2026 Banff Film Fest: 1,318 People, $7,713 Raised

We've been hosting the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour in Peterborough for around 3 decades. It never gets old.

This January, 1318 people came out over three nights to watch some of the best adventure and mountain culture films in the world — right here in Ptbo. And as always, a portion of every ticket sold goes to the Wild Rock ComPassion Project, managed in partnership with the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough. This year that total came to $7,713, which will go into the 2026 granting cycle.

We asked our festival coordinator Jon what keeps Banff special after all these years. His answer was pretty simple: community.

"Many people that go to the show see people that they know. A conversation sparks. Often the BFF is more than a night out at the movies. It's a gathering of friends. Some you see often, some less so. Perhaps it's once a year at the BFF."

It's that gathering energy, the vibe, as Jon puts it, that makes Banff Film Fest such a natural fit for the ComPassion Project. You get a room full of people who already care about nature and outdoor adventure, and they're warm and open and happy to be there. Talking about organizations protecting the Kawarthas or supporting people facing homelessness in Peterborough doesn't feel like a hard pivot in that room. It feels like a natural extension of why everyone showed up in the first place.

Selecting the right films for a Peterborough audience matters to Jon — it's something he puts real thought into every year. This year's lineup landed especially well, and that's something we don't take for granted. When 1318 people leave happy, we know we're doing something right.

So. See you next January?

Keep an eye on wildrock.net for when they drop.