Host our Festival

Mid-March through the end of May are the dates of our 2025 tour. Our Online Watch Party will be in June. For select locations we will allow scheduling later into the year. Please reach out to us with your ideas.

We're currently still accepting submissions and will select the final films later in the year. To get a taste of what kind of films we've shown in the past, please visit our archive.

Our 2025 films will be judged by a diverse body of reviewers overseen by the TRFF. Our organization is fiercely independent. Films will be judged independent of any sponsorship endorsements. Our commitment is to tell the most compelling, artistic, and culturally relevant stories meant to inspire our community.

Our most successful events are those that tie into the interests of your local running community. The more you tailor the event to suit your unique community, the more spectacular it becomes.

Think about it like this: what's the flavor of your town or city? What gets your folks excited? Whether it's combining the films with a local race, a fun movie night at your local theater, or an outdoor gathering under the stars, that's where the magic happens. It's all about creating an experience that feels like it was custom-made for your trail running community. So go ahead and get creative – the sky's the limit!

One awesome aspect of the Trail Running Film Festival is how it can fit into all kinds of spots. Whether it's a local running store, an outdoor park or a cozy movie theater, all you need is a projector, screen and sound.

Here are a few things to think about:
What's your audience like? Do they dig the movie house vibe with popcorn, or are they more into a laid-back outdoorsy scene with camping chairs and blankets? How big is your venue? Are there enough tickets available that you can make a profit? Pick a place you are excited about! This is a fun way to celebrate the running folks in your community.

While we don't want you to alter the film reel, you're encouraged to emcee the evening, and add live components that tie our global stories into your local community.

Whether it's organizing a raffle, conducting interviews with local trail legends, or shining a spotlight on important local non-profits and causes, we say go for it!

The stage is yours, and we're here to support your vision. It's all about making the event a memorable and impactful experience for your community of runners. So, let your imagination run wild, and let's make this screening one for the books!

The complete film reel will be available as digital download in 1080p or 4K format with or without English subtitles.

The digital downloads are large (~30GB) so prepare to download the film reel several days ahead of your screening to leave ample time to test everything. Please preview the entire reel prior to your screening. In the past, reels have been corrupted part way through the download, resulting in an incomplete reel for your audience. We'll provide detailed instructions for hosts.

If you're planning on emceeing the event yourself we suggest finding someone who can be your tech person during the event. Movie theaters often offer this support as part of the rental agreement. Send them the reel and instructions early so they can run tests on their system ahead of the event.

If you're hosting the screening yourself make sure you have a powerful computer that can handle the file size and video output. Be sure to have good enough audio for your room. (Laptop speakers won't be sufficient.)

And finally, don't forget the microphone for your live portion of the evening.

As a local host, you're part of a community of over 80 hosts worldwide! We’ve got you covered with a customizable script of talking points to kick off your screening. The script includes thanks to our global sponsors and an opportunity to recognize your local sponsors. We’ll also include information about the QR code for nationwide giveaways—because who doesn’t love prizes?!

Absolutely! We're all about supporting your event's success, and that means reaching out to local sponsors is a fantastic idea. Local sponsors can chip in by offering cool giveaway items or even some financial support to help cover your costs. It's a win-win for your event and your community!

But here's the scoop: while we absolutely appreciate and encourage your local sponsors, we want to give our incredible national sponsors the star treatment they deserve. They're the backbone of the Trail Running Film Festival, and their support allows us to keep your hosting fees low. Because of this support, so they'll get that extra-special recognition at your event—above and beyond what our local sponsors receive.

We’ll be promoting the 2025 Global Tour and your location on our tour website, social media, our newsletter, and in select industry media outlets. You will receive access to our promotional material to help you market the festival within your local community. You’re welcome to use the event to promote your products/races and work with your network of local businesses.

We also have an established Discord server for all registered hosts to access. This server is a centralized location for hosts to share best practices, ask questions and get feedback for their screening.

Yes! Hosts are able to buy multiple licenses for multiple locations. We can also arrange for a special license allowing multiple screenings in the same locations. Please reach out to our team.

We will limit booking other screenings within a 30 mile radius of your show, unless otherwise agreed upon.

Nope. You are free to use any ticketing platform that works for you. Some local theaters require you to use their ticketing system. Otherwise, there are a wide variety of ticketing sites hosts have used. Reach out to us if you would like a complete list.

Yes! 2025 TRFF merch will be available for local hosts to pre-order for their event.

The final length of the 2025 reel will depend on the selected films. We're aiming for a ~20min pre-show (played while folks find their seats) and two ~45min halves with a 10-15min intermission (depending on any live programming.