A documentary about melting ice caps wins a distributor at a scrappy indie festival. A short about coral reef collapse sells out screenings in a Colorado theater. A wildlife conservation film about a comeback cat goes from a web-based competition to a streaming deal. Environmental films are having their moment—and it’s the festival circuit, not the studio system, that’s making it happen. Here are five festivals every environmental filmmaker should know about.
1. Documentaries Without Borders International Film Festival
Last chance deadline: Aug. 31
Now entering its 14th year, the Documentaries Without Borders International Film Festival is a web-based IMDb-qualifying competition dedicated to docudramas and documentaries.
The festival’s feedback-oriented focus helps nonfiction environmental filmmakers “improve their festival acceptance chances, strengthen their films, and increase their marketability.” Recent selections include “Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops,” which breaks down the acceleration of the climate crisis, and “Wild Hope: Comeback Cat,” about wildlife conservation efforts.
Documentaries and docudramas that explore wildlife, conservation, nature, personal triumphs, perseverance, and motivation in the face of environmental challenges are eligible for Best of Festival awards; craft recognition is also given for subcategories such as cinematography, research, and audience impact. Screenplays in any genre can be submitted for production consideration.
The Documentaries Without Borders International Film Festival takes place Sept. 13.
2. Awareness Film Festival
Last deadline: July 14
Latest deadline: Aug. 18
Held in the heart of Los Angeles, the Awareness Film Festival has spent 17 years highlighting some of the most pressing ecological, political, and spiritual issues on the planet.
Every year the festival draws around 7,000 attendees and receives approximately 600 submissions, of which 100 are selected for screening. The five-day event is run by the nonprofit Heal One World, with net profits from the festival distributed to other charities aligned with its mission.
Awareness screens documentary and narrative features, shorts, music videos, animations, and PSAs, presenting 28 awards to the best of each category. It is particularly interested in feature films focused on ecology, human rights, mental health, animal rights, and the pursuit of justice.
The Awareness Film Festival takes place Oct. 14 to 18.
3. Green Film Festival of San Francisco
Submission deadline: Sept. 14
Relaunched in 2022 by the nonprofit SF IndieFest, the Green Film Festival of San Francisco has built a dedicated and passionate following of filmmakers, cinephiles, and environmentalists intent on confronting the threats facing the planet.
The festival screens 28 films annually, a blend of environmental documentaries and narrative features from around the globe. Throughout the weeklong event, organizers pair films to complement each other so viewers can form a complete picture of an issue, and then engage in productive conversation to find solutions.
The Green Film Festival of San Francisco accepts documentaries, adventure films, animation, and narrative fiction shorts and features on the topics of environment, adventure, wildlife, and activism. It hands out Audience Choice Awards and Jury Prizes for the best short and feature-length films in the environment, adventure, wildlife, and activism categories.
The 2026 Green Film Festival of San Francisco takes place Oct. 15 to 22.
4. Wild & Scenic Film Festival
Early bird deadline: July 18
Regular deadline: Aug. 16
Late deadline: Sept. 30
Held in the neighboring Northern California towns of Nevada City and Grass Valley, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, the Wild & Scenic Film Festival draws filmmakers, activists, and adventurers who want to celebrate the world’s beauty and discuss environmental protection.
Of approximately 500 submissions, 120 are chosen. Each year, Wild & Scenic picks a theme to inspire and provoke its audience. The theme for the 2027 festival is Momentum.
For official selection, Wild & Scenic accepts features, shorts, and documentaries completed after Jan. 1, 2026, on the topics of nature, community activism, intentional adventure, conservation, health, water, energy, climate change, wildlife, environmental justice, food, and farming. There are 11 Yubie awards—carved Yuba River stones—handed out across multiple categories, including children’s film and student filmmaker.
The Wild & Scenic Film Festival takes place Feb. 18 to 22.
5. Colorado Environmental Film Festival
Early bird deadline: July 31
Regular deadline: Sept. 18
Final deadline: Oct. 16
The Colorado Environmental Film Festival began in 2006 so educators, filmmakers, and environmentally conscious cinephiles could gather in search of solutions to the climate crisis. Organizers seek to showcase the beauty of Earth in a way that inspires communities to protect nature and the environment by focusing on solution-oriented films that address the urgent need for sustainable change.
The festival is held over the course of three days in downtown Golden, Colorado, where panels of filmmakers, educators, and professionals gather to discuss the 60 films and shorts selected. The films are then made available online for seven days after the festival has concluded.
CEFF accepts films completed within the past two years that meaningfully explore humanity’s relationship to the natural or built environment across any genre or format. The festival honors four Best Of and one Spirit of Activism submissions.
The Colorado Environmental Film Festival will run from February 19 to 28.
