Just as the early snow begins to top the peaks of the Canadian Rockies, the crew and countless volunteers at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity began to gear up for the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival.
The annual nine-day event hosted within the mountain town of Banff, Alta., offers attendees a rich insight into the culture and community of the mountaineering lifestyle. It’s a celebration of everything from remote expeditions to personal journeys and adventures told through the eyes of filmmakers, authors, photographers and adventurers from around the world.
With each day featuring a packed schedule of films, guest speakers as well as hands-on workshops, the event is known to draw quite a crowd.
Over 440 films were submitted to the festival from all over the globe offering a diverse look into the world of adrenaline-seeking, travel and human resilience. One hundred films made it to the final competition.
The regular festival schedule features a variety of daytime and evening screenings across various venues in Banff with returning and beloved categories such as Radical Reels— blood pumping extreme sports films, and Snow Show— films exclusively set in the height of winter.
Authors of a wide selection of detailed adventure books, biographies and retellings have also been given a platform to discuss their work with attendees throughout the festival.
In addition to screenings and discussions, guests are invited to explore the core of Banff. Nine local galleries and museums opened their doors to festival attendees to discover curated exhibits, art displays, readings and more films created within the community and beyond.
Travelling to Banff isn’t the only way to experience the highlights of the annual festival. Screenings and special events make it to over 550 locations spanning 40 countries connecting audiences around the world.
The festival estimates a viewership of over 550,000 at their global showings.
Kamloops happens to be the second stop along the film festival’s world tour, with screenings at the Paramount Theatre Downtown hosted by True Outdoors.
Tickets for the November 19 and 20 screenings are $25 and are available on the True Outdoors website and in-store.
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