A gathering place of the fly-fishing community and a celebration of friendship, stories and stoke.
At the core of fly-fishing is the pursuit of wild spaces and peaceful places. It is in these spaces where fish seem most willing, the water appears in its purest form and our community connects. It is in these places where the world’s best fly-fishing films come to life. The International Fly Fishing Film Festival (IF4), the world’s leading fly-fishing film event, is a curated collection of these stunning stories.
A premium collection of fly-fishing films.
At the core of fly-fishing is the pursuit of wild spaces and peaceful places. It is in these spaces where fish seem most willing, the water appears in its purest form and our community connects. It is in these places where the world’s best fly-fishing films come to life. The International Fly Fishing Film Festival (IF4), the world’s leading fly-fishing film event, is a curated collection of these stunning stories.
IF4 2023 features new films from RA Beattie & Jako Lucas, the Braker Bros, Capture Adventure Media, Black Fly Eyes and more. We are honored to have been chosen to feature a film from Hilton Graham, of Love Affair Creative, that honors the life and contributions of John Turner, former Director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Together with Orvis, Trout Unlimited and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, we are on a mission to create community and we invite you to join us as we share the experience of fly-fishing on the silver screen.
Committed to conservation.
We are proud – and excited – to announce a partnership with Trout Unlimited (TU) and Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) that will assist in driving awareness on key conservation and access issues. We welcome the opportunity to see the IF4 environment as a fundraising tool used to protect, reconnect, restore and sustain trout and salmon habitat on behalf of today’s anglers and coming generations.
How can you get involved?
Orvis, BHA and TU invite you to host a screening in your city! Bring together the local angling community, raise funds and create awareness around local conservation efforts. Hosting a screening is stress free and you retain 100% of the ticket revenue. Booking is as easy as securing a date at your local theatre and then clicking on the button below to provide your screening details. We look forward to working with you!
Link to book: https://www.flyfilmfest.com/host/
Featured Films:
Father + Nature:
The Turner family has guided the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park for over a 100 years. Like all of us who go to the river and mountains with fly rod in hand, it’s hard to come back the same person. Wild places forever change us – imbedding a deep and spiritual reverence for things greater than ourselves. This western idea was the underpinnings to one of America’s best inventions – the National Park System. This is their story – a family’s blessing to work, live, and share one of the most beautiful river corridors anywhere in the world. A gift that has instilled an even greater passion to protect things “wild” for many generations to come.
Of the Sea:
Erick Alamilla, grew up in Xcalak, Mexico while his Dad lived 30 miles off the coast on an atoll, Banco Chinchorro, working as a commercial fisherman. The atoll, part of a Mexican Reserve, is greatly protected. After years of wanting to explore the area, Erick (with the help of his brother, Toby) and lodge owner, Jesse Colten, receive a green light from the authorities for a two-day exploratory fly-fishing trip. This new film from Meris McHaney, tells the tail of one of the best gifts that life has to offer: special places and moments that bring us together.
Crouching Tiger Hidden Damsel:
No two fish eat a fly the same way, and no hatch is the same one day after the next. Take for example one of the most predictable hatches each year, the damselfly hatch. For years Gilbert Rowley and Nic Heslop had brushed off the fabled rumors of a high mountain lake home to oversized tiger trout and a prolific damsel hatch. Decades of fishing this hatch on dozens of other lakes had them believing they had experienced all this hatch has to offer. However, as is often the case in fly fishing, it turns out they were wrong, way wrong. But this time their incorrect assumptions didn’t bother them. Because you never know when a good hatch will turn to great, or even epic
Jacks:
Over the last 20 years, a steady stream of adventurous anglers has been traveling to some of the most remote places on the planet in search of big predatory fish called giant trevally or GTs. Decades of advancements in gear and collective knowledge have made it possible for anglers to take on these aggressive fish, catapulting them into the media limelight, and now they’re taking the angling world by storm. But, what if you didn’t have to travel to the most remote locations in the world to chase fish like this? What if we told you a similar species haunts many saltwater destinations around North America? In this short film, we take you on a comparative deep-dive into a truly remarkable species just as noteworthy. Welcome to the world of JACKS.
Dollar Dog:
Just as Atlantic salmon return home to Cape Breton’s storied Margaree River year after year, anglers from all over are drawn to its banks. With public water, this river boasts a world-class fishery that is accessible to everyone. Dollar Dog tells the story of the most unlikely of fish bums – Ella. A four-legged vagabond who’s love for Atlantic salmon rivals that of her waded counterparts. A tale of the place and the fish, from which legends are born.
A Slam That Saves:
Deep in the foothills of the Appalachians, there are four species of bass found nowhere else on Earth. The Coosa, Cahaba, Warrior, and Tallapoosa bass are all genetically-distinct, environmentally-imperiled bass in dire need of help. And thankfully, a community has rallied around them with a unique idea. Instead of gating off the species, why not champion them? Why not create a new grand slam in fly fishing for the sake of a national treasure? Join Matt Lewis and Mary Beth Meeks as they attempt to catch a “Redeye Slam” in one day.
The Focus:
The Focus follows three anglers who revisit a remote mountain stream from their youth. As they explore these deep canyons in the Utah desert, they find variations of trout that thrive in the winter runoff. This landscape provides a unique fishing experience to be remembered, but also an opportunity to reflect on bigger concepts that matter the most.
Chesapeake:
The Braker brothers grew up in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. While they were shaped and inspired by the landscapes and environments that make up the watershed, they always wondered exactly what it was that made this place so special. After creating an award-winning short film about the Chesapeake Bay called “A Journey Upstream,” Fly Fishers International reached out and challenged the brothers to take the journey further. So, they grabbed their fly rods, camera gear, and climbed into an old campervan named the “Green Machine.” Their adventure was underway. Over 1,000 miles, 7 days, and 1 watershed.
Gold Fever:
In 2022, an epic adventure from Black Fly Eyes to explore undiscovered water in the middle of the Amazon jungle. In the “Serranía Moseten” region of Bolivia there are numerous tributaries that have never seen a fly. These waters are pure and this fly-fishing film documents an exploratory adventure to fish for the powerful golden dorado.
