The Big Sky Documentary Film Festival is the premier venue for non-fiction film in the American West. Big Sky offers an ideal setting for filmmakers to premiere new work and develop lasting relationships with fellow filmmakers and industry. Celebrating 23 years in 2026, the festival draws an audience of 20,000 and film entries from every corner of the globe to a uniquely intimate mountain town setting with local Montana flavor.

The festival hosts over 200 visiting artists, presents an average of 150 non-fiction films and offers a variety of exciting events throughout downtown Missoula, Montana. In addition to screenings, Big Sky hosts DocShop, a five-day industry event that includes panels, master classes, workshops, and the Big Sky Pitch session. DocShop participants have included: HBO Documentary Films, Showtime Documentary Films, Tribeca Film Institute, Sundance Film Institute, New York Times Video, ESPN Films, Gravitas Ventures, Al Jazeera Witness Participant Media, SFFILM, BBC Storyville, CNN Films, ITVS, POV, PBS, Chicken & Egg Pictures, Seed & Spark, Film Independent, Field of Vision, The Fledgling Fund and Ford Foundation. Big Sky also screens films in schools across the state of Montana reaching over 4,000 students in just four days. Participating filmmakers have the unique opportunity to visit classrooms to present their films and engage students in discussion.

The Big Sky Documentary Film Festival is an Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences qualifying event for short-form documentaries. The winner of the Best Mini-Doc and Best Short Documentary categories automatically qualifies to compete for a Documentary Short Oscar the following year. Distinguished judges from around the country select the winners in each category during the ten day festival. Special guests of the festival have included Barbara Kopple, Les Blank, Steve James, Joe Berlinger, Brett Story, Lucy Walker, Ondi Timoner, Robert Drew, Stanley Nelson, Kirby Dick, Greg Barker, Penny Lane, Daniel Junge, Sam Green, John Cohen, Jeanie Finlay, Doug Pray, Travis Wilkerson, Matt Wolf, Jeff & Michael Zimbalist, Cazeh Zahedi, Hart & Dana Perry, Ron Mann, the Ross Brothers, Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert and many many more.

Awards & Prizes

BEST FEATURE: 40 minutes & over

BEST SHORT: 15-39 minutes (Academy Qualifying Category)

BEST MINI-DOC: Under 15 minutes (Academy Qualifying Category)

BIG SKY AWARD - Films of any length that artistically honor the character, history, tradition and imagination of the American West.

Winners in each category receive a $500 cash prize.

Rules & Terms

Submissions are open to nonfiction films of all styles, subjects, and lengths. All films selected for screening will be notified of their status by January 10, 2026.

If accepted for screening, your film will screen in Missoula, Montana in February 2026, and potentially in a virtual exhibition, as part of the 23rd annual Big Sky Documentary Film Festival.

ENTRY FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE. Should the 2026 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival be canceled or postponed because of a natural disaster, pandemic, or for any other reason beyond our control, submission fees cannot be refunded.

ELIGIBILITY

While our festival focuses on new work, films of any completion date are eligible for submission. However, accepted films must not have been shown anywhere in Montana prior to the festival.

Work that has previously screened online may be considered, however priority is given to work that has not already reached a wide audience.

You are welcome to re-submit only if the film has undergone significant re-working since it was previously entered. Please contact the Director of Programming if this applies to your film.

SCREENING FEES

Big Sky does not pay screening fees.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Preview screeners and exhibition screeners must either be in English or have English subtitles.

Rough cuts are accepted for entry at the final deadline only. If you submit a rough cut, we cannot guarantee that Big Sky programmers will be able to review an updated cut at a later date. If you are submitting a rough cut, make sure it is indicated as such. At the beginning of your screener, please Include the intended final running time and work/elements remaining to be completed. Big Sky does not exhibit works-in-progress at the festival. Films must be completed by February 1, 2026 in order to be screened.

Big Sky requires an online screener to be uploaded to Vimeo (password protected or private link), Youtube (unlisted link), or the FilmFreeway video player. If you absolutely cannot upload your film please email coordinator@bigskyfilmfest.org for instructions.

All entry deadlines are upload deadlines. Entries received after the final deadline may not be considered.

Shipping & Insurance costs are the responsibility of the filmmaker.

AWARDS

Acceptance to Big Sky does not guarantee selection for competition. Up to 10 films are selected by the programming committee for each competition category. Priority is given to films premiering at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival that are without distribution. Our goal is to create a field of finalists representative of the variety of voices who submit to our festival.

Competition categories are: Best Mini-Doc, Best Short, Best Feature, & Big Sky Award.

DELIVERABLES

Accepted filmmakers must have the following format available by January 19, 2026 for screening at the festival: h.264 (.mp4) file. All films screening at the festival must include a .srt file. If the primary language is not English, then you must provide an open subtitled version for screening. The filmmaker is responsible for all shipping and insurance costs.

DCP is not a required screening format. However, we may request a DCP for screening in some instances.

You are responsible for updating Big Sky directly regarding any change to your contact information and ensuring that emails from @bigskyfilmfest.org domain are not blocked by spam filters.

Due to the volume and size of our staff, feedback is not provided regarding films chosen or not chosen for inclusion in the festival.

ENTRY FEE DISCOUNTS

Discounted submission fees are available for Montana filmmakers or filmmakers with Montana-based films and Indigenous filmmakers. Explore the Categories & Fees panel for more information.

ADDITIONAL TERMS OF ENTRY

By submitting this documentary, I understand that I am agreeing to the following:

I am currently the copyright owner of this work. Should ownership or rights to my film change, this agreement to screen at the 2026 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, if accepted, will be upheld and not be infringed. I own or control the copyright and am duly authorized to submit this documentary film to the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival (Big Sky) and to the best of my knowledge, all statements on this document are true; This documentary contains no material which could result in tort claims, royalty claims, claims for breach of contract, or claims of any sort whatsoever; If this documentary is selected for screening at Big Sky, I grant Big Sky the right to screen this film in Missoula, Montana, February 13 - February 22, 2026; I understand and agree that this film entry, if selected for the Festival, may be used for promotional purposes for the Festival, Big Sky and/or its partners and I grant Big Sky and its partners the rights to use up to two minutes of footage, photographic stills and/or titles and information from the film for promotional purposes; I fully indemnify and hold Big Sky and its partners harmless from: a) damage to or loss of the film print or videotapes en route to or from Big Sky or during the course of festival possession of the entry; and b) from any claims which may arise in connection with this documentary film. If a claim arises in connection with this film, I will bear all the costs of defense incurred by Big Sky and pay any award of damages which may ensue. I also agree to reimburse Big Sky for any attorney fees incurred in connection with the defense of such a claim. I understand that Big Sky reserves the right to place my film in the appropriate competition category. By submitting my film, I am indicating that I understand, comply with and agree to the Terms of Entry and the eligibility requirements.

142 Reviews
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  • Amanda Erickson

    We had a wonderful experience at Big Sky! The audience was welcoming and the local academic conversations were important.

    April 2025
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  • Taniel Kilajian

    Hands-down the best documentary festival in the US. A majestic location, a terrific and welcoming staff, and a wonderful selection of films made Big Sky a special experience!

    March 2025
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  • Soraya Simi

    Big Sky -- truly one of the best film festivals in the country.

    This was my second time at BSDFF. The first, I was part of the Pitch Workshop for my film ROW OF LIFE (two years ago), and this year, we screened ROW OF LIFE less than one week after its World Premiere.

    Missoula is the most charming town - affordable, lovely, and in the dead of February the perfect excuse to curl up in a warm theater and transport yourself to the cinematic universes BSDFF programs. The programming is first class. Some of the most creative and cutting edge filmmaking is on display here, paired with the fact that so many of the filmmakers themselves are present for Q&As and networking between screenings.

    The staff is exemplary. Cannot say enough good things about Ryan, Rachel, Julia, Sarah, Alana, Kristi, Lucy, Halle, and so many more folks who go above and beyond to make this festival what it is!

    I was extremely proud to share ROW OF LIFE with audiences this year, but was both surprised and disappointed on the flight TO Missoula that we were no longer included as part of the Competitive Category. This was not my understanding before, as I noted from previous conversations with programmers that because we didn't have distribution attached to our film, we would be eligible for Jury Awards. A huge blow to learn literally on the flight to the festival, and a major let down. The understanding that we were eligible for awards was a major part of our strategy to play this festival, and I would've appreciated a better head's up way ahead of time.

    Apart from that, we still had a wonderful time screening the film at the beautiful Wilma Theater. I was especially grateful for the opportunity to play the film at a nearby Juvenile Detention Facility and engage in a 2+ hour discussion with young men 14-17 y/o. This was incredibly meaningful and added a new purpose of a new target audience I hope to engage with Angela's powerful story moving forward.

    Thank you, Big Sky, for another year of cherished memories, excellent hospitality, and great films!

    March 2025
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  • Marshall Granger

    Big Sky has solidified itself as the best documentary film festival in the American West and is 100% worth attending if your film is selected. The staff and fellow filmmakers create a supportive, engaging atmosphere, where it's easy to wind up in interesting conversations every time you sit down for a screening or go find something to eat. Incredible, thoughtful programming and so many wonderful events, panels and parties. Don't miss it!

    March 2025
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  • Nick Santore

    I World Premiered the first short documentary that I have ever directed at Big Sky, and it was the best decision I've ever made. The moment I arrived at the airport I was greeted with a warm welcome from one of many incredible volunteers and made new filmmaker friends right off the plane on the drive over to the hotel! That only grew throughout the week. The legends who put on this fest go above and beyond on every level. It's apparent that they really care about the craft of documentary filmmaking. From the incredible DOCSHOPs they put on all week long, to the well thought and planned events that show off the heart of Missoula every single day, it was a truly invaluable experience. Everyone I met at the fest feels like family to me. I hope to have a chance to return again soon! BIG LOVE BIG SKY!

    March 2025
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