Watch Epic Outdoor Films at the 2025 Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival
The Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF) has been screening inspiring films about the outdoors each winter since 1998. This year's edition runs in-person from February 21 to March 4 and online from February 21 to March 23.
You can watch over 60 films online or at one of 20 in-person shows in Vancouver, North Vancouver, and Squamish. Many of the shows feature presentations from outdoor athletes and filmmakers. The festival also includes seven workshops for filmmakers, photographers, and writers.
Tickets and Passes
Many in-person events sell out, so get tickets in advance to avoid disappointment. Buy tickets for in-person shows and workshops on the VIMFF website. If you purchase tickets to more than one show or workshop, you can get 10% off.
You can also buy online film passes on the VIMFF website. They offer an online pass that gives you streaming access to all of the online films or you can buy one of six online show streaming passes that include a set of films with a similar theme: Climbing Show, Environment Show, Mountain Adventure Show, Mountains Voices, Snowsports Show, and Waves and Trails Show.
Festival Highlights
With a diverse set of films on offer showcasing hiking, rock climbing, skiing, and more, it can be tough to decide which shows to attend. Here are a few festival highlights that feature local producers and diverse content.
Bike Night
Maneuver Vancouver showcases the city's best mountain bike trails. Photo: Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival/Maneuver Vancouver/J.B. Bazzarini
Experience life on two wheels at Bike Night with five films about mountain biking around the world. Locals will love Maneuver Vancouver, which follows local legend Wade Simmons as he leads icons Hans Rey and Steve Peat on a five-day tour of our city's best mountain bike trails and urban bike routes.
When: Sunday, February 23, 2025 at 7 pm
Where: Rio Theatre, 1660 E. Broadway, Vancouver
Ski & Snow Show
A still from Ahon. Photo: Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival/Ahon/Trixie Pacis
Celebrate winter with five ski films at the Ski & Snow Show. The evening includes films about the history of extreme skiing in Colorado, a DIY ski hill in Yellowknife, skiing via public transportation in Eastern Europe, and finding extreme lines in the Arctic. The evening's highlight is Ahon ("Rise"), which tells the story of a group of Filipino Canadians creating community through mountain adventures.
When: Wednesday, February 26, 2025 at 7 pm
Where: Rio Theatre, 1660 E. Broadway, Vancouver
Environmental Film Night
Explore the kelp forests of Hornby Island in Silent Sanctuary. Photo: Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival/Silent Sanctuary/Carter Kirilenko and Adam Combs
The four films at the Environmental Film Night draw attention to nature's fragility and celebrate the fight to protect it. The evening's films take you from the snowless slopes of Italy's ski resorts to the salmon spawning grounds of the Fraser River and beyond. You can also dive into the majestic kelp forests off the coast of BC's Hornby Island in Silent Sanctuary, which has stunning underwater visuals.
When: Thursday, February 27, 2025 at 7 pm
Where: The Cinematheque, 1131 Howe Street, Vancouver
Pacific Wild Shorts
Return of the Great Bear is the stand-out film at the Pacific Wild Show. Photo: Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival/The Return of the Great Bear/Natasha Wehn and Ian McAllister
The Pacific Wild Shorts event showcases three short films that explore the connections between nature, adventure, and conservation in British Columbia. The stand-out is the world premiere of Return of the Great Bear, which tells the story of activists, biologists and Indigenous leaders working to fight grizzly bear trophy hunting on BC's Central Coast. The incredible cinematography from local wildlife photographer and videographer Ian McAllister will transport you into the world of the bears.
When: Friday, February 28, 2025 at 6:30 pm
Where: The Cinematheque, 1131 Howe Street, Vancouver
Stories With Impact
A still from Wildflowers. Photo: Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival/Wildflowers/Natalie Gillis
Experience films that dig deep at the Stories With Impact show. Each of the four films explores the ways that humans connect with the land and each other on outdoor adventures. Two of the four films have Canadian connections: The Magnus Way follows Magnus Manson, a Canadian downhill mountain bike racer as he is diagnosed with cancer. Wildflowers tells the story of four women who re-visit Mary Schäffer Warren's historic 1908 expedition to Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park.
When: Saturday, March 1, 2025 at 7 pm
Where: Rio Theatre, 1660 E. Broadway, Vancouver