For the past 300,000 years, give or take, humans have been kicking around on Earth. For the past 23 years, Eugene has had an annual film festival dedicated to films that help us make sense of all we’ve done in that time, and who we were before we had such things as film festivals, films, or newspapers that write about them. The Archaeology Channel International Film Festival is the longest running film festival in Eugene, and it’s back for another round this weekend with films from all over the world that have to do with our cultural heritage. These are films about Indigenous people, archaeological digs and scientific advancements in our understanding of early humans. “Learning about human culture helps us to understand ourselves,” says Richard Pettigrew, executive director of the Archaeology Legacy Institute (ALI), the nonprofit behind the festival. “There are many different ways to be human. The more you can understand that, the more you can appreciate other people, and the better we can get along with other people.” The festival will kick off with a banquet at the Gordon Hotel 6 pm to 9 pm May 13th, with a talk from keynote speakers Michael Bott and Rupert Soskin of the Prehistory Guys podcast. There will also be a social event at the ALI offices 7 pm May 16, and an awards reception there 7 pm May 17. The best part? All of this is free.

The Archaeology Channel International Film Festivalscreenings will begin at 7 pm, Thursday, May 14; 7 pm, Friday, May 15; 9:30 am, Saturday, May 16; and 10 am, Sunday, May 16, at the Shedd Institute’s Sheffer Recital Hall, 868 High St. Free. The full schedule and additional information can be found at Archaeologychannel.org/events-guide/tac-international-film-festival/international-film-festival-2026.