2026 Film Lineup

Best Canoeing Film 2026
Sponsored by Esquif

Director: Whitney Hassett

For over a decade, Niki Choo dreamed of a big canoe trip. When she finally meets the right partner, they take on a 1,000-mile journey from the Pacific to the Arctic testing their endurance, their bond and the limits of what’s possible.

2026 Shortlist

Director: Chris Preperato

This film pays tribute to the 2025 Class of Honorees, who join past inductees in carrying forward whitewater paddling’s rich history. The International Whitewater Hall of Fame is proud to announce seven new honorees. The 2025 Induction Ceremony will take place on May 2, 2026, at the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, Ontario.

Best Adventure Travel Film 2026
Sponsored by Kokopelli

Directors: Rush Sturges, Skip Armstrong

Join adventures Erik and Sarah on yet another epic Baffin Vacation as they kite ski north along the remote coastline of Baffin. Over their 69 day holiday, they ski mountains, climb an epic big wall, and cross a glacier in search of new rivers to whitewater kayak.

Best Paddling Documentary Film 2026

Director: Joshua Ballinger

Follow a group of Afghan refugees and U.S. teens through a shared transformative river rafting expedition on the Main Salmon River in Idaho. This heartwarming film celebrates the diverse tapestry of shared human experiences and illustrates the impact of growth-focused outdoor adventure.

2026 Shortlist

Director: Josh Ankenmann

The Brent Run is a 162-kilometer endurance canoe challenge in Algonquin Park, Ontario, traveling from Canoe Lake to the town of Brent and back in as little time as possible. This documentary tells the story of how two families completed the challenge in under 40 hours each to help raise over $125,000 to send kids in need to Camp Mini-Yo-We.

Best Whitewater Film 2026
Sponsored by Ottawa Valley Tourism

Director: Emile Dominé

Follow French kayaker Nouria Newman and two childhood friends as they navigate one of the world’s most challenging sections of whitewater: the Rondu Gorge of the Indus River in Pakistan. This film documents the first integral descent of the Rondu by a woman, and offers a powerful look at the world of extreme kayaking.

Best Kayaking Film 2026
Sponsored by Matterhorn Insurance Group

Director: Paul Friedman

This short documentary follows a crew that embarks on a source-to-sea kayaking adventure. The goal was to find the source of the drinking water for Portland, Maine, then follow the water on its journey to the ocean. Along the way, the paddlers encountered many amazing people and organizations.

2026 Shortlist

Director & Producer: Justin Harris

This film dives into the history of the Blackwater River in the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia, and the kayaking community that grew around it. Blackwater Canyon contains world-class whitewater, with 17 miles of class IV-V+ rapids. This river is home to the birth of steep creeking and A Blackwater Story traces the early history of the sport told by those who were there to live it. The film also explores the topic of death in whitewater and impact social media has on the next generation.

Special Jury Mention

Director: David Arnaud

The SEND Collective is the closest thing to social media stardom the kayaking world has ever seen. The crew embarks on an unknown river deep in the jungles of Gabon. With no Wi-Fi and no turning back, they plunge into 10 days of raw whitewater, relentless jungle and uncomfortable honesty. Gabon Uncharted is a wild, unfiltered and occasionally damp exploration of what happens when online legends are dropped into offline chaos. Featuring the SEND team members: Adrian Mattern (GER), Dane Jackson (USA), Kalob Grady (CAN), Bren Orton (GBR).

2026 Shortlist

Director: Logan Bockrath

The Upper Gauley River is legendary throughout the whitewater world and the words "I'm an Upper Gauley Guide" give you instant street cred. The path to becoming a Gauley guide is not quick or easy. It takes years of flips, swims, early mornings, late nights, swiftwater training and guide ejections to get to where smooth lines through class V rapids are the norm. Gauley Guide follows Michael Anderson as he works to become an Upper Gauley guide.

2026 Shortlist

Director: Jessica Melnik, Impact Communications

Imagine standing at the headwaters of a river, where it begins its journey outward to join other waters and eventually reach a distant ocean. Just as a river branches and braids, our life stories also distinguish us and draw us together. Created to launch The Canadian Canoe Museum at its new home on the shore of the Otonabee River in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, the short film Headwaters invites visitors into a world where paddled watercraft are not merely artifacts but vessels of memory, identity and connection.

Best Instructional Paddling Film 2026
Sponsored by Madawaska Kanu Centre

Director & Producer: Rylan McCarthy

Watch this step-by-step guide to performing a self-rescue on a standup paddleboard. Self-rescue is a vital skill to ensure you can safely get back on your paddleboard and to shore in the event of a spill.

Best Environmental Paddling Film 2026

Director: Thomas Jarrey, Robin Villard

Kahuna team members Baptistin and Robin set themselves a new scientific exploration challenge in Patagonia. Leaving in January 2024 for 40 days of total autonomy (both food and logistics), they covered more than 650 kilometers on water and ice. The expedition descended the Rio Baker and crossed Pacific fjords in packrafts, before crossing part of the Campo de Hielo Sur, from where they brought back samples and data for Chilean glaciologists. The film is a portrait of endurance and extreme resilience, and bears witness to the ongoing melting and pollution of these isolated glacial sanctuaries.

2026 Shortlist

Director: Casey Bryant Jones

Shot entirely at night, Nocturne captures athlete Heidi Walsh and the quiet chaos and beauty of paddling under stars. Every ripple glows in the light emitted from the LED lights adorning Heidi's equipment. It is a study in contrast, darkness and illumination, where every stroke becomes poetry in motion. Shot on the Ottawa River, Canada.

Best Short Paddling Film 2026

Director & Producer: Greg Cairns

Patso is a celebration of what is possible when we embrace the river community around us. Filmed on the South Fork of the American River in California.

Best Rafting Film 2026
Sponsored by AIRE

Director: Sarah Hamilton

Whitewater is Elisha McArthur’s everything. Her passion, her happy place, her career. Then, she welcomed her daughter into the world. After Charlotte was born, Elisha struggled to balance her passion for whitewater with the demands of being a single mom. She had no precedent to follow and no way to know if both were possible. River Mamma, a short film by Sarah Hamilton, is a tribute to motherhood, honoring the strength it takes to nurture others while staying true to your own passions.

2026 Shortlist

Director: Dylan Gerschwitz

Yak is a former pro guide and expert kayaker who became a paraplegic after a canyoning accident. Can packrafting give him the freedom to run rivers again? And how will he fare in the thundering Class III rapids of the Upper Buller Gorge? The film also asks whether packrafting can open the sport to an even more diverse range of people who want to run rivers.

2026 Shortlist

Director: Mark Fisher

The 3100 is a cinematic exploration of Idaho’s 3,100 miles of navigable whitewater, the most found anywhere in the Lower 48. This film showcases the state’s most rugged and revered whitewater river systems, while highlighting the power of experiencing wild places at any age. Through the voices of those who know these rivers best, this film reveals the transformative power of Idaho’s whitewater rivers.

2026 Shortlist

Director: Duane Peterson III

A dedicated group of paddlers embarks on a seven-day journey along Vermont’s Upper Missisquoi and Trout rivers, celebrating the 10th anniversary of their Wild & Scenic designation. Navigating 46 miles of federally protected waterways, they honor a decade of conservation efforts, exploring the deep connection between their community and the rivers while celebrating the protection that ensures these waters remain safeguarded for generations to come.

2026 Shortlist

Director: Tyler J Correll

A mom and her two kids set out on a 55-kilometer overnight canoe trip. Enjoy spectacular scenery while they discover strength in each other and the beauty in challenge. Set against stunning wilderness, this short film is a reminder that adventure isn’t about the destination—it’s about finding courage in the journey and inspiration for the next one.

2026 Shortlist

Director & Producer: Miles Gordon

A portrait exploring the enduring craft of wood canvas canoe building and the quiet philosophy it inspires. The Shape of Cedar is both a celebration of craftsmanship and and a guide to a more intentional way of moving through the world.

Best SUP Film 2026

Directors: Rylan McCarthy, Kelsey Rowe, Mikayla Gay

We Stand Together is a short documentary that highlights a remarkable group of women who have built one of the strongest, most supportive paddling events within the local paddleboarding community of Alberta.