Every year Missoula plays host to the highly anticipated International Wildlife Film Festival (IWFF). This year’s event runs from April 18-25 at Missoula’s newly restored Roxy Theater. Since 1977, this film festival has drawn crowds from all over the country with attendance that now tops some 12,000 people each year. If travel finds you in Missoula in mid to late April, be sure to take part in this ever-growing, renowned event.
The International Wildlife Film Festival is an eight day event that is devoted to the wildlife genre and was developed with the mission to “promote awareness, knowledge and understanding of wildlife, habitat, people and nature through excellence in film, television and other media,” according to its organizers. The festival is a juried event that features some of the top filmmakers, producers, conservation leaders, and scientists in the world.
The annual event was founded by internationally recognized bear biologist, Dr. Charles Jonkel, on faculty at the University of Montana and head of the Rocky Mountain Film Institute. In addition to carefully chosen films on wildlife, this year’s event will also feature various environmental and conservation films about the natural world. There will also be opportunities to take part in workshops, field trips, special guests, product demos, technology sessions, and seminars. For those with children, the Children’s Matinee Program may be of particular interest.
As an added bonus to this longest running wildlife media event in the world, the festival is held at Missoula’s fun and funky Roxy Theater. The Roxy was recently renovated and now features state-of-the-art HD projection and beer, wine, and organic popcorn in a uniquely Missoula environment.
Whether you are an avid outdoorsperson, supporter of up-and-coming film makers, or would just like to learn more about our earth’s animal inhabitants, the IWFF is a fun and educational event for everyone to enjoy.
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2015 Schedule
All Screenings at the Roxy Theater Unless Otherwise Noted
SATURDAY, APRIL 18TH
- 6pm: Enchanted Kingdom
- 8pm: How to Change the World
SUNDAY, APRIL 19TH
- 11:30 am: WildWalk Parade, Line up at 11:30 at the Big Red XXXs (100 Railroad St. W), free and open to the public. Dance, crawl swing and slither through downtown Missoula as our wildlife parade roars down Higgins Street ending at Caras Park.
- 12-3 pm: WildFest, Caras Park, free and open to the public. With live entertainment, face painting and concessions with your fellow wild animal revelers–plus a fun FREE concert by the WhizPops!
- 3 pm: Prehistoric Planet & Life Force: Borneo
- 3:15 pm: A Sloth Named Velcro, Sophisticated Ants, & Potty Time
- 5 pm: Manufactured Landscapes
- 5:15 pm: Invasion of the Killer Whales & Leopard: Ultimate Survivor
- 7 pm: Cave of Forgotten Dreams
- 7:15 pm: A Wolf’s Place & Snow Monkeys
MONDAY, APRIL 20TH
- 5 pm: Wild Australia & The Greater Caucasus
- 5:15 pm: Consider the Ant, The Wild Wet, & Hallowed Isles
- 7 pm: Leopards: 21st Century Cats & Silencing the Thunder
- 7:15 pm: Salmo Trutta Lacustris & Rivers and Tides
TUESDAY, APRIL 21ST
- 5 pm: Earth-A New Wild: Plains & Greater Sage Grouse: Emblem of the American West
- 5:15 pm: Sardine Run & Walking Under Water
- 7 pm: UC Theater: Screening Return Of The River with Dean Jim Burchfield, College of Forestry and Conservation. Sponsored by The President’s Office at The University of Montana. FREE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22ND
- 3 pm: Saving my Tomorrows
- 5 pm: Earth-A New Wild: Water, Shark Migration, & The Last Dragon: Protecting Appalachia’s Hellbenders
- 5:15 pm: Chances of the World Changing
- 7 pm: Special Earth Day Screening: Planetary
- 7:15 pm: Africa’s Giant Killers & The Ultimate Honey Badger
THURSDAY, APRIL 23RD
- 3 pm: Saving my Tomorrows
- 5 pm: Life Story Ep 1 & 2
- 5:15 pm: Antarctic Edge: 7 Degrees South
- 6 pm: Wasteland
- 8 pm: The Plow That Broke The Plains & The River with LIVE musical score by NextDoorPrisonHotel.
FRIDAY, APRIL 24TH
- 5 pm: Tiny Giants & Galapagos
- 5:15 pm: The Russian River: All Rivers – The Value of An American Watershed
- 7 pm: Awards Ceremony
- 8 pm: Merchants of Doubt
- 8:15 pm: Poached & Fungiphilia Rising
SATURDAY, APRIL 25TH
- 11 am: Wild Hawaii: Land of Fire & Beak and Brain: Genius Birds from Down Under
- 11:15 am: Rara Avis: John James Audubon and the Birds of America
- 1 pm: Walking in Two Worlds & Chuitna: More Than Salmon on the Line
- 1:15 pm: Madagascar: Beyond Africa & Saving Africa’s Giants with Yao Ming
- 1:30 pm: It’s a Wild Life
- 3 pm: Urban Beekeeper & Love Thy Nature
- 3:15 pm: Tigress Blood & Mine Detection Rats
- 3:30 pm: The Realm of the Snow Leopard & Mapping the Blue
- Starting at 5 pm: Screenings of the award winning films