Twelve programs. Six days. One stretch of 8th Avenue in downtown Greeley. The 2026 Go West Film Festival runs November 9 through 14, and this year's lineup reaches from a 1913 comedy shot in Cañon City to a brand-new documentary about Creede, Colorado. Admission is free, like it has been every year since 2014. Hit play below for a 72-second look at what's coming.
The 2026 Festival at a Glance
What: The twelfth annual Go West Film Festival, a western film festival with classics, new features, documentaries, short films and guests in person.
When: Monday, November 9 through Saturday, November 14, 2026. High Noon shows start at 12:00 p.m. Evening shows start at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Kress Cinema & Lounge (817 8th Ave.) and LINC Library Innovation Center (501 8th Ave.), Greeley, Colorado.
Cost: Free. Reserve your free seats for shows at the Kress at kresscinema.com.
Get involved: Volunteer during festival week or support the festival.
The 2026 Schedule
| Day | High Noon (12:00 p.m.) | Evening (6:00 p.m.) |
|---|---|---|
| Mon., Nov. 9 | The Tall T (1957), LINC | Blazing Days (1927) with A Matrimonial Deluge (1913), live music by Rodney Sauer, Kress. Opening night reception at 5:30 p.m. |
| Tue., Nov. 10 | Chisum (1970), LINC | A Thousand Pieces of Gold (1990), Kress |
| Wed., Nov. 11 | The Settlers (2023), Kress | Creede U.S.A. (2025), Kress |
| Thu., Nov. 12 | Pale Rider (1985), LINC | Songs My Brothers Taught Me (2015), Kress |
| Fri., Nov. 13 | Sergeant Rutledge (1960), LINC | Shorts Showcase with filmmakers in person, Kress |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Way Out West (1937), plus a short by a local high school student, LINC | Tokyo Cowboy (2023) with director Marc Marriott, Kress. Closing night reception at 5:00 p.m. |
Old Favorites on the Big Screen
Some of these you've seen on television a dozen times. That's the point. Pale Rider was made for a theater screen, and Clint Eastwood's preacher riding out of the snow looks different when it's twenty feet wide. John Wayne brings his cattle drive to Tuesday's High Noon slot in Chisum. Randolph Scott and director Budd Boetticher open the week with The Tall T, a tight, mean little western that runs just 78 minutes.
Friday belongs to John Ford. Sergeant Rutledge puts Woody Strode at the center of a courtroom drama about a Black cavalry sergeant accused of murder, shot in Ford's beloved Monument Valley. And when you need a laugh on Saturday, Laurel and Hardy are waiting in Way Out West, still one of the funniest westerns ever made.
Is a Silent Film Worth Your Monday Night?
Yes, and we'll argue about it with anyone. Rodney Sauer of the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra returns to play live alongside Blazing Days, a 1927 silent western. Film historian David Emrich joins him. The night opens with A Matrimonial Deluge, a 1913 Selig comedy about a lonely ranchman whose newspaper ad brings a crowd of hopeful brides. Watch for the depot sign: it was filmed in Cañon City, Colorado, more than a century ago.
A silent movie with a live score feels nothing like a silent movie at home. The room laughs together. People who came in skeptical tend to leave asking when the next one is.
New Westerns, From Creede to Tokyo
The newer half of the lineup is just as strong. Creede U.S.A., from director Kahane Corn Cooperman, follows a former silver-mining town in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado. It premiered at SXSW in 2025. The Settlers, Felipe Gálvez's Chilean western set at the bottom of the continent in 1901, is beautiful and hard to shake.
A Thousand Pieces of Gold tells the story of a young Chinese woman sold into a frontier mining camp in Idaho. Songs My Brothers Taught Me is Chloé Zhao's first feature, filmed on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota years before her Oscar. Then Saturday night closes with Tokyo Cowboy, about a Japanese businessman sent to turn around a Montana cattle ranch. Director Marc Marriott will be at the Kress to take your questions after the film.
Who Will Be There in Person?
More guests than ever. Rodney Sauer and David Emrich open the festival on Monday night. On Friday, filmmakers Haynes Brooke, Chris Crowley and Aydan Metsch join a panel after the Shorts Showcase, a program of short films submitted from around the world. Marc Marriott closes things out on Saturday. Opening and closing nights both start with a reception before the 6:00 p.m. show, so come early.
This year's program cover is One for Each of You, an original painting by Colorado western artist Cody Kuehl. Pick up a program at any screening. Lots of people keep them.
Why Reserve a Free Seat?
The Kress has 144 seats, and the evening shows fill up. This year, shows at the Kress use free reservations through kresscinema.com, so you'll know your seat is waiting. If your plans change, please release your reservation so someone else can have it. Empty reserved seats are the only thing worse than a full house turning people away. High Noon screenings at LINC are first come, first served.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Go West Film Festival free?
Yes. Every screening at the 2026 Go West Film Festival is free, as it has been since the festival started in 2014.
Do I need a reservation?
Shows at the Kress Cinema use free reservations at kresscinema.com. High Noon screenings at LINC are first come, first served.
When is the 2026 Go West Film Festival?
November 9 through 14, 2026. High Noon shows start at 12:00 p.m. and evening shows start at 6:00 p.m.
Where are the screenings?
At the Kress Cinema & Lounge, 817 8th Ave., and LINC Library Innovation Center, 501 8th Ave., both in downtown Greeley, Colorado. The two venues are a short walk apart.
Which filmmakers will be at the 2026 festival?
Director Marc Marriott (Tokyo Cowboy), filmmakers Haynes Brooke, Chris Crowley and Aydan Metsch (Shorts Showcase), plus musician Rodney Sauer and film historian David Emrich on opening night.
How can I help the festival?
The festival is run by volunteers and supported by donors. You can sign up at gowestfilmfest.org/volunteer or give at gowestfilmfest.org/donate.
Six days, twelve programs, and a seat with your name on it. We'll see you on 8th Avenue.