After a great deal of thought, I have made the extremely difficult decision to cancel this year’s The Western Film Festival.

Due to circumstances beyond our control, we are unable to put on the kind of event that filmmakers and supporters have come to expect from us. All submission refunds will be handled directly through FilmFreeway.

This decision was not made lightly. Anyone who knows me knows how much this festival means to me. It truly hurts to have to make this call. Over the past five years, we have worked hard to build something special—not just an event, but a place where filmmakers from all over the world could come together, be seen, and be respected.
And that’s exactly why this decision had to be made.

I would rather cancel this year than move forward with something that does not live up to the standard and reputation we’ve built together. The Western has always stood for respect—respect for filmmakers, for the work, and for the experience—and I refuse to compromise that.

Although this was announced as the final year for the festival in Coleman, I want to be clear: we are not going out like this.

We are taking this time to regroup, refocus, and come back next year—bigger and better than ever. With a few surprises up our sleeves.

To every filmmaker who submitted, and to everyone who has supported us along the way, I sincerely hope you understand this decision and how difficult it was to make. Your support has meant everything, and it is the reason this festival will continue.

This is not the end. It’s just the start of the next chapter.

John Langley
Founder of The Western Film Festival