Stories that move you. Trails that connect us.
PERTH, AUSTRALIA – The World Trails Film Festival is heading Down Under! For the first time ever, our globe-trotting celebration of trail stories will premiere in the southern hemisphere, as part of the World Trails Conference 2026, hosted by Outdoors WA in Perth, Western Australia.
Taking place in October 2026, the Film Festival will bring an exciting lineup of screenings, filmmaker talks, and community events to venues around Perth. Audiences can expect moving, inspiring, and visually stunning stories from around the world—all centered on trails and the people that love them.
Now in its fourth edition alongside the World Trails Conference (following past premieres in Spain, Greece, and Canada), the World Trails Film Festival has become a signature cultural experience that amplifies the conference’s themes in a creative, accessible, and heartfelt way.
🎬 Films for the Trail Community—and Beyond
As the global trail community gathers under the 2026 conference theme “Trails to the Future: Connection, Culture & Conservation,” our festival brings those ideas to life on screen. Expect:
- Multiple screenings in venues and outdoor parks around Perth
- A Best of Show Awards Ceremony for World Trails Conference attendees
- Filmmaker Q&As and live discussions
- Public and private events—some free, some ticketed
- A rich variety of films, from short poetic documentaries to feature-length adventures, reflecting the depth and diversity of the global trail community
🗺️ A Celebration in an Extraordinary Place
Western Australia’s vast trail networks, ancient cultural landscapes, and breathtaking biodiversity will provide an unforgettable setting for this edition of the festival. The World Trails Conference, hosted by Outdoors WA, aims to celebrate the deep connection to Country that First Nations peoples in Australia have nurtured for over 65,000 years.
With up to 600 delegates from over 35 countries expected—tourism professionals, conservationists, Indigenous leaders, policymakers, and outdoor advocates—the World Trails Conference will be a landmark gathering. The World Trails Film Festival will offer a creative, community-building complement to the conference’s powerful conversations.
🗣️ Festival Director Quote
“I’m incredibly excited to bring the World Trails Film Festival to the southern hemisphere for the first time. Our goal has always been to reflect the global richness of trails, and hosting this festival in Western Australia helps us spotlight stories far beyond the usual Europe- and North America-focused narratives. We’re building exciting new partnerships to diversify our programming and better represent the cultural significance of trails around the world,” said Jay Simpson, Festival Director of Trails Film.
“At every Trails Film event, we want audiences to feel awe at discovering incredible trails, a deep resonance with the reasons trails matter, and a real sense of connection with fellow viewers—no matter where they’re from. Cinematic storytelling is such a powerful way to explore the themes of connection, culture, and conservation, and to reveal how trails touch everything from climate change to mental health to community identity. This festival isn’t just about outdoor adventure—it’s about showcasing how trails serve as a connective tissue in our lives and for our planet.”
🌏 Call for Entries Now Open
We’re calling on filmmakers, adventurers, trail builders, artists, and storytellers: if your film explores trails, landscapes, river journeys, movement, trail stewardship, or the powerful relationship between humans and the outdoors, we want to see it.
🎟️ Want to Get Involved?
- Filmmakers: Submit your work to our open call at trails.film/call-for-films.
- Local creatives: We’re collaborating with Perth’s film and arts community to shape an inclusive, exciting program—reach out to join us!
- Tour hosts: Would you be interested in bringing Trails Film to your community after our events in Perth? Let’s connect.
- Everyone else: Subscribe to our newsletter and follow our journey
📣 Media Contact
Jay Simpson
Festival Director, Trails Film
📧 info@trails.film
Join us in Perth for a festival of film, celebration, and connection. Let’s walk together into a future where trails—and the stories they hold—matter more than ever.
🔗 Further Information
World Trails Conference — wordtrailsconference.org
Outdoors WA — outdoorswa.org.au
World Trails Network — worldtrailsnetwork.org
