The Banff Mountain Film Festival is the largest and most prestigious mountain film festival in the world -- a must-see for mountain enthusiasts and those with a spirit of adventure. This year's films depict exhilarating and thought provoking mountain cultures from remote locations, as well as adrenaline packed action sports. To see the awesome 2016 Banff Intro video go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHnqUQ1c6yc&feature=youtu.be
Film Menu – Tuesday April 19th
55 Hours in Mexico: Fly to Veracruz on a Friday, rent a car, climb the third-highest peak in North America, ski down and return to your desk Monday. How hard could it be?
Denali: There's no easy way to say goodbye to a friend, especially when they've supported you through your darkest times.
Unbranded: Four men and 16 wild mustangs set off on a 5000 kilometre journey across the American West from Mexico to Canada. In the spirit of true adventure, whiskey is drunk, tempers fly, tragedy strikes, and the bonds of friendship hold fast. But can the journey help save the plight of the wild horses roaming on public lands? Only time will tell.
Nature Rx: Is life a little too mundane or overwhelming? Feeling tired, irritable or stressed out? Maybe Nature Rx is just the ticket.
Paddle for the North: On an adventure of a lifetime, six young guys paddle to some of the most remote rivers in North America. It's a 1,500 km, 63- day mission to truly discover the secrets of the north and to show the world why some places are worth preserving before they are changed forever.
Curiosity: How does curiosity inspire ultra-marathoners Rory Bosio, Timothy Olson and Hal Koerner as they prepare for the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc? Their artistry gives them lots in common with local artist Andy Parkin.
Pretty Faces: Celebrate women who thrive in the snow! Follow her as she chases snow, from the time she needs to be lifted onto the chairlift to her first Alaskan dream line and beyond.
Women’s Speed Ascent: Mayan Smith-Gobat and Libby Sauter knew that the women's speed record for the ascent of The Nose on El Cap was theirs for the taking. Crushing the old record after just a few days of attempts, Mayan and Libby put their names in the record book of the infamous route in the Yosemite National Park.
Builder: Some people grow up and leave childish things behind. Others just take their childhood dreams and turn them up to 11 as they age. Building trails and tricks for your mountain bike never gets old, no matter your age.
Film Menu – Wednesday April 20th
The Important Places: Using a mix of old 16mm footage and new visuals, a son rediscovers the necessity of returning to and protecting “the important places” in our lives.
The Last Dragons: An intimate glimpse at North America's Eastern Hellbender, an ancient salamander as mythical as it is real. And in many waters, myths are all that remain of these sentinel stream-dwellers.
The Search for Freedom: The Search for Freedom is the story of the human desire to live in the moment and do what makes you feel the most alive. This is a visceral, visual experience told through the eyes some of the brightest pioneers, legends and cultural visionaries in the realm of outdoor sports.
Eclipse: The odds are low, the risks are high – photographer Reuben Krabbe is determined to capture a photo of a skier in front of the 2015 solar eclipse in Svalbard. But the weather’s bad, the guide is sketchy, the pressure is massive and the skiers just want to ski.
Kroger’s Canteen: In 2014, Kilian Jornet won the Hardrock 100 mile race through the San Juan’s of Colorado. Along the way he stopped at Kroger’s Canteen – an aid station perched on a tiny ledge, 13,100ft above sea level. This is a story about that aid station, about the people who make it happen, and about the spirit one can only find at the Hardrock 100.
unReal: Imagine a world where you ride the perfect trail perfectly, and sometime snow isn’t the only stuff that falls from the sky. When you spend all of your time at work dreaming about mountain biking, which life is real?
Paradise Waits: How do you celebrate winter when snow finally falls? Freeskier Tim Durtschi takes tram laps at Jackson Hole and big mountain skier Angel Collinson rips up some Alaskan lines.
Film menu and order of films subject to change.