DEADLINE: Big Sky Documentary Film Festival

Big Sky Documentary Film Festival is open for submissions, seeking documentary film entries for the 23rd annual festival in February 13-22, 2026. The festival accepts submissions of nonfiction films of all forms, lengths, subject matters and genres.

Deadlines for 2026 Submissions:
Early Bird Deadline - June 13, 2025
Regular Deadline - August 15, 2025
Late Deadline - October 3, 2025

Big Sky is the premier venue for documentary film in the American West, selected for seven years running by MovieMaker Magazine's 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee. An Academy Award-qualifying event for short documentaries, Big Sky is a competitive event with cash awards in four categories. The festival hosts over 200 visiting artists over 10 days each year and is a Top-100 Best Reviewed festival on Film Freeway.

In addition to screenings, Big Sky hosts the DocShop filmmaker's forum, a 5-day industry conference geared towards filmmakers, innovators, students, and media industry leaders that explores cutting-edge ideas shaping the field of documentary film today.

DocShop culminates with the Big Sky Pitch for works-in-progress.