what is it?
River Reels film competition
Since 2009, River Reels (formerly the AQ Film Comp) has showcased the best in paddlesports film—kayaking, SUP, canoeing, river surfing, and more. Each year we host an online competition and live screening, River Reels Rendezvous.
(See more info below)
submission categories
hero raffle
Some might say the best part. Prizing is still TBD this year, but some fantastic stuff is coming down the line, plus some surprise prizing at the event. Buy tickets online in advance to save. A portion of the proceeds supports Alberta River Surf Association and Alberta Whitewater. Other proceeds go back into event costs, so we can keep running this and making it bigger and better each year!
Presented by AQ Outdoors
Wave Riders
River surfing is arguably the fastest-growing river sports discipline, and this category is dedicated to showcasing the community of awesome river surfers and SUPers who crush it on a wave, and/or simply have fun and inspire others to get outside and play.
Presented by BadFish SUP
Storytellers
Community is the glue that binds us together, it’s what makes us paddlers for life. This category celebrates compelling stories about people, communities, events, or programs, connected by water and driven by narrative.
Presented by NRS
Whitewater wizards
This category is for the big drops, fast lines, and clean style. Showcase your most impressive whitewater footage, whether you're in a kayak, canoe, raft, or anything in between. We want to see your skill, composure, and river wizardry in action.
Presented by Level Six
Paddleventurers
Expeditions, overnighters, flatwater missions, or remote and rugged journeys. Whether it’s packrafting to an alpine lake, or tackling a seldom-run stretch of river in your kayak or canoe, this is the category to showcase exploration and adventure.
Presented by AquaBound
headcam heroes
Submit your best headcam footage, whether it’s floating through a picturesque canyon, nailing your season’s best lines, capturing the calm (or chaos) at the lip of a waterfall, or even capturing spontaneous and shocking river moments. Any place, any craft. Let's go.
Presented by TBD
2026 event details
river reels rendezvous
We'll be hosting a showing of shortlisted entries on the big screen. Expect an evening packed with laughter, entertainment, refreshments, big raffle prizes, awards, and more.
Where
Canyon Meadows Cinemas
When
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Time
6:15 PM - 10:00 PM (Films start promptly at 7:00 PM )
The Fine print (Faqs)
Submissions are now open. Click here to submit a film
What is acceptable to submit? Click here to read the Film Submission Guidelines
River Reels Rendezvous information:
- When: Wednesday, November 4, 2026
- Where: Canyon Meadows Cinemas
- Time: 6:15 PM - 10:00 PM MT (Films start at 7:00 PM sharp)
We will be individually emailing the creators of shortlisted videos. If your entry has been shortlisted, you can expect to hear from us by the first week of November.
Click here to see the full competition guidelines
Headcam Heroes: 3 Minutes or less
Storytellers: 8 Minutes or less
All other categories: 5 Minutes or less
Entries longer than these times will still be accepted but may be trimmed (or just partially shown) for the live event.
Yes. However, there will be a $15 fee per entry. You will also need to submit a new form per entry.
No. Please pick one category to submit your video in. If you would like to submit multiple entries in various different categories, you can do that. There will be a $15 fee per entry.
Absolutely not! We welcome (and encourage) anyone with any experience level to enter. We are truly looking for the most creative and entertaining entries, not necessarily the most polished.
No, unfortunately, we only accept entries from Canadian citizens or residents.
Winners will be voted for by a small AQ staff panel.
Yes! If you're looking for extra inspiration, or if you just fancy a cosy movie night, be sure to check out our River Reels 2025, River Reels 2024 and River Reels 2023 playlists on YouTube.
non-profit donations
giving back
At AQ Outdoors, we're committed to preserving and protecting river access for all. We'll be donating a portion of our raffle sales from our screening event to Alberta River Surfing Association and Alberta Whitewater Association.
Title event sponsors
event sponsors
