The 21st annual Paddling Film Festival World Tour kicked off at the Toronto International Boat Show on Thursday, January 22, 2026. Hosted by The Complete Paddler, the premiere event showcased the world’s best paddling films to a packed crowd—including a selection of this year’s award winners.
Proceeds from the screening support Project Canoe, a nonprofit providing at-risk youth with educational and therapeutic outdoor experiences, primarily through summer wilderness canoe trips.
Kelly McDowell, owner of The Complete Paddler, plans to run additional screenings of the festival at The Complete Paddler. Dates for these upcoming screenings will be posted to the Paddling Film Festival website.
Want to see the world’s best paddling films on the big screen? Find a World Tour screening near you. Read on to discover this year’s award winners and the World Tour shortlist.
2026 Paddling Film Festival Winners
Best Kayaking Film
FOLLOW THE WATER
Category sponsor: Matterhorn Protects
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.
Director: Paul Friedman | Producers: Paul Friedman, Spencer Mendell
Best Adventure Travel Film
A BAFFIN VACATION, LOVE ON ICE
Category sponsor: Kokopelli
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.
Directors: Rush Sturges, Skip Armstrong | Producers: Rush Sturges, Erik Boomer, Sarah McNair-Landry
Best Standup Paddleboarding Film
WE STAND TOGETHER
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.
Directors: Rylan McCarthy, Kelsey Rowe, Mikayla Gay | Producer: Rylan McCarthy
Best Rafting Film
RIVER MAMMA
Category sponsor: AIRE
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.
Director: Sarah Hamilton | Producers: Ashley Peel, Charlie Turnbull
Best Documentary Film
A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT
Category sponsor: Canadian Canoe Museum
A Little Bit Different is a compelling documentary that follows 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. As the group navigates challenges imposed by the river and explores the vast surrounding wilderness, they find solace and empowerment in the restorative power of nature and forge deep, authentic friendships along the way.
Director: Joshua Ballinger | Producers: Brett Hochmuth, Frank Anello
Best Canoeing Film
1,000 MILES TO TUK
Category sponsor: Esquif
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.
Director: Whit Hassett
Best Environmental Paddling Film
KAHUNA: EL CAMINO DE HIELO
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.
Directors: Thomas Jarrey, Robin Villard | Producers: Baptistin Coutance, Vincent Lavrov
Best Instructional Film
HOW TO SELF-RESCUE ON A PADDLEBOARD
Category sponsor: Madawaska Kanu Centre
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.
Director & Producer: Rylan McCarthy
Best Whitewater Film
BIG WATER THEORY
Category sponsor: Ottawa Valley Tourist Association
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.
Director: Emile Dominé | Producers: Emile Dominé, Jules Dominé, Nouria Newman, Maël Nguyen, Jonathan Politur
Best Short Film
PATSO
Category sponsor: The Safer Paddling Campaign
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.
Director & Producer: Greg Cairns
2026 Paddling Film Festival Shortlist
Find out which films are touring in this year’s Paddling Film Festival below.
- 1,000 Miles To Tuk
- 2025 International Whitewater Hall of Fame Inductees
- A Baffin Vacation, Love On Ice
- A Little Bit Different
- A Non-Stop Endurance Challenge: The Brent Run
- Big Water Theory
- Follow The Water
- Freeland: A Blackwater Story
- Gabon Uncharted (Special Jury Mention)
- Gauley Guide
- Headwaters
- How To Self-Rescue On A Paddleboard
- Kahuna: El Camino de Hielo
- Nocturne
- Patso
- River Mamma
- Riverbound: The Storybook Has Just Begun
- The 3100
- The Celebration
- The Next Adventure
- The Shape Of Cedar
- We Stand Together
Want to join in the fun and get the big screen experience? Find a World Tour event near you.
Prefer to watch these award-winning films from the comfort of your home? Stream all shortlisted films and more via Paddling Magazine TV, the premier streaming platform for paddling enthusiasts.
Thank you to our 2026 Paddling Film Festival World Tour partners who contribute to the energy and sustainability of the Paddling Film Festival. Without their support the World Tour would not be possible.
