The Crested Butte Film Festival is a five-day celebration of international independent cinema held each September in Crested Butte, a former mining town turned ski resort perched at 9,000 feet on Colorado’s Western Slope. Founded in 2010 by Michael Brody and Jen Sfalcin, CBFF has grown from a local weekend event into a nationally recognized destination festival, named by MovieMaker Magazine as one of the 25 coolest film festivals in the world.
The festival screens more than 80 films each year across narrative, documentary, short, outdoor adventure, student, and children’s categories, programmed with a preference for creativity, daring, and strong storytelling. The lineup is complemented by filmmaker Q&As, panel discussions, and networking events — plus the traditions that set CBFF apart: an opening-day bike parade through town, hikes between screenings, and the backdrop of Gunnison County’s aspens at peak gold.
Awards include Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Best Short Film in narrative and documentary categories, Best Student Film, and the ACTNow Award, given to a nonprofit tied to a call-to-action documentary. A Script Accelerator Award sends one narrative short filmmaker to a two-day script consultation with an Oscar- and BAFTA-nominated team.
In February 2025, the festival board hired longtime Colorado nonprofit leader Scott Robson as executive director. CBFF’s 16th edition runs September 24–27, 2026.
Dates: Late September, annually (Sept 24–27, 2026) Host venues: Majestic Theatre and multiple partner venues across Crested Butte Founded: 2010 Web: cbfilmfest.org
