After months of festival planning, receiving exciting film submissions and searching out the best of the best, the sixth annual Fernie Mountain Film Festival (FMFF), proved to be another successful film filled February fest. The festival saw an amazing turnout by locals and visitors, a diverse and entertaining mix of films and yet again fantastic support by many sponsors.
With three nights of epic film watching, whilst still remaining true to its original festival mandate, “Dedicated to filmmakers who spark awareness of mountain cultures, fragile environments and the passion and perseverance of global explorers”, that was created back in 2007 by Festival Directors, Jon Turk, Brian Bell and his fellow MAST students, the sixth annual FMFF was a roaring success.
As ever, Locals Film Night was a popular evening, with The Power of Powder winning the locals award of $500. And whilst putting the Festival to bed for another year, the Festival Committee voted on their Best of Fest – a tough task, picking from the wide array of submitted films in this year’s festival. However, this year the award goes to Ice Vikings – an entertaining film submitted by Don Wargowski, detailing an expedition taken in May 2010 by a team of six to L’Anse Aux Meadows, Newfoundland in an attempt to climb an iceberg. A feat that no-one else has perhaps considered, yet when combined with some dry-humoured novice climbers travelling all the way from Pittsburgh to Newfoundland in a dilapidated school bus, it’s an adventure worth watching – and a worthy festival winner indeed. Congratulations.
The Festival also gave out their third annual Fernie Mountain Culture Award on the Saturday night, this year going to Leanne Walker, whose great passion for all things wild, as well as her endless environmental education and entrepreneurship made her a very deserving and popular recipient. Nominations for the 2013 award are being taken online at www.ferniefilmfestival.com. This year the non-profit FMFF Festival also made generous donations to The Fernie Trails Alliance and The Fernie Nordic Society – both of which are valuable collaborations in Fernie, utilized by many a resident and visitor.
The Festival Committee would also like to thank everyone who yet again made the festival happen, in particular the 2012 sponsors: Kootenay Mountain Culture Magazine, College of the Rockies, BC Hydro and Teck; City of Fernie, Claris Media, Park Place Lodge, Tera Environmental, Evolution Health & Fitness and Columbia Basin Trust. Fernie Brewing Company, Midge’s Mags, Red Tree Lodge, Fernie Wilderness Adventures, Fernie Alpine Resort and Fernie Physio; Straightline, Ascent Helicopters, Dave Couse Photography and Giv’er Shirtworks. Without these generous supporters this annual festival would not be possible.
Want to be a part of the action? Submissions are already being accepted for 2013! Or if you’d like to join the Festival Committee and help put this Festival together, go to www.ferniefilmfestival.com for more information and contact details.
