Adventure films rolling into town
The New Zealand Mountain Film and Book Festival is returning to the region. The lineup includes 11 incredible speakers, 64 awe-inspiring films, 15 world premieres and mostly NZ premieres. It kicks off on Friday, 20 June, in Wānaka before heading to Queenstown.
Festival director Whitney Oliver is excited to present this year’s programme, which includes keynote speaker Beth Rodden – a world-class climber. She'll speak in both Wānaka and Queenstown and has some incredible stories to share. On the film front, they had a number of new and returning filmmakers get on board.
“We had a record number of entries this year. Every year the festival grows and we get a higher calibre of films each year – especially with the New Zealand filmmakers,” Oliver says. “It’s great to see returning filmmakers, but also finding new talent and up-and-comers, every year they just elevate the standard and it’s really great quality films – lots of adventures from different outdoor activities.”
The film Girl Climber is making its New Zealand debut. Featuring pro climber and Everest summiteer Emily Harrington as she takes on her boldest challenge yet — a 24-hour free climb of El Cap. In a sport dominated by men, she battles ambition, risk, and time in a gripping survival story that shatters barriers. Among Yosemite’s legendary boys’ club, Emily isn’t just proving she’s the best Girl Climber — she’s proving she’s one of the best. Period.
Other films on the bill include Waiatoto, which won Best NZ Made. It tells the story of a traverse across the Southern Alps through packraft, skis and tramping. There’s also All in or Nothing, which follows Matthew Fairbrother and a gruelling six days as he attempts to win the overall title at the NZ MTB Rally.
“Even if you’re not one to go out and do these adventures yourself, it’s an exhilarating ride just to watch them on screen and see the amazing feats and some of these climbers, ski mountaineers. It’s entertaining, even if you’re not an athlete yourself.”
And if you are an athlete, seeing some of the things the people in these films are up to will certainly get you fired up. That’s certainly what the festival are trying to encourage – a shared stoke.
More than just films and books, the festival also offers a number of guest speakers, an adventure film school, for emerging filmmakers, helping to advance their skills, and an adventure writing school. The writing school aims to turn your adventure stories into compelling narratives. It covers essential writing techniques, from crafting strong openings and structuring narratives to refining word choice and editing.
If you’re feeling inspired and want to have a crack yourself, the film and book competition runs every year from 1 January. For book entries; it must be about adventure sports or people and be set in the world’s wildest places – mountains, lakes, rivers, oceans or skies. They’re primarily looking for mountain culture or wild environments. For film entries, the theme is adventure sports and lifestyle – it’s broad and films will be accepted as long as there is a link with adventurous sports or people and set in the great outdoors. You can head to their website for the full criteria and to get ready to enter in 2026.
“The festival has a great community spirit, a time for outdoor lovers to come together and be inspired. Films range from action and adventure to mountain culture and environmental. The Snow Show is a fun way to kick off the winter, and the NZ-made films feature Kiwi filmmakers and stories from right here,” Oliver says.
The New Zealand Mountain Film and Book Festival programme will take place in Wānaka from Friday, 20 June — Tuesday, 24 June and at Queenstown Memorial Centre on Thursday, 26 and Friday, 27 June. You can check out the full programme, find out more info and grab tickets at mountainfilm.nz
