Everyday Activist - Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour: Program 2

Posted on Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at 11:30 PM

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour: Program 2

Movie Review by Everyday Activist X CalgaryMovies.com

I liked Program 2 better this year. While a couple films had skiing, Eclipse and 55 Hours in Mexico, the stories featured the journey to get to these places, more than going up the hill just to ski down. People talked about the difficult conditions of filming the Revenant, watch Eclipse. For the best in mountaineering, climbing and sky running A Line Across the Sky, Women’s Speed Ascent and Kroger’s Canteen all have athletes pushing the envelope to be the best. Important Places invites us to rediscover the places that hold special meaning to us. For me that would be Waterton/Glacier International Peace Park, which borders on Montana where they surf on rivers. I hope you are able to watch this program.

The Important Places Best Short Mountain Film (2015, USA, 9 min) - <3 I loved this short film made up of past and present video footage of a man returning to the river that gave him so much joy; this time with his son. The film had me reflecting about my parents. My siblings and I recount numerous adventures my parents had when they were young, complete with their slides of world travel. Now, in their sixties, people who could go on cross Canada road trips need me to drive them to their doctor appointments in the city.

Builder (special edit) (2015, Canada, 9 min) - Missed it and couldn’t find it online

Kroger’s Canteen (2015, South Africa, 8 min) - Hard Rock is an interesting race. I didn’t know that not everyone could enter. Even super star Killian Jornet had to wait a couple years before having a chance to participate, win and set a record in 2014. I can’t imagine traveling internationally only to find out you didn’t make the cut. This short film features one of the aid stations in the mountains that Killian stopped at, Kroger’s Canteen, manned by former Hard Rock participants.

REEL ROCK 10: A Line Across the Sky Best Film–Climbing (2015, USA, 40 min) - Both Tommy Cadwell and Alex Honnold were in Banff, which is where I watched this film. You too can watch it in Banff if you miss it in Calgary. It’ll be at the Banff Center in spring. It’s always one thing to watch a film, but to have the people who made it be able to talk about their journey is something else.

Eclipse Best Film –Snow Sports (2015, Canada, 31 min) - This one has a Calgary connection. I was volunteering at the Banff Mountain Film Fest when I ran into one of the organizers of the Marda Loop film fest. Gerald Krabbe asked me if I watched Reuben’s award winning film. Of course I did and you can too.

Living Rivers –Surf (2015, USA, 3 min) - I will snowboard in Montana, but somehow surfing rivers sounds cold and dangerous. My heart was in my throat every time they fell into the water. 

Women’s Speed Ascent (2015, USA, 4 min) - While I’m not a huge fan of climbing, I enjoyed this short film. These ladies are tough. 

55 Hours in Mexico (2015, USA, 9 min) - Ode to the Weekend Warrior would be a better title. Fly to Mexico, climb a mountain (third highest peak in North America) and ski down it. Don’t forget to be back to work on Monday. They captured all the trip highlights in 9 minutes; unbelievable. 

Everyday Activist: Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour: Program 1 Review >

The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2015/16 makes two stops in Calgary from January 18-24, 2016 at Rozsa Centre @ The University of Calgary and January 28-31, 2016 at the John Dutton Theatre, Central Public Library.