The Teton Climbers’ Coalition is pleased to announce that AlpinFilm 2026, which will take place January 16–17 at the Jackson Hole Center for the Arts and online, will focus on public lands and the role adventure athletes can play in protecting them.
Entitled “For the Love of the Land,” the fourth annual AlpinFilm will feature Jackson Hole’s Anna Gibson. The Valley-born mountain runner won the World Cup Mixed-Relay Ski Mountaineering race with Cam Smith on December 6, securing Team USA a spot in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy. Both Gibson and the sport of Skimo will make their Olympic debuts in Cortina.
Joining Gibson at AlpinFilm will be whitewater aficionado and Arctic explorer Erik Boomer, a Teton Valley resident whose film, A Baffin Vacation: Love on Ice, will be featured in the AlpinFilm lineup.
The film recounts a 69-day kayak, ski, and big-wall journey Boomer made with his partner, Sarah McNair-Landry.
Mountain runner, environmental advocate, and illustrator Kelly Halpin will also be part of the proceedings. Halpin’s illustration of the Grand Traverse is set to appear on the back of limited-edition T-shirts for the TCC’s inaugural membership program.
Gibson, Boomer, and Halpin helped develop the Festival’s focus via a series of discussions about how adventure athletes use public lands and how they can help safeguard them.
These discussions, shaped by additional input from Jackson Hole Writers Executive Director Matt Daly and Wyoming Outdoor Council’s Helen Lewis, have informed AlpinFilm’s 2026 programming and its blend of heart-forward inspiration and practical action.
The Jackson Hole Writers will lead a three-hour workshop taught by writer and public-lands advocate Frederick Reimers, offering tools for traditional writers, outdoor journalists, and social media creators to craft concise, compelling stories that connect with audiences to inspire stewardship.
The workshop will complement a festival-wide love-letter initiative that invites athletes, creators, and attendees to write six-word tributes to their favorite public lands. Select entries will appear on the big screen throughout the weekend.
Action Stations led by the Wyoming Outdoor Council and partner groups such as Keep It Public Wyoming, the Snake River Fund, and the Teton Backcountry Alliance will give attendees simple, impactful ways to support public lands and waters.
Films remain central to the festival as well. The world premiere of A Life Outside—a documentary reframing a modern Grand Teton ascent through the legacy of Paul Petzoldt—will debut in a special Saturday matinee.
Other featured films include Le Moulin des Artistes (A Home for Free Spirits), a portrait of skiing and community in Chamonix; Peruvian Ascents, a darkly humorous look at risk and purpose in the Cordillera Blanca; and Nose Job, which follows two former comp climbers attempting to free The Nose on El Capitan.
Full program details will be released next week. Tickets will go on sale January 1.
“At a moment when access, climate impacts, and shifting policies shape the landscapes where we recreate, protecting our public lands has never been more important,” said Festival Director Christian Beckwith. “On January 16–17, we invite climbers, skiers, storytellers, and filmmakers from around the world to join us as we celebrate the lands we love—and the ways we can protect them.”