How to check out the best-loved of the fest.

Every year in the wake of the Memorial Day festivities, we hear the same thing from our audience: “I missed that movie at the festival. How do I see it now?”

With new avenues for self-distribution and more online platforms for filmmakers, it gets easier every year to view docs even when it’s not festival season. Short films can often be seen on Vimeo, Youtube or a filmmaker’s website, along with, of course, at Mountainfilm on Tour shows. Longer films are trickier, but typically they follow a course that begins on the festival circuit before they find distribution, bask in a theatrical release or television run, and then go to DVD sales. With online video sites, such as Netflix, Amazon and iTunes, becoming more mainstream, however, many of these films can are more accessible than ever.  

The following is a rundown of some of our most-asked-about features with tips for how to see them. It should give you plenty of viewing material to catch up on before the 2016 festival rolls around. 

Cartel Land, a chilling and visceral film by Matthew Heineman that chronicles cartel violence in Mexico, enjoyed a busy run on the festival circuit and was picked up by upstart distributor The Orchard for North American screenings. It’s now playing in theaters around the country and is available on Netflix. Check the Cartel Land website for a full schedule of screenings.

The Diplomat, the potent political documentary directed by Mountainfilm’s own festival director David Holbrooke, has kept him busy all summer with festival appearances in places from New York to Jerusalem. The documentary will premiere on HBO on November 2 and also will be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO and HBO On Demand on that date. Learn more about The Diplomat.

The remarkable story of a pioneering climber’s life, Jeff Lowe’s Metanoia, is on tour in mountain towns, such as Jackson Hole and Colorado Springs, and has appeared in numerous adventure festivals. Signed DVDs of the film can be purchased online and will be shipped until the end of 2015.

Meru, the epic adventure feature about Renan Ozturk, Jimmy Chin and Conrad Anker’s quest to climb one of the world’s hardest peaks, has enjoyed immense success since its Mountainfilm screening. Along with showings at a slew of festivals and garnering many awards, the film was picked up by distributor Music Box and opened in theaters in August. The film, which will be widely released in November, can be pre-ordered on Amazon, Google play, iTunes and other online streaming sites. You can also purchase Meru on DVD.

James Marcus Haney’s lively romp through the world of illicit festival entry, No Cameras Allowed, premiered in late 2014 on MTV and can be watched online. The music documentary can be rented or viewed on Amazon, Vudu and iTunes. 

Racing Extinction, the moving environmental call to action by Louie Psihoyos, will premiere on Discovery in more than 220 countries on December 2, but you can also catch it on the big screen right here in Telluride, Colorado, with a special Mountainfilm Presents screening on December 8 at the Telluride Conference Center. Find out more about the Telluride event.

Unbranded, which follows four friends and a group of wild horses on an epic 3,000-mile journey from Mexico to Canada, has made appearances at several Mountainfilm on Tour events over the summer and fall. The 2015 Mountainfilm Audience Award winner is available for purchase on iTunes, as well as Unbranded's website.

Sender Films’ sweeping ode to Yosemite climbing, Valley Uprising, is a must-see for anyone who loves iconic walls, pioneering climbing, American history and dirt-bag renegades. The film is available for purchase via Vimeo, HD download, DVDs and Blurays through Sender Films.

The Rider & the Wolf, a 2014 Mountainfilm Commitment Grantee, has also enjoyed a run of festival and community screenings since its premiere at Mountainfilm. The documentary, which examines the chilling and mysterious disappearance of mountain bike pioneer Mike Rust, has a couple screenings coming up in Colorado: November 6 in Canon City and on November 11, 14 and 15 in Denver. Check Grit & Thistle for details.