When the Outdoors Come Indoors
Banff Mountain Film Festival March 27-28

By Frank Ruggiero

What does Boone have in common with Great Falls, Mont., Denver, Colo., Salt Lake City, Utah, and Sherbrooke, Quebec?

Apart from vowels, Boone boasts one of the highest attended screenings of the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, hitting the Farthing Auditorium screen at Appalachian State University March 27 and 28.

The international festival, now in its 33rd year, showcases some of the world’s finest films highlighting mountain adventure, culture and the environment. Banff’s 2008-09 world tour will travel to more than 275 communities in over 30 countries on all continents, including Antarctica. It is organized by The Banff Centre for Mountain Culture in Banff, Canada.

The festival has been celebrated for 13 years at Appalachian State, hosted locally by ASU Outdoor Programs.
“Our program is to get people outside and inspire them to push themselves,” said Rich Campbell, associate director of ASU Outdoor Programs. “Banff is a way to do that through film for ASU and the larger community. Part of the popularity is not just the students, but a lot of people in this community resonate with living in a mountain community. And that’s what I’ve heard from the folks at Banff, that we are one of the best screenings.”

Usually 45-50 films are selected for the world tour, with the number whittled down for each screening depending on community interest, with Boone’s typically leaning toward cultural and adventure themes, Campbell said.

“We try to be very intentional with the film list for each night,” he said. “We get lots of input, talking with folks from the Banff Centre to see what films pair best and juxtapose with each other. We want to make sure we get everything pieced together really well.”

This year’s lineup features a promising combination of the two, with 14 to be screened on Friday, March 27, and Saturday, March 28. Though the feature films are set in stone, Campbell said others are subject to change.

Friday’s portion will feature The Red Helmet, directed by Tyler Young, focusing on multiple action sports. This film features the music of Asheville-based band Stephanie’s Id, and band member and namesake Stephanie Morgan will present the film and share her thoughts on providing its soundtrack. Following Friday’s screenings, Stephanie’s Id will perform at 10:30 p.m. at Legends on Hardin Street. Banff ticketholders get in free by presenting their ticket stub.

Also on Friday, viewers can see The Unbearable Lightness of Skiing, directed and produced by Greg Hill, focusing on a backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering, and Mountain Town: The Cowboy and the Park Goddess, directed by Brendan Kiernan and Frank Pickell, focusing on culture, skiing and snowboarding.

The Mountain Town feature is an excerpt cut from a longer film, as is The Sharp End: Lisa Rands, directed and produced by Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen, focusing on bouldering. Friday viewers can also see The Last Frontier – Papua New Guinea, directed and produced by Trip Jennings, focusing on kayaking, exploration, culture and the environment, and Crux, directed by Alexander Lavigne, Banff’s People’s Choice Award for Radical Reels, focusing on bicycling.

The feature film for Friday is Banff People’s Choice Award winner Red Gold, directed by Ben Knight and Travis Rummel.

“At the headwaters of the two largest remaining sockeye salmon runs on the planet, a proposed mine may require the largest dam ever constructed to contain the toxic runoff,” the synopsis reads. “Native, commercial and sport fishermen oppose the proposed Pebble Mine, while mine officials argue the case for development. At stake is a unique way of life that would not exist if the salmon didn’t return with Bristol Bay’s tide.”

On Saturday, viewers will screen If You’re Not Falling, directed by Dave Brown and recipient of Banff’s Best Short Mountain Film Award, focusing on rock climbing, and Mountain Town: The Grasshopper and the Soldier, directed by Brendan Kiernan and Frank Pickell, focusing on culture and skiing.

A couple of animated features will also be screened, including The Cable Car, directed by Claudius Gentinetta and Frank Braun, about an old man and his fateful incident with snuff on a mountain-bound cable car, and Papiroflexia, directed and produced by Joaquin Baldwin, an origami-animated tale of man and the environment.

Also to be screened are Patagonian Winter, winner of the Banff Special Jury Award, directed and produced by Alastair Lee and focusing on alpine climbing, human narrative and mountain culture, and The Sharp End: Eastern Europe, directed and produced by Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen, focusing on rock climbing, tower jumping and culture.

The feature film on Saturday is Banff Grand Prize-winner The Last Nomads, directed and produced by Andrew Gregg, focusing on culture and the environment.

“For many years, Ian Mackenzie has trekked through the shredded remnants of the Borneo rainforest, dedicating his life to documenting the nomadic Penan people,” the synopsis reads. “Searching for the only remaining hunting and gathering Penan, he fears he will see the last glimpse of a vulnerable and ancient people he has come to care about so deeply.”

Viewers will not only be treated to some of the world’s premier outdoor films, but commentary and updates from Jamie Carpenter, special assistant for the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour.

Campbell said Carpenter will help bridge the experience between the audience and the films. For instance, Carpenter had recently met with Ian Mckenzie from The Last Nomads and will provide an update on his quest to preserve the Penan culture.

Following Saturday’s screenings, the winners of the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition will be announced.

Proceeds from the festival and photo competition benefit Outdoor Programs’ scholarship fund.

“The money actually enables people to not live vicariously through the films, but actually get out and do it,” Campbell said. “That’s one of the most exciting aspects for me. I think we all grow in our own ways when we’re outside, challenging ourselves, interfacing with culture – that’s really what the festival is all about.”

Tickets are available from the Farthing Auditorium box office weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., by calling (800) 841-2787 or (828) 262-4046, or online by following the appropriate link at www.op.appstate.edu. Tickets also are available at Footsloggers, located at 139 S. Depot St. in downtown Boone.