Pat McGree and Adam Linkenhelt Celebrate 26 Years of the Anchorage Int. Film Festival - Interview
Festival directors Pat McGee and Adam Linkenhelt share what makes AIFF a unique destination for filmmakers and film lovers.
I am embarrassed that I did not know about the Anchorage International Film Festival (AIFF) sooner, especially as AIFF heads into its 26th anniversary. Founded in 2001, the festival has grown into a destination for independent cinema, bringing more than 100 films and filmmakers from around the world to Anchorage each year.
To rectify that, I spoke with filmmakers and festival directors Pat McGee and Adam Linkenhelt about what makes AIFF special and what sets it apart for both filmmakers and film lovers.
AIFF has built its identity around creating a filmmaker first experience while celebrating bold independent voices from Alaska and around the world. The festival offers filmmakers more than a screening. It creates opportunities for meaningful conversations, audience engagement, collaboration and community in a setting unlike any other festival.
That spirit is especially evident in AIFF’s Icy Road to the Oscars positioning. The festival takes place in December, close to the Academy Awards season, giving independent films an opportunity to build visibility at a critical point in the awards calendar. Its impact was underscored in 2025 when AIFF’s Best Live Action Short winner continued its festival run, reached the Academy shortlist and ultimately won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.
For its 26th edition, AIFF is strengthening its commitment to filmmakers with expanded support from the Ellsworth Foundation and the Atwood Foundation. The funding will provide free airfare for every selected Feature Narrative and Feature Documentary filmmaker attending the festival, making it easier for artists to experience Anchorage and become part of the community AIFF has worked to cultivate.
McGee and Linkenhelt bring a filmmaker’s perspective to that mission. McGee is an acclaimed documentary director and producer whose character driven work focuses on finding common ground within complex and often polarizing subjects. Linkenhelt is a filmmaker, director, editor and producer whose work spans documentary storytelling, shorts and television. Together, they bring extensive experience on the independent film circuit to their leadership of AIFF.
As AIFF approaches its 26th anniversary, the festival is positioning Anchorage as more than a stop on the festival circuit. It is a place where filmmakers can connect with audiences, discover new work, build relationships and experience a film community shaped by Alaska itself.
And perhaps that is what I was missing all along. AIFF is not simply a festival where films are screened. It is an experience built around the people who make, watch and celebrate independent cinema.
Submissions for the Anchorage International Film Festival close on September 1, 2026. To make your submission visit FilmFreeway: Anchorage International Film Festival.
To purchase tickets and find host hotels for Anchorage International Film Festival visit: https://anchoragefilmfestival.org/.
The Anchorage International Film Festival runs December 4 through 13, 2026, in Anchorage, AK.
Follow the Anchorage International Film Festival on Instagram @anchoragefilmfestival and on Facebook at Anchorage International Film Festival.