The Paddling Film Festival came to Uptown Columbus earlier this month, marking one of the stops on the festival’s World Tour. The event was held at the Rialto Theatre on Saturday, April 11, in conjunction with the 2026 Columbus Cup.
The Columbus Cup, held this year from April 10 through 12, is considered the “premier U.S. freestyle kayaking event on the Chattahoochee River,” according to Uptown Columbus’ website. VisitColumbusGA President and CEO Ashley Woitena stated that the Columbus Cup is part of the Paddle South Freestyle Tour, which began this year in mid-March, making stops in Tennessee, North Carolina and Alabama before wrapping up in Columbus.
“Columbus is known as one of the top waves to be at for kayaking, for freestyle kayaking,” said Woitena. “What we’re doing at VisitColumbusGA is helping to raise awareness for everything, gearing up for the ICF (International Canoe Federation).”
The ICF Freestyle Championships are approaching in 2028 and 2029, and Woitena stated that launching a film festival was a good way to build excitement. “You can be on the [Chattahoochee] River and then pop right off and be at a film festival, or walking in Uptown and having dinner, and just walking around and enjoying Columbus,” she added.
Four documentaries were featured during the festival: “A Baffin Vacation,” “Gabon Uncharted,” “Nocturne” and “The Wintering Grounds.” “The Wintering Grounds” was especially chosen because it was filmed locally, in Columbus, Ga., and Phenix City, Ala.
“World-class kayakers come from all over, just to be in our water because we have world-class whitewater rafting and world-class freestyle kayaking,” said Woitena. “Our water, temperature-wise, you can be in here all year-round, where you can’t do that in other communities.”
Whitewater Express general manager Daniell Gilbert stated that when selecting films for the festival lineup, organizers wanted to get “different pieces to the puzzle” and include material that appealed to all nature lovers. “As we were going through the process of selecting films, we were loaded with some of the most amazing spectacles we have ever seen and it really was a tough process,” he added.
Ultimately, they wanted to include films focused on whitewater kayaking alongside broader outdoor adventure pieces and others centered on conservation and river stewardship.
“Bringing people together like this that have […] desires to be outside and experience the outdoors. This is what we’re trying to do is bring everybody together in one spot in one night,” Gilbert said. “So they can take this one night and expand on it, and go on adventures outside of tonight.”
Woitena stated that the event was intentionally made free so that community members could attend with their families alongside the Columbus Cup activities that weekend. The 2026 Columbus Cup winners were announced onstage before the screenings; all are listed on Uptown Columbus’ website.
The event also gave attendees a chance to see the interior of the historic Rialto Theatre, which had been closed for many years. Major supporters of the film festival included Uptown Columbus, Whitewater Express (featured in “The Wintering Grounds”), RushSouth Whitewater Park, “The Wintering Grounds” producer Paige Swift, the Rialto Theatre and National Audio Visual Services, with whom Woitena says they partnered to execute the event.
“Columbus is a community that shows up,” Woitena added. “Columbus is that second-largest city in Georgia, but we’re really being put on the map now for our outdoor adventure. We have world-class rapids here, we have the Dragonfly [Trail], the second-largest connected trail system in the Southeast, not to even include all the arts, culture and history that we have here. So, Columbus is that perfect blend of arts, culture and outdoor adventure into one.”
Gilbert stated that organizers plan to hold another Paddling Film Festival in Columbus next year and will continue to grow the event over time. “It’s gonna be a really special part of Columbus,” he added. “For anybody that’s an outdoor enthusiast, we want your support, and we want to see you out here.”
