As the premier all-women + genderqueer adventure film festival, No Man’s Land Film Festival has celebrated the full scope of athletes and adventurers by un-defining femininity in adventure, sport, conservation, and film since 2015. Based out of Denver, CO, NMLFF meets a need and desire to highlight and connect women + gender-nonconforming communities in pursuit of the radical.

We are a collaboration of humans who are deeply engaged in enhancing the feminine presence in the outdoor adventure arena. The goal of this festival is to connect like-minded individuals who are action-oriented, wish to support a shared vision of gender equality, have a desire to experience their passions and environments through a uniquely feminine lens — and above all, love adventure.

Our Flagship Festival is held the second weekend of March in celebration of International Women's Day weekend. 2025 Denver Flagship dates are March 7th + 8th, 2025 in celebration of our 10-year anniversary.

OUR MISSION:
No Man's Land Film Festival seeks to break patterns and cycles of harm individually, collectively, and globally by upholding a platform for intersectional storytelling that inspires a radically inclusive, accessible, and equitable future. Through art, education, advocacy, and activism, we seek to challenge mainstream representation and work to dismantle the sexist, white-supremacist, cissexist, ableist, and other settler-colonial norms that cause harm to non-archetypal representation within the outdoor industry.

OUR VISION:
Our work is oriented by the diverse experiences of women, LGBTQ+, Black, Indigenous, and multiracial communities of all abilities. We seek to foster environments and experiences to further educate and inspire audiences globally. With strong roots in feminism, No Man’s Land champions emerging and established voices of the global majority through exclusive premieres, panel discussions, and live performance.

All genders are welcome, and No Man’s Land encourages everyone to attend in expanding our collective capacity for growth and compassion.

NMLFF is a woman-led, service-minded, community-oriented arts and advocacy non-profit organization.

Awards & Prizes

Best of Festival
People's Choice
Fem-Wow (favorite all-female or genderqueer production)
Most Inspiring Story
Best Cinematography
Wildest Adventure

Awards will be presented during the Denver Flagship Festival. Filmmakers unable to attend will be notified via email.

Rules & Terms

Important Dates and Deadlines:

10th Annual Flagship Festival: March 7th + 8th, 2025
10th Annual World Tour: March 8th, 2025
2025 Festival Submission Deadline: November 1st, 2024
Notification of Acceptance: December 2nd, 2024
Final Versions of Accepted Film(s) Received By: December 20th, 2024

*We accept films featuring a female or gender-nonconforming subject as the lead. This includes women, trans women and men, and genderqueer or non-binary subjects.

**We are always accepting submissions and, if accepted, they may be incorporated into our current tour program.

Submission Guidelines:
In order to be considered, you MUST include the following items with your entry form for the festival:

1. Link to an online accessible digital screener. We prefer a Vimeo link if possible.
2. 5-10 high-quality stills from the film (4×6 at 300dpi is preferable)
3. Press pack with production credits (including all directors, producers, and subjects involved) film synopsis, biographies, and Instagram handles if applicable.
4. HD trailer or three (3) 10 sec. HD clips (if available)

*Our preferred export settings for the Festival are Quicktime files Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) at HDTV 1920×1080 square pixels. Audio 48kHz, 24-bit, discrete channel. Label photographs with the film title and photo credit. Clips and trailers will be used for promotional purposes.

In an ongoing commitment to accessibility, NML requires all titles to be closed captioned. If accepted, we require an accurate .SRT file. Our goal is to make all experiences as accessible as possible for all participants — thank you for helping us do so!

Frequently Asked Questions
- What film length do we recommend?
We feature films from 60 seconds to 90 minutes. The majority of our films are under 20 minutes. 1-15 minute clips are ideal. We may ask you to edit the length if we love your story but have trouble managing the time.

If the runtime is 35 minutes or longer, it may be integrated into our Virtual Flagship Festival and/or World Tour. Please keep in mind that because of theater time restrictions, we seriously consider every submission for screening at Denver Flagship. Due to longer runtimes, not all accepted films will be integrated into our Denver Programming, and not all films will be integrated into our World Tour.

- What kinds of films do we accept?
We are looking for films that feature women (including trans women), trans men, and genderqueer or gender-nonconforming athletes as the lead subjects. We gladly accept films directed and produced by non-female individuals. The core purpose of this festival is to highlight, represent, and ultimately un-define our concept of femininity. We are looking for films that inspire adventure and have an empowered female or gender-nonconforming lead.

- What do I get if my film is accepted?
Life-long satisfaction, an all-access pass to the festival and events, your film projected on a $100,000 projector to audiences around the country wildly applauding your story, the opportunity to bond with our awesome corporate partners and sponsors, our unconditional love and support, and official acceptance into the No Man's Land Family. You could also win an award!

- A film festival full of radical adventure athletes and creatives in Denver, CO...why should I come?
Because this is your wildest dream come true! You also have the chance to connect with an audience and network that includes some of the most inspired individuals on the planet: filmmakers, athletes, artists, outdoor industry professionals, film, and marketing executives, and possibly your new favorite climber/running/ski or snowboarding partner. What reason is there not to come?