6:00 – 7:00 pm

Raise a glass to adventure, community, and the spirit of the wild! Join us for a lively and intimate happy hour celebrating all things Snow Mountain River, featuring storytelling and soulful tunes from talented local musicians. With one free drink included with your SMR film session entry* and more available for purchase, it’s the perfect way to unwind, connect, and get inspired before an amazing night of film. Cheers to good company and great stories—see you there!

PARTNERS: Historic Brewing Company, Dark Sky Brewing, Lumberyard, Beaver Street Brewery, Hensley Beverage Company

Location: Snow Mountain River (SMR)

* VIP Pass holders receive unlimited (within moderation) free beverages. Purchase your pass here.

6:00 – 7:00 pm | Doors open at 5:00 pm

Author and storyteller Craig Childs takes us on a wild journey to find the darkest of the night skies. This is a visual and spoken word experience based on his new book, THE WILD DARK, winner of the John Burroughs Medal, Southwest Book of the Year Award, and the Banff Mountain Book Award in Environmental Literature. This multisensory performance will bring the cosmos down to earth, turning constellations into stories and silence into rhythm.

Location: Coconino Center for the Arts

7:00 – 9:00 pm | FREE FOR THE PUBLIC

Following Craig’s talk, Join us in the parking lot for a quiet, awe-filled continuation of the evening when storytelling gives way to stargazing under one of the darkest skies in the country. In partnership with the Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition, telescopes will be pointed skyward in the Coconino Center for the Arts parking lot to provide a glimpse into the same wild darkness that shapes so many of the landscapes and stories we celebrate.

Location: Coconino Center for the Arts

12:00 – 1:00 pm

Unlock your full potential with strength training designed to support the sports and adventures you love. Join Ryan Whited for an engaging, science-backed session that blends corrective exercise with traditional strength techniques to help you move better, perform at your highest level, and reduce injury risk. Learn how strategic strength training builds resilience in your muscles, tendons, and ligaments—allowing you to take on physical challenges with confidence. Whether you’re a weekend warrior, an outdoor enthusiast, or an athlete looking to enhance performance, this class will give you the tools to move stronger and live better.

*Pre-registration required. Sign up!

**Free for Filmmaker, Special Guest, Sponsor, & VIP pass holders

PARTNERS / SPONSORS: Paragon Athletics

Location: Paragon Athletics

4:00 – 6:00 pm – PASSES REQUIRED

Join us for an exclusive VIP gathering to celebrate 24 years of film and community! This special evening at Late for the Train includes complimentary food and drinks by the incredible Indigenous-owned and woman-run catering business, Nella’s Kreations, and is a chance to connect with filmmakers, special guests, and fellow creatives. Celebrate traditional Navajo cuisine, share ideas, exchange insights, and enjoy great conversation in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Let’s raise a glass to storytelling, collaboration, and another incredible year!

*VIP, Filmmaker, Special Guest, Sponsor Pass required

PARTNERS / SPONSORS: Late for the Train

Location: Late for the Train Coffee

Last Call 11:30 PM

Keep the night going after the Mountain Session with live music from Jazz Trio – Rapture in Blue, drinks, conversation, and community. Jimmy D’s 5 Spot cocktails available, and the taproom will be open late. Come celebrate, share stories, and keep that night alive in one of Flagstaff’s favorite community spaces.

Location: Mother Road Brewing Company

8:00 – 9:00 am

Join us for a coffee talk that brings together community members, researchers, and land stewards to reflect on the meaning and future of our shared landscapes. Over coffee and conversation, we’ll explore how public lands shape our communities, identities, and responsibilities to one another. Whether you’re deeply engaged in land management, passionate about outdoor spaces, or simply curious about the future of public lands, this conversation offers a welcoming space to connect and reflect. Come grab a cup of coffee, meet others who care about our shared environments, and join the conversation about the collective futures of the landscapes that sustain us. 

Moderated by: Kevin Fedarko

Special Guests: Elizabeth Silkes, CEO, Grand Canyon Conservancy | Jason Nez, Fire Archeologist | Ethan Aumack, Executive Director, Grand Canyon Trust | Robert Stieve, Editor, Arizona Highways

PARTNERS / SPONSORS: Sosta

Location: Sosta

9:00 – 10:00 am

We’re partnering with Momentum Aerial to bring a beginner silks class to our community. After being inspired by film and spoken word throughout Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, this beginner aerial silks class invites festival guests to step off the ground and into the air. It’s a playful, hands-on way to explore the movement behind many breathtaking aerial performances, such as in the film Embers (you can catch this film in our Earth In Focus session on Sunday). All bodies are welcome, and you don’t need any prior experience, strength, or flexibility to attend this class—just curiosity and a willingness to try something new. Ages 14–adults please, unfortunately we cannot accommodate children 13 or under.

*Pre-registration required.

**Free for Filmmaker, Special Guest, Sponsor, & VIP pass holders

Sign up! Look up April 11th on the class schedule widget, and sign up for the FMFF Beginner Silks Class or sign up through the Mindbody app. Pass holders MUST email  Info@momentumaerial.org to waive the class fee. 

Momentum Aerial offers recreational aerial classes to beginner-advanced aerial students in the Flagstaff community. Our teaching methods focus on proper technique and strength building in order to meet student goals in a safe, positive and encouraging environment.

PARTNER: Momentum Aerial

Location: Momentum Aerial

8:00 – 9:00 am

Location: Thorpe Park parking lot

View route map

10:00 – 11:00 am

This year’s film festival features a Climate Justice Panel bringing together activists, scholars, and community leaders to explore the powerful intersection of storytelling and environmental justice. As climate change increasingly shapes our world, the panel will examine how storytelling can amplify local frontline voices, challenge dominant narratives, and inspire collective action locally. Panelists will discuss the importance of centering Indigenous and marginalized perspectives, and the ways oral, written, and visual narratives can bridge the gap between science, policy, and public engagement. Through a dynamic discussion and audience Q&A, the session invites festival attendees to reflect on how storytelling can move beyond awareness toward accountability and transformation. This panel is a space to imagine how advocacy, art, and community can come together to confront the climate crisis—and to envision more just and thriving futures.

Location: Center for Native American and Indigenous Futures–NAU

Moderated by: Dr. Coral O’Brian

Panel: Nikki Cooley, Director, ITEP | Sara Sprague, Board President, Flagstaff Foodlink | Jenna Ortega, Climate Program Manager, City of Flagstaff | Michellsey Benally, Water Advocacy Manager, Grand Canyon Trust | Karime Rodriguez, Writer/organizer, Arizona Center for Empowerment

4:00 – 6:00 pm

Wrap up the Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival with a relaxed and celebratory happy hour complete with live music from Peter McLaughlin on the beautiful lawn at High Country Motor Lodge. Kick back with fellow festival-goers, share stories, reflect on your favorite films, and toast to the incredible communities and achievements showcased throughout the festival. It’s the perfect way to wind down, connect, and celebrate the power of storytelling and adventure—see you there!

PARTNER: High Country Motor Lodge

Location: High Country Motor Lodge