Around this time of year, mountain lovers would be seated in the darkness of a local cinema reveling in the feats of the world’s outdoor adventurers, conservationists and filmmakers.
Instead, this year’s traveling roadshow version of the Banff Mountain Film Festival is going online with a virtual stop in the Fraser Valley. The festival line-up this year ranges from jaw-dropping feats of endurance and bravery by skiers, surfers, slackliners and mountain lovers of all kinds, to contemplations on the impacts of climate change and human pollution and even an ode to the ski lift.
Here is a selection of the short films in this year’s festival (from the Banff Mountain Film Festival). Full list of films can be found at www.banffcentre.ca/2020-21-world-tour-films:
- Cholitas (tour edit): Five Indigenous Bolivian women embark on a unique expedition as a symbol of liberation and empowerment. Their goal? The highest peak in the Americas, Aconcagua.
- Far Far East: A proud Québecois short film about Charles and Olivier’s love for skiing and surfing on the North-American East coast. While they might not be dropping into the craziest ski lines you will see this year, the two explorers make sure to turn this trip into a real-life fairy tale.
- The Legend of Tommy G: Where in the world is Tommy G? The Belgian freerider has been a bit aloof lately and wild rumours have been spreading throughout the mountain bike world. Rumours about breaking the sound barrier, riding on water and detonating berms with the sickest of styles.
- Ocean to Asgard: Four friends travel to Baffin Island for a forty-day human-powered adventure, featuring first ascents, paddle descents, and a surprising number of wild flamingos.
- Voice Above Water: The story of Wayan, a 90-year-old fisherman who can no longer fish because of the amount of plastic piling up in the ocean. Instead he uses his fishing boat and net to pull trash from the water in hopes of being able to fish again.
People can choose from two programs, Amber with nine films or Onyx featuring eight, or choose to view both programs. Tickets can be picked up online at https://filmfest.banffcentre.ca/?campaign=WT-152950 and can be screened on any device in your home, including onto a big screen TV if you have the capacity to broadcast from anothe device to the TV.
Ticket sales help both the Fraser Valley Mountain Bike Association and Hope Mountain Centre, who are both involved and invested in building biking and trail infrastructure as well as outdoor programs in Hope and up the Fraser Canyon.
Questions about the tour can be directed to the Hope Mountain Centre at 604-869-1274.
Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email:emelie.peacock@hopestandard.com
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