thirty-four films are nominated as finalists in twelve categories, films featuring the talents of Jeff Bridges, Sigourney Weaver, and Sir David Attenborough. During the festival, a panel of three final judges will select a winning film in each category, the Best of Festival award, while audience members will vote on an Audience Award Winner. The IWFF Award Ceremony will be held in Missoula on Friday, April 30. Along with the 2021 Awards Ceremony on April 30, Epic Yellowstone, A Winter Hunt will be projected on First Montana Bank downtown.
  • On Thursday, May 8 there will be a screening of Kingdoms of Fire, Ice, and Fairy Tales, a film that takes its viewers from the unforgiving environment of the Arctic Circle to the scalding thermal vents of Yellowstone’s super-volcano. This family-friendly event will include a costume contest, prizes, and more.
  • Finally, the festival closes out under the Caras Park tent with Whales, the festival’s final pop-up installation on Friday, May 14.

Founded in 1977 at the University of Montana, IWFF is the first and longest-running event of its kind. The vision of the IWFF is grounded in exceptional filmmaking that extends an understanding and appreciation for all wildlife species and the natural world. For full event listings and ticket information, visit wildlifefilms.org.

The International Wildlife Film Festival exists to champion wildlife filmmakers and inspire a new generation to challenge conventional expectations about how we conserve wildlife and habitat. This 44-year-old film festival resides in the Roxy Theater in Missoula, Montana, and celebrates community cinema.

Questions? Contact Carrie Richer Artistic Director at 406.728.9380 and/or carrie@wildlifefilms.org

Ticket Cost: $10 - $100