2024 Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival Guide

Festival Guide

W W W . R AB.EQUIPMENT

WELCOME

Welcome

Photo by Rita Taylor

BANFF CENTRE MOUNTAIN FILM AND BOOK FESTIVAL

Many great stories begin because someone asks a question.

On behalf of the Festival team, welcome to Banff Centre, located on the slopes of Sacred Guardian Buffalo Mountain within Treaty 7 territory.

We acknowledge the traditional lands of the Îyârhe Nakoda (Stoney Nakoda) as well as the Tsuut’ina First Nation and the Blackfoot Confederacy. We acknowledge that this territory is home to the Shuswap Nations, Ktunaxa Nations, and Métis Nation of Alberta, Rockyview District 4.

Sometimes it’s as simple as “Where does this trail go?” or “Can we reach the top of that mountain?" Naturally inquisitive, we press ahead, because the answer is surely just around the corner. As the story takes us along, we might ask ourselves deeper questions like, “What happens to us when there’s no more winter?” or “What would it be like if we chop down all the old growth trees?” The films and books in this year’s program pose lots of questions, and many have some answers. But many more will leave it up to you, the audience, to decide what the next steps are.

The film Silvicola presents the complex, long-standing issues that have been part of our relationships, as Canadians, with our forests for centuries, while For Winter takes us on a strenuous, remote, data-collecting journey with an adventurer looking for urgent answers to climate change in an unlikely, dangerous place. The Last Observers reminds us that, sometimes, the answers may not present themselves in our lifetime — they might take decades or even centuries to discover. Stories We Have Earned makes us reflect on what holes exist in our recorded history and asks “How can we make sure everyone’s story is told?”

“How far can the human body go?” is an often-asked question at our Festival. Kilian Jornet does just that as he crosses the Pyrenees in Into the (Un)known. Climbers Ashima Shiraishi and Beth Rodden want to know if they can do the hardest moves in the world, while Dawa Yangzum Sherpa wonders, “What does it take to be the first?” Hélias Millerioux and his gang of merry Frenchmen cross a good part of Alaska on an epic ski journey, with crampons or paddling packrafts, when they ask “Can it be done?”

This year’s program is designed not only to educate but to amaze and entertain.

From films on screen, to panel discussions, to tons of book events to choose from, we know you’ll get your fill of both questions and answers. So get curious and ask away, we’ve got you covered.

Joanna Croston Director, Festival & World Tour 3

Sponsors Presenting Partners:

Famous for its jewel-coloured lakes, spectacular landscapes and endless opportunity for outdoor adventure, Banff National Park is one of the world’s most loved mountain destinations. Banff & Lake Louise Tourism is the destination marketing organization for this special place, sharing its stories and welcoming people from all over to experience it for themselves. Banff and Lake Louise, home of Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival.

Major Partners:

2024 Festival Information

4

Rab began in 1981 in the attic of a small, terraced house in Sheffield, England where Rab Carrington made the first sleeping bag to bear his name. Hand-stitched and devised with his own ingenious eye, Rab's experience from years spent in the mountains was apparent in his designs, and soon there was popular demand from Rab's friends and the growing local climbing community.

But things didn't stop there. Word soon spread, and the Sheffield attic became a factory floor, creating sleeping bags and jackets for customers far and wide. Now, decades later, those honest, hardwearing designs can be found all over the world; wherever adventurous individuals face up to the elements.

Rab is the official and exclusive apparel for the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival and World Tour Canada and United States Screenings

Reel Rock: Yeah Buddy

6 – 7

Festival at a Glance

8

Online Film Schedule

9

Ticket Information

11 – 35

Film Descriptions

36 – 42

Schedule of Events

43

Book Signings

44 – 45

Daytime Book Events

47

Lux Cinema Banff/

artsPlace Canmore Events

48 – 51

Free Events

52 – 53

Exhibitions

Contents

Via Sedna

Canafornia

CONTENTS

54 – 55 Festival Marketplace and Merchandise 56 – 59

Film/Book/Photo Competitions and Workshops

How To Festival Cover photo: The French Alps, by Jordan Manoukian Inside back cover photo: Banff National Park, by Paul Zizka This page: From the films Reel Rock: Yeah Buddy; Canafornia photo by Satchel Cronk; Via Sedna photo by Ramona Waldner

61

Come and Stay – Hotels

62 – 63

Getting Around – Bus/Map

65

Dining 5

Backyard

Festival at a Glance EVENT CATEGORY: Feature Film Mixed Film Program Speaker Event Accessible Program Free Event

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27

MONDAY, OCTOBER 28

Morning Mixed Films

Morning Mixed Films

6 pm | p. 48

9 am – 12 pm | p. 36

9 am – 12 pm | p. 37

Afternoon Mixed Films

Afternoon Mixed Films

2 – 5 pm | p. 36

2 – 5 pm | p. 37

Festival Opening Reception

5 pm | p. 48

5 – 7 pm | p. 48

Dawa Yangzum Sherpa – and Films

Happy Hour

Happy Hour Radical Reels 7:30 pm | p. 38

Radical Reels – Simulcast

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29 Exhibitions

Bring Them Home

7:30 pm | p. 37

7:30 pm | p. 47

p. 48 – 51

Snow Show Repeat

Dirtbag Café – Bronwyn Hodgins

7:30 pm | p. 47

7:30 pm | p. 38

Wild Days 7:30 pm | p. 47

7:30 pm | p. 36

Stories We Have Earned: The Stoney Nakoda Film Project 7:30 pm | p. 36

Lux and artsPlace Screenings

Throughout the Festival | See page 47

FREE Events and Partner Events

See pages 48 – 51

Mountain Art Exhibitions Photo: From the film Backyard

by Christoph Johann 6

See pages 52 – 53

Free Events

p. 52 – 53

7:30 pm | p. 38

Snow Show

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30

FESTIVAL AT A GLANCE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3

Eric Blehm and Chad Sayers – Book Program

Voices of Adventure – Jim Donini

Bow Valley Filmmakers Showcase

All Day Mixed Films

Online:

9 am – 5 pm | p. 42

10 am | p. 44

10 am | p. 45

10 am | p. 40

banffmountainfestival.ca

Cory Richards – Book Program

Bernadette McDonald – Book Program

Festival Marketplace

Morning Mixed Films

By Phone:

12:30 pm | p. 44

Nandini Purandare, Deepa Balsavar and Sonja Swift – Book Program 3 pm | p. 44

Radical Reels Repeat 7:30 pm | p. 47

John Vaillant, Book Awards – and For Winter 7:30 pm | p. 38

Snow Show Repeat 8 pm | p. 47

12:30 pm | p. 45

Simon Carter and Ben Goldfarb – Book Program 3 pm | p. 45

Festival Marketplace 4 – 7 pm | p. 54

Rab Stage Events 4 – 6 pm | p. 50 – 51

Radical Reels Repeat 7 and 10 pm | p. 47

Beth Rodden – and Films 7:30 pm | p. 39

Evening Mixed Films 7:30 pm | p. 39

Searching for Amani 8 pm | p. 47

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 All Day Mixed Films 9 am – 5 pm | p. 40

Morning Mixed Films 9 am – 12 pm | p. 40

10 am – 7 pm | p. 54

Rab Stage Events 10 am – 6 pm | p. 50 – 51

Indigenous Dialogue – q̓ apkiǂ 1 pm | p. 51

Diving into the Darkness 1:30 pm | p. 40

Afternoon Mixed Films 2 – 5 pm | p. 40

Snow Show Repeat 2 pm | p. 47

Tamina 2 pm | p. 47

Tales & Ales 4:30 pm | p. 49

Run for Life 7 pm | p. 47

Riders on the Storm – and Films 7:30 pm | p. 40

9 am – 12 pm | p. 42

Festival Marketplace 10 am – 5 pm | p. 54

Purchase Your Tickets

1.800.413.8368 or 403.762.6301 Tues / Wed / Thurs 12 – 4 p.m.

Rab Stage Events

See p. 9 for more details.

10 am – 4 pm | p. 50 – 51

Watch Films Online

Afternoon Mixed Films 2 – 5 pm | p. 54

Nov. 6 – 13 See page 8 for schedule.

Big Water Theory 2 pm | p. 47

A Gift from Kei Taniguchi 2 pm | p. 47

Kids Program 2 and 3 pm | p. 49

Best of the Festival – Awards Presentation and Films 7:30 pm | p. 42

Best of the Festival – Films Only 8 pm | p. 42

Programs subject to change.

The Giants 7:30 pm | p. 41

Evening Mixed Films 7:30 pm | p. 41

@banffmountainfestival

@banffmountainfilmfestival

Ashima 9:30 pm | p. 47

7

BANFF CENTRE MOUNTAIN FILM AND BOOK FESTIVAL

PROGRAM

NOV. 6

NOV. 7

ONLINE FILM SCHEDULE

NOV. 8

NOV. 9

NOV. 10

NOV. 11

NOV. 12

NOV. 13

Mixed Film Programs Adventure Shorts Alpine Shorts Canada-only Shorts

Canada only

Climbing Shorts Culture Shorts Environmental Shorts Mountain Sports Shorts Radical Reels Snow Shorts Accessible Program Award-Winning Films

Feature Films A Gift from Kei Taniguchi Adra (cc) Ashima

Canada only – 48 hrs

Big Water Theory For Winter Karura, People of the River The Meaningless Pursuit of Snow Mongolia, Valley of the Bears Painting the Mountains Run for Life Sadpara Silvicola

Canada only

Stories We Have Earned Tamina Via Sedna Wild Days

• Online Film Pass: $150CAD ($125 CAD until Oct 24). Watch up to 83 films in Canada (78 in USA) from Nov. 6 through 13. Available to purchase until Nov 9.

• Individual Program Rentals: From $10 – $25 per program from Nov. 6 – 13.

Films available from November 6, 9 am MT until November 13, 11:59 pm MT unless otherwise specified • Films not available online: Boundless: A Sam Anthamatten Portrait; Bring Them Home; Champions of the Golden Valley; Diving into the Darkness; Into the (Un)known; Of a Lifetime; Searching for Amani.

Programs subject to change.

8 FIND OUT MORE: WATCH.BANFFCENTRE.CA/FILMFEST

Rent Online Films

TICKETS

Ticket Information Get Tickets From $20 Tickets for events at Banff Centre and our partner venues will be available directly through each location online and at the door (subject to availability).

Banff Centre Box Office: tickets.banffcentre.ca/filmfest Events at Lux Cinema Banff: luxbanff.com Events at artsPlace Canmore: artsplacecanmore.com

Box Office 403. 762.6301 | 1.800.413.8368 box_office@banffcentre.ca banffcentre.ca/box-office Pre-Festival Phone Hours: Tues / Wed / Thurs 12 – 4 pm Please leave a voicemail message or send an email outside of these hours. A Box Office agent will follow up with you the same, or following, business day.

During the Festival: Box Office agents will be available during daytime hours. Voicemail and email inquiries will be responded to within one day.

The Box Office in the Jenny Belzberg Theatre, Margaret Greenham Theatre and a temporary one in the Max Bell Auditorium lobby, will be open 30 minutes prior to each showtime.

Find out more about tickets and passes.

Theatres and Seating Banff Centre Festival events are assigned seating in the Jenny Belzberg Theatre and Margaret Greenham Theatre and general admission in the Max Bell Auditorium. Doors will open approximately 30 minutes prior to each show. Last minute tickets for sold out shows will appear online immediately, and remaining tickets will be available for purchase at the Box Office in the lobby 30 minutes prior to screenings.

Latecomer Policy For the enjoyment of other patrons, latecomers will not be admitted into the theatre until a suitable break between films, at the discretion of the Front of House Staff. Please arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled event and take into account the increased demands on traffic and parking.

Lost and Found Check the Info Desk in the Jenny Belzberg Theatre Lobby.

After The Festival Rent Films Online Nov. 6 – 13

Missed seeing films during the Festival in Banff?

Choose from a variety of programs, including curated mixed film programs and feature films.

Online Film Pass: Available to purchase until Nov. 9.

Individual program rentals: Available to purchase Nov. 6 – 13 .

See p. 8 for details.

Accessibility We are offering some accessible programs for hearing-impaired and D/deaf audience members during the 2024 Festival. These programs will have on-stage ASL interpretation for live aspects of the presentations (speakers and MCs) and personal Dolby CaptiView viewing devices available for film captions or open captions on-screen.

If you would like to make an accessibility request please email box_office@ banffcentre.ca in advance of these presentations.

Accessible Programs:

Simon Carter and Ben Goldfarb – Book Program Friday, Nov. 1, 3 pm Max Bell Auditorium

Beth Rodden – and Films Friday, Nov. 1, 7:30 pm Jenny Belzberg Theatre

The Art of Short Films Saturday, Nov. 2, 3:30 pm Rab Stage, KCCI 1st floor

The Giants Saturday, Nov. 2, 7:30 pm Margaret Greenham Theatre Accessible Films Online:

watch.banffcentre.ca/filmfest

Watch Online: Nov. 6 – 13

Note: Different login accounts are required for the Banff Centre Box Office and the Festival online platform.

Some online film programs are accessible for hearing-impaired audience members.

Programs/details subject to change.

Tickets are non-refundable.

BANFFMOUNTAINFESTIVAL.CA 9

FILMS A-Z

Films A–Z

2 Legs is 2 Easy (USA, 2024, 7 min) CANADIAN PREMIERE

Read more about the 90 film finalists from 20 countries in the 2024 Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival!

Director: Tamara Susa Producer: BTX Productions, Tamara Susa

Steve Karczewski was born with bone cancer in his left leg and has never known what it is like to have two legs, but that hasn’t prevented him from doing anything and everything he’s ever wanted as an outdoor athlete.

Snow Show | Various Dates/Venues p. 37, 47 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Snow Shorts

109 Below (USA, 2023, 14 min) Director: Nick Martini* Producers: Stept Studios, Sarah Stewart*, Ben Osborne*, Lex Hinson

109 Below tells a tale of resilience and grit when elite rescue volunteers go out of their way to save the lives of strangers.

Nov. 2 | 7:30 pm | JBT | p. 40 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Culture Shorts

VENUES: JBT Jenny Belzberg Theatre MBA Max Bell Auditorium MGT Margaret Greenham Theatre LUX Lux Cinema Banff artsPlace artsPlace Canmore

Photos, from the films: 109 Below, photo by Cam Riley; 2 Legs is 2 Easy, photo by Tamara Susa

* In person at the Festival 11

A Team Sport (USA, 2024, 16 min)

CANADIAN PREMIERE

A Gift From Kei Taniguchi (Japan, 2023, 100 min)

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

Directors: Toshiko Tozawa*, Tetsuya Okamoto* Producers: Mountain Gorilla Films LLC, Toshiko Tozawa, Tetsuya Okamoto

Akihiro Oishi and Hiroki Suzuki are average Japanese workers who are determined to conquer the challenging North Buttress of Alaska’s Mount Hunter. They have been climbing partners since Kei Taniguchi died at 43 in 2015. Kei was the first and only female climber in the world to receive the highly regarded Piolet d’Or mountaineering award. She was Akihiro’s mentor and Hiroki’s climbing partner. This film explores Kei’s legacy and how she inspired the two men to climb Mt. Hunter.

Directors: Alexis Berg, Julien Raison Producers: Stept Studios, Sarah Stewart, Jon Brogan, Laura Mittleberg, Jason Israel, Marion Blache, Oliver Denton

Ultra-runner Courtney Dauwalter is one of the greatest athletes in the history of the sport. Continuing to shatter records, in 2023 she became the first person ever to wear the Triple Crown of ultra-running, winning three iconic 100+mile races backto-back in one summer. But who is the team behind Courtney and her remarkable success?

Oct. 26 | 2 pm | JBT | p. 36 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Mountain Sports Shorts

Nov. 3 | 2 pm | artsPlace | p. 47 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Feature Film

12

Photos, from the films: A Gift From Kei Taniguchi, photo by Akihiro Oishi; A Team Sport; Above Sinai, photo by Abdrahman Aldakiki

Above Sinai (USA, 2024, 13 min) WORLD PREMIERE

Director: Kylie Zarmati* Producer: Outlands Productions, Sensi Graves

Meet Sarah Sadek, Egyptian native and professional kiteboarder. Her home on the Sinai peninsula is a world where women are not often found in athletic roles, nor in the water. Sarah shows us how she is opening the eyes of her local community and pushing the boundaries in a gracious — yet badass — way.

Oct. 26 | 7:30 pm | JBT | p. 36 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Adventure Shorts

FILMS A-Z

All in or Nothing (New Zealand, 2024, 23 min) WORLD PREMIERE

Director: Gordon Duff* Producers: Soul Cinema, Gordon Duff, Matthew Fairbrother*

(UK, 2023, 53 min)

This story follows rider Matthew Fairbrother as he competes against 120 riders in the New Zealand MTB Rally. While other riders have full support crews, Matthew has only himself to rely on for six gruelling days as he battles to complete each leg self-powered, although the chocolate milk helps.

Director: Emma Crome* Producer: Coldhouse Collective, Harriet Sykes

Nov. 2 | 9 am | JBT/MGT | p. 40

Adra NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

Llanberis is the diamond at the heart of North Wales and is the epicentre of climbing in the UK. Adra gently gifts us a sense of home, community, and belonging as local climbers Zoë Wood and Lewis Perrin Williams take us on a nostalgic journey, exploring how this place has impacted the lives of the climbers who have lived, worked, and played in this beautiful corner of Cymru over the last century.

Nov. 1 | 7:30 pm | JBT | p. 38 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Feature Film

ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Adventure Shorts

Ashima (USA, 2023, 86 min)

CANADIAN PREMIERE

Director: Kenji Tsukamoto* Producers: Gray Hat Films, Kenji Tsukamoto, Minji Chang, Roy Choi, Dave Boyle

Ashima is an intimate portrait of elite rock climber Ashima Shiraishi as she travels to South Africa to try to become the youngest person in the world to climb a V14-graded boulder problem. Accompanying Ashima is Poppo, an eccentric, hermit-like, retired avante garde dancer, who also happens to be her father.

Nov. 1 | 7:30 pm | MGT | p. 39 Nov. 2 | 9:30 pm | LUX | p. 47 ONLINE: Nov. 9 – 11 | Feature Film (Canada only)

Anytime (Canada, 2024, 62 min) Directors: Darcy Wittenburg*, Darren McCullough, Colin Jones* Producers: Anthill Films, Red Bull Media House, Ian Dunn, Darcy Wittenburg, Galen Knowles

Anytime showcases the collective ambitions of fifteen of the world’s best freeride mountain bikers across forests, deserts, cities, and highalpine peaks, as they attempt to define the frontiers of their sport.

Photos, from the films: Adra, photo by Lena Drapella; All in or Nothing, photo by Henry Jaine; Anytime, photo by Margus Riga; Ashima, photo by Kenji Tsukamoto

Radical Reels | Various Dates/Venues p. 38, 47 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Radical Reels

* In person at the Festival 13

Big Water Theory (France, 2024, 83 min)

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

Director: Emile Dominé* Producers: AADO Media, Emile Dominé, Jules Dominé*

Between the Lines (USA, 2024, 15 min) WORLD PREMIERE

Director: Liz McGregor* Producer: BoonDocs, Liz McGregor

Backyard (Germany, 2024, 27 min)

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

Director: Tim Marcour Producers: MKM, Matthias Kraupe, Tim Marcour

The Arlberg is Nadine’s* backyard and nobody knows the mountains and where to find the best lines like she does. Nadine has a dream, to ski five huge lines in one day. All she needs are perfect conditions.

Alex Obregon found his love of fly fishing by way of whitewater, and simultaneously deepened his appreciation and understanding of all the spaces — and species — that a river holds.

Follow kayaking superstar Nouria Newman and two childhood friends as they navigate one of the world’s most challenging sections of whitewater — the Rondu Gorge of the Indus River in Pakistan. Documenting Nouria’s attempt at completing the first female descent of these unbelievable rapids, Big Water Theory is set against the stunning backdrop of the Karakoram mountains and highlights the irreversible nature of the sport.

Nov. 3 | 9 am | JBT/MGT | p. 42 Nov. 3 | 2 pm | LUX | p. 47 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Feature Film

Nov. 1 | 7:30 pm | MBA | p. 39 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Mountain Sports Shorts

Radical Reels | Various Dates/Venues p. 38, 47

The Bird in My Backyard (Canada, 2024, 20 min)

ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Radical Reels

CANADIAN PREMIERE

Director: Ryan Wilkes* Producers: Trochilus Films, Ryan Wilkes, CBC

14

Photos, from the films: Backyard, photo

by Christoph Johann; Between The Lines, photo by Liz McGregor; Big Water Theory, photo by Jules Dominé; The Bird in My Backyard, photo by Ryan Wilkes

The Bird in my Backyard follows a window salesman turned hummingbird expert as he documents the secret lives of the hummingbirds that nest in his urban backyard.

Oct. 26 | 9 am | JBT | p. 36 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Environmental Shorts

FILMS A-Z

Body of a Line (USA, 2024, 11 min) Director: Henna Taylor Producer: Henna Taylor

In this animated short, Madaleine Sorkin* undertakes an intimate and creative journey to climb the most difficult rock climb above 4100 metres in the world: the DunnWestbay Direct on Longs Peak (Neniisoteyou’u) in Colorado.

Oct. 26 | 7:30 pm | JBT | p. 36 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Climbing Shorts

Bring Them Home (USA, 2024, 86 min) Directors: Daniel Glick*, Ivan MacDonald, Ivy MacDonald Producers: Thunderheart Media, Melissa Grumhaus*, Sarah Clarke*

Bring Them Home tells the story of a small group of Blackfoot people and their mission to establish the first wild buffalo herd on their ancestral territory since the species nearextinction a century ago — an act that would restore the land, re-enliven traditional culture, and bring much needed healing to their community.

Oct. 26 | 2 pm | JBT | p. 36 Oct. 28 | 7:30 pm | artsPlace | p 47 Not available online

Boundless: A Sam Anthamatten Portrait (Switzerland, 2024, 17 min) Director: Etienne Mérel Producers: The Faction Collective, Henrik Lampert, Irena Umek, Alex Hoye

Not available online

(USA, 2024, 2 min) Directors: Scott Secco*, Scotty Carlson, Satchel Cronk Producers: Kona Bicycle Company, Caleb Smith

Welcome to Canafornia, accessible only by a correctly attuned psychic elevator and the right bike for any conditions. Push all the buttons, and take a ride with Eddie Reynolds as he feeds on a healthy diet of dust, loam, plenty of air, and Lego.

Nov. 3 | 2 pm | JBT/MGT | p. 42

Journey to the remote backcountry of the Alps with pro-rider and mentor Sam Anthamatten as he explores the student side of his persona by exploring new terrain and environments.

Snow Show | Various Dates/Venues p. 37, 47

Canafornia

ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Adventure Shorts

Photos, from the films: Body of a Line; Boundless: A Sam Anthamatten Portrait, photo by Frederik Kalbermatten; Bring Them Home; Canafornia, photo by Satchel Cronk

* In person at the Festival 15

Canyon Chorus (USA, 2024, 17 min)

CANADIAN PREMIERE

Director: Chris Cresci* Producer: Wondercamp, Davis Love

Set against the backdrop of Desolation Canyon, UT, Mikah Meyer*, a world-record traveler and LGBTQ+ advocate and his friends reflect on their stories and the power of mentorship within the queer community.

Nov. 1 | 7:30 pm | JBT | p. 39 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Mountain Sports Shorts

Champions of the Golden Valley (USA, 2024, 81 min)

CANADIAN PREMIERE

Director: Ben Sturgulewski* Producers: Sturgefilm, Tideshift Studio, Katie Stjernholm*, Baktash Ahadi

In the remote mountain villages of Bamyan, Afghanistan, a newfound passion for skiing attracts young athletes from rival ethnic groups to the slopes. With minimal gear and makeshift skis, the determined ski coach Alishah Farhang organizes a thrilling ski race that fosters camaraderie, joy, and triumph.

“The ultimate underdog story.”

—Variety Nov. 2 | 2 pm | JBT/MGT | p. 40 Not available online

Darkhorse (Canada, 2023, 25 min) Directors: Bryan Smith, Cameron Sylvester Producer: Reel Water Productions, Bryan Smith

In today’s era of outdoor adventure sports, where social media followers, engagement and ‘likes’ have shaped the industry, an important question remains unanswered: If a snowboarder rides a steep, exposed line in the Whistler backcountry and no one sees it or hears it, did it really happen?

Carved From Stone

Nov. 1 | 7:30 pm | MGT | p. 38

(Canada, 2024, 11 min) Director: Tyler Burr* Producer: Burdock Creative Media, Tyler Burr

ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Canada-only Shorts

Brooke Carten has been rock climbing for long enough that it’s hard to imagine who she’d be if it weren’t for climbing’s influence on her life...

But in what ways has this sport has influenced her? What are the pieces of Brooke’s personality that have been carved from the stone?

Oct. 27 | 2 pm | JBT | p. 37 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Climbing Shorts 16

Photos, from the films: Canyon Chorus; Carved From Stone, photo by Tyler Burr; Champions of the Golden Valley, photo

by Ben Sturgulewski; Darkhorse, photo by Reel Water Productions

FILMS A-Z

Designed by Disaster (USA, 2023, 20 min)

CANADIAN PREMIERE

Director: James ‘Q’ Martin* Producer: Q Stories, Page Buono

Designed by Disaster is a deeply personal and inspiring story about Danny*, a passionate climber who faces a life-changing ordeal in the Dolomites and is propelled to invent a revolutionary type of crampon, addressing a critical safety gap in mountain travel.

Nov. 2 | 7:30 pm | MBA | p. 41 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Alpine Shorts

Diving Into the Darkness (Australia, 2024, 96 min) CANADIAN PREMIERE

Director: Nays Baghai Producers: Running Cloud Productions, Nays Baghai, Kearie Peak

An awe-inspiring feature length documentary about celebrated Canadian cave diving icon Jill Heinerth, and her journey of exploration, resilience and selfdiscovery into the planet’s deepest depths.

Nov. 2 | 1:30 pm | MBA | p. 40 Not available online

Dropping Molly (USA, 2024, 26 min)

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

Director: Cedar Wright Producer: Cedar Wright Productions, Cedar Wright

Follow Molly Mitchell’s* roller coaster journey to climb Crank It, one of Colorado’s most dangerous routes.

After breaking her back on the climb, Molly must face her rocky mental health and embark on a journey of therapy, self discovery, and growth.

Radical Reels | Various Dates/Venues p. 38, 47 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Radical Reels

Photos, from the films: Designed by Disaster, photo by James 'Q' Martin; Diving Into the Darkness, photo by Janne Suhonen; Dropping Molly

* In person at the Festival 17

Eliot Jackson — Drop the Mic (Canada, 2024, 2 min) Director: Scott Secco Producers: Scott Secco Films, Seb Kemp, Daniel Gillooley

Eliot Jackson has sneaky superpowers.

He is one of the most badass riders to ever scrub-whip a mountain bike.

Radical Reels | Various Dates/Venues p. 38, 47 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Radical Reels

Fall Harvest (USA, 2023, 2 min) Director: Keenan DesPlanques* Producers: Keenan DesPlanques, Fiona Swartz

At Crankworx Cairns in 2023, Nicholi Rogatkin had a season-ending injury and it was the first time in his career that he had to sit out a season.

This short film highlights the magic of getting back on a bike again.

Oct. 27 | 9 am | JBT | p. 37 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Mountain Sports Shorts

Embracing the Grim (France, 2023, 12 min)

CANADIAN PREMIERE

Director: Aleksandra Janiak Producer: The North Face, Aleksandra Janiak

CANADIAN PREMIERE

Director: Anthony Bonello Producer: Picture Organic Clothing

As a professional skier, Chris Ruebens* travelled the globe in search of the best skiing, until an expedition to Greenland brought the reality of climate change into sharp focus. Forced to confront his footprint and values, he takes action, risking his career as an athlete to become an organic farmer in a quest to foster a stronger connection to the mountains.

ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Snow Shorts

Nov. 3 | 2 pm | JBT/MGT | p. 42

18

(France, 2024, 25 min)

Nov. 1 | 7:30 pm | JBT | p. 39

Fay and Line head north to the ephemeral Scottish land of mixed climbing. Their objectives are ambitious and the weather is fickle, testing the all-women team’s perseverance.

ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Alpine Shorts

Farming Turns

Photos, from the films: Eliot Jackson — Drop the Mic; Embracing the Grim, photo by Line van den Berg; Fall Harvest; Farming Turns

FILMS A-Z

Feeling the Apocalypse (Canada, 2022, 7 min) Director: Chen Sing Yap* Producer: Nikolai Osborn*

For Winter

A psychotherapist struggling with climate anxiety explores what it means to live in a dying world.

Oct. 27 | 2 pm | JBT | p. 37 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Environmental Shorts

(USA, 2024, 54 min) WORLD PREMIERE

Footprints on Katmai (USA, 2023, 22 min)

CANADIAN PREMIERE

Director: Max Romey* Producer: Trailbound Sketches, Jennifer Langille

Following his Grandmother’s footsteps to one of the most remote and bear-strewn beaches in Alaska, painter Max Romey discovers that an ocean of problems is closer to home than he could have imagined.

Nov. 3 | 9 am | JBT/MGT | p. 42 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Environmental Shorts

Find Me Outside (Canada, 2024, 17 min) Director: Ching Yu* Producers: Diodio Studio, Rongqin Su*, Ching Yu

Director: National Geographic Society Impact Story Lab Producers: National Geographic Society Impact Story Lab, Taylor Schuelke*, Katie Cleary*

In the frozen heights of Canada’s tallest peak, an international team of scientists launches a daring expedition to unearth thousands of years of climate data in one recordbreaking ice core. Glaciologist and National Geographic Explorer Alison Criscitiello* is the brain and brawn behind this ambitious quest. As she leads her team on a 10-day climb up the mountain, through whiteout conditions and precarious icefalls, Ali and her team defeat the odds and reach Mt. Logan’s summit plateau where they camp for 16 days, while drilling in frigid conditions.

Oct. 31 | 7:30 pm | JBT | p. 38 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Feature Film

Find Me Outside follows four families in western Canada observing the wonder of nature through the eyes of children.

Nov. 2 | 10 am | MBA | p. 40 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Adventure Shorts

Photos, from the films: Feeling the Apocalypse, art by Rowan MikolicO'Rourke; Find Me Outside, photo

by Rongqin Su; Footprints on Katmai, photo by Max Romey; For Winter, photo by Leo Hoorn

* In person at the Festival 19

Going East Ghost Resorts: Japan (USA, 2023, 10 min) Directors: Michael J Brown*, Zeppelin Zeerip* Producers: Sweetgrass Productions, Michael J Brown

The Giants (Australia, 2024, 91 min) Directors: Laurence Billiet*, Rachael Antony* Producers: General Strike, Matchbox Pictures, Laurence Billiet, Rachael Antony

With ski lifts no longer spinning and buildings falling into desolation, abandoned ski areas are nestled among the snow-drifted peaks of Japan. Yet the deep powder snow beckons to those who wish to experience an unconventional backcountry adventure.

(Austria, 2024, 33 min) CANADIAN PREMIERE

Director: Loïc Isliker Producer: Johannes Hoffmann

Join a group of curious skiers on a mission to travel as far east as possible using only public transport, skiing along the way.

Nov. 2 | 7:30 pm | MBA | p. 41 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Snow Shorts

Nov. 1 | 7:30 pm | MBA | p. 39 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Snow Shorts

From a seedling to forest elder: the film is a masterclass that draws on Bob Brown’s 50 years of inspiring activism, from the Franklin campaign for Tasmania’s last wild river, to today’s battle for the Tarkine rainforest. Brown’s story is interwoven with the extraordinary life cycle of Australia’s giant trees, brought to the screen with stunning award-winning cinematography and immersive animated forest landscapes.

Home From Home (USA, 2024, 8 min) Director: John Peirce Dellanno* Producer: John Peirce Dellanno

A glimpse into the lives and hearts of some of the best Japanese free ride skiers in the world. Home From Home explores the intersection between Japanese athletes and the natural world.

Nov. 2 | 7:30 pm | MGT | p. 41

Snow Show | Various Dates/Venues p. 37, 47 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Snow Shorts

20

Photos, from the films: The Giants; Ghost Resorts: Japan; Going East, photo by Max Kroneck; Home From Home, photo by Jordyn Romero

FILMS A-Z

I Am the Nature (Brazil, 2023, 6 min)

CANADIAN PREMIERE

Director: Taliesin Black-Brown Producers: Driven Equation, Helena Sardinha, Rafael Thomaseto, Ramiro Vargas Chumpí Washikiat

House of Bliss (Iceland, 2024, 9 min)

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

Directors: Elli Thor Magnusson, Ben Weiland Producer: 104 Frames, Steve Lewis

House of Bliss (Saeluhus) documents the making of a shelter situated somewhere on the border of reality and imagination. A private world of contemplation and quiet relief from the outside world.

Nov. 2 | 2 pm | JBT/MGT | p. 40 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Adventure Shorts

How the Land Remembers Us (USA, 2024, 20 min)

CANADIAN PREMIERE

Director: Jared Wahkinney Producers: Evolution Cinema, Brendan Hall*, Francesca Pine Rodriguez, Gabriella Canal*

A poetic documentary honoring the philosophy and cultural expression of the Achuar people from the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador.

Nov. 2 | 2 pm | JBT/MGT | p. 40 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Environmental Shorts

Amidst Yellowstone National Park’s 150th anniversary, Indigenous artists deeply connected to their ancestral land, share projects steeped in traditional ecological knowledge in an act of rematriation, and ceremony.

Here, the land itself cradles their memories, recognizing them as integral threads in its rich tapestry.

Nov. 2 | 2 pm | JBT/MGT | p. 40 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Culture Shorts

Ian (Australia, 2024, 8 min) CANADIAN PREMIERE

Director: Matt Raimondo* Producer: GoodFolk Film Production, Matt Raimondo

Meet 72-year-old Australian climber, Ian Elliott. Ian’s extraordinary climbing ability defies age stereotypes, showcasing his resilience and challenging societal perceptions.

Photos, from the films: House of Bliss, photo by Ben Weiland; How the Land Remembers Us; I Am the Nature, photo by Taliesin Black-Brown; Ian, photo by Caleb Ware

Nov. 3 | 9 am | JBT/MGT | p. 42 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Climbing Shorts

* In person at the Festival 21

Jackson Goldstone — Solo (Canada, 2024, 3 min) Director: Scott Secco* Producers: Scott Secco Films, Seb Kemp, Daniel Gillooley

Jackson Goldstone is a World Champion downhill mountain bike racer. He’s also fast on his trail bike. Watch as he floats through Vancouver’s iconic North Shore trails.

Into the (Un)known (Spain, 2023, 42 min) WORLD PREMIERE

Nov. 2 | 9 am | JBT/MGT | p. 40 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Mountain Sports Shorts

Director: Nick Danielsen, Regis Tosetti Producers: NNormal, Mountainlife, Jordi Lorenzo Català

Iniskim — Return of the Buffalo (Canada, 2023, 40 min) Directors: Leanne Allison, Pete Balkwill* Producers: Necessary Journeys, Leanne Allison, Amethyst First Rider*

Iniskim — Return of the Buffalo is an intercultural artistic response to the return of the buffalo, as wild animals, to Western North America.

Sometimes testing the limits forces you to look at a familiar place through different eyes. When Kilian Jornet returns to the Pyrenees, where he had spent time with his family as a child, he knows he wants to challenge himself by linking all the major 3000-metre peaks in just eight days. Along the way he observes retreating glaciers and experiences the blur of days into nights in his rediscovered homeland.

Nov. 2 | 10 am | MBA | p. 40 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Canada-only Shorts

Oct. 26 | 7:30 pm | JBT | p. 22 Not available online

22

Photos, from the films: Iniskim — Return of the Buffalo, photo by R Kautuk; Into the (Un)known, photo by David Ariño; Jackson Goldstone — Solo, photo by Liam Mullany; Jamie, photo by Tara Kerzhner

Jamie (USA, 2023, 19 min) Director: Darcy Hennessey* Producer: Well Travelled Collective, Sarah Steele

Jamie Logan* — a pioneering alpinist — has climbed some of the most dangerous climbs in the world.

But nothing felt as life-threatening as admitting that, at age 69, she wanted to begin a new life living as a woman. This is a film that shows that love and trust can be the ultimate act of rebellion.

Nov. 2 | 9 am | JBT/MGT | p. 40 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Alpine Shorts

FILMS A-Z

Judy’s Creek (USA, 2023, 5 min) Directors: David Herasimtschuk, Jeremy Monroe Producer: Freshwaters Illustrated, Jeremy Monroe

Jamrock (USA, 2024, 17 min)

CANADIAN PREMIERE

Director: Gareth Leah* Producer: Well Good Productions, Gareth Leah

Kai Lightner, a 12-time national US climbing champion and the visionary founder of Climb for Change embarks on a transformative mission into the heart of Jamaica’s emerging climbing community, where passion and determination thrive despite limited resources and recognition.

Nov. 2 | 7:30 pm | MBA | p. 41 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Climbing Shorts

Photos, from the films: Jamrock, photo

by Gaz Leah; Judy’s Creek, photo by David Herasimtschuk; Karuara, People of the River, photo by Miguel Araoz; Keep it Burning, photo by Edu Marín

Dive into the world of caddisflies, the artisans of the aquatic world — as Dr. Judy Li shares how her childhood curiosity led to a career in freshwater science, and how she has found ways to share the joys of science with audiences of all ages.

Oct. 26 | 2 pm | JBT | p. 36 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Environmental Shorts

Karuara, People of the River (Peru, 2024, 77 min) Directors: Stephanie Boyd*, Miguel Araoz Cartagena Producers: Asociación Quisca, Stephanie Boyd, Mariluz Canaquiri Murayari, Leonardo Tello Imaina

Keep it Burning (France, 2024, 33 min)

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

Director: Guillaume Broust Producer: Petzl, Manu Moreau

The Karakoram is the wildest mountain range in the world and Nameless Tower beckons to climbers who approach. Edu Marín, his brother Alex and father Novato attempt the second free ascent of Eternal Flame 33 years after the first ascent by Wofgang Güllich and Kurt Albert, and 13 years after Alex and Thomas Huber’s first free ascent.

Oct. 26 | 2 pm | JBT | p. 36 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Alpine Shorts

Beneath the waters of Peru’s Amazon lies a world of spirits led by the Karuara, the ‘people of the river’.

A brave Indigenous woman and her family confront powerful interests to save their river and these sacred beings. In a world that puts a price tag on nature, this film takes viewers inside the magic and beauty of the Amazon region and reminds us of our sacred connection to water.

Oct. 27 | 2 pm | JBT | p. 37 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Feature Film

* In person at the Festival 23

The Last Observers (USA, 2024, 25 min) Director: Maja K Mikkelsen Producer: Patagonia Films, Adam Mikkelsen

Kentaro (Australia, 2024, 15 min) WORLD PREMIERE

Directors: Til Stewart, Gaku Matsuda Producers: Glimmer Films, Til Stewart, Gaku Matsuda

Following the Great Japanese Earthquake, parents Miho and Hiro Yokobori abandoned their life in Tokyo to embrace a new beginning in the isolated mountain community of Kawakami. Kentaro’s birth — the first birth in the village in 25 years — injects a renewed sense of hope and vitality, countering Japan’s troubling trend of an ageing population and record low birth rates.

Oct. 26 | 2 pm | JBT | p. 36 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Culture Shorts

For decades, every third hour around the clock, every day of the year, Karin Persson and Lennart Karlsson have gone outside to observe and record the weather. At one of the last manual weather stations on the planet, there are no days off.

Nov. 3 | 9 am | JBT/MGT | p. 42 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Culture Shorts

Last of the Monarchs

The Last Skiers (Italy, 2023, 12 min)

CANADIAN PREMIERE

Director: Veronica Ciceri* Producer: Veronica Ciceri

Told by a generation of Italian skiers who have witnessed the slopes on which they learned to ski turn into arid, yellow hills, The Last Skiers is an urgent statement on the fragility of nature — as many European nations saw their warmest January day ever in 2023, with temperatures topping 20°C in some areas of northern Italy.

(USA, 2022, 10 min)

CANADIAN PREMIERE

Directors: Grayson Schaffer, Ryan Heffernan Producers: Talweg Creative, Kyle Dickman*

Nov. 2 | 7:30 pm | MBA | p. 41 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Environmental Shorts

Giant sequoias are some of the largest, longest-lived, and most iconic trees on Earth and are highly adapted to fire. The inexorable effects of climate change present an imminent existential threat to this incredible species once thought to be impervious.

Nov. 1 | 7:30 pm | MBA | p. 39 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Environmental Shorts

24

Photos, from the films: Kentaro, photo by Gaku Matsuda; The Last Observers, photo

by Maja K Mikkelsen; Last of the Monarchs, photo by Simon Reinert; The Last Skiers, photo by Veronica Ciceri

FILMS A-Z

Mataperra (Canada, 2024, 22 min) Director: Rachel Trudeau Producer: Rachel Trudeau

Yelda embarks on a quest that drives her to achieve much more than her climbing dreams. She aspires to make a mark in history by becoming the first Cuban to conquer three legendary ascents.

Oct. 26 | 9 am | JBT | p. 36 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Climbing Shorts

The Magnus Way (Canada, 2024, 11 min) WORLD PREMIERE

Director: Graeme Currie Meiklejohn* Producer: Gradient Global, Miranda Miller

Magnus Manson* was the most promising up-and-coming downhill racer in Canada, but then his friends at the races began to notice his absence and slipping results.

Nov. 1 | 7:30 pm | MGT | p. 38 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Mountain Sports Shorts

The Meaningless Pursuit of Snow

Mongolia, Valley of the Bears (France, 2023, 88 min) Director: Hamid Sardar Producer: Lato Sensu Productions, Muriel Barra

In Mongolia, Taiga forests and pure waters have kept an entire population nomadic for thousands of years. In the last 30 years, the rich natural resources have fallen prey to illegal hunters and miners, who are often locals. Appointed ranger Jal Tumursukh, a former hunter, now enforces the law of environmental protection, attempting to put an end to poaching but in the process also threatens cultural tradition.

Nov. 2 | 9 am | JBT/MGT | p. 40 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Feature Film

(USA, 2024, 65 min) Director: Michael J Brown* Producer: Sweetgrass Productions, Zac Ramras*

An investigation into why people from across the globe are drawn to backcountry skiing and snowboarding in an attempt to capture that perfect moment.

Snow Show | Various Dates/Venues p. 37, 47 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Feature Film

Photos, from the films: The Magnus Way, photo by Graeme Meiklejohn; Mataperra, photo by Jorge Luis Pimentel; The Meaningless Pursuit of Snow; Mongolia, Valley of the Bears, photo by Zed

* In person at the Festival 25

Oasis (USA, 2024, 4 min)

CANADIAN PREMIERE

Director: Amon Barker* Producer: Après Visuals, Rory Hibbler*

Nomad and Mare (Canada, 2024, 26 min) WORLD PREMIERE

Director: Emily Russell* Producer: Emily Russell

No Monastery No Village (Nepal, 2024, 20 min) Director: Tashi Lhazom* Producers: Voices from the Roof of the World, Shanta Nepali Productions, Andrew Tkach, Shanta Nepali, Nimesh Puri

Halji village, in north-western Nepal, is a living museum which houses an 11th-century Buddhist monastery.

Unfortunately, the monastery lies just six kilometers below a dangerous glacier, the source of recent destructive flooding. Despite the danger, Buddhist monk Sonam and female yak herder Pema have chosen to stay in Halji, along with 500 other community residents.

A meditative documentary film chronicling the journey of a 20-yearold Canadian travelling 1100 kilometres across Spain and France on horseback.

Oasis is an exploration into the spirit of freeride mountain biking. We follow Reed Boggs as he discovers, builds, and rides a top-to-bottom Red Bull Rampage-style line in the remote southern Utah desert.

Oct. 26 | 9 am | JBT | p. 36 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Mountain Sports Shorts

Nov. 3 | 2 pm | JBT/MGT | p. 42 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Adventure Shorts

Odyssey of Loppa (Norway, 2024, 15 min)

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

Director: Anders Vestergaard* Producers: Anders Vestergaard, Lisen Strøm*

Oct. 26 | 9 am | JBT | p. 36 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Culture Shorts

Two Norwegian athletes, Thea and Lisen, go on an epic four day skitouring adventure exploring an Arctic peninsula.

Nov. 3 | 9 am | JBT/MGT | p. 42 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Snow Shorts

26

Photos, from the films: No Monastery No Village, photo by Amar Maharjan; Nomad and Mare; Oasis; Odyssey of Loppa, photo by Anders Vestegaard

FILMS A-Z

Of a Lifetime (Switzerland, 2024, 44 min) Director: Jérôme Tanon Producers: Sarl XDLR Suisse, Xavier de Le Rue, Beanie de Le Rue

Of a Lifetime is a celebration of discovery, adventure, and the passing of the torch to the next generation against the breathtaking backdrop of Antarctica. It chronicles the renowned de Le Rue family’s journey as Xavier, Victor, and 18-year-old Mila sail across the Drake Passage to ride the unimaginably steep icy lines of the white continent.

Snow Show | Various Dates/Venues p. 37, 47 Not available online

Painting the Mountains (France, 2024, 60 min) CANADIAN PREMIERE

Of the Black Sea (USA, 2024, 38 min)

CANADIAN PREMIERE

Director: Hennie Van Jaarsveld* Producer: Hennie Van Jaarsveld, Giray Dadali*

Join Turkic-American pro-skier, Giray Dadali, on his journey to answer a life-long question: Which has a greater influence, the heritage from which you descended or the culture in which you were raised?

Director: Pierre Cadot Producer: Picture Organic Clothing

El Chaltén, located under the shadow of the Fitz Roy massif in Patagonia, is home to a community of skiers dedicated to extreme conditions.

Matthew Tufts returns home here every autumn to document steepskiing. This season, French skiers Aurélien Lardy, Vivian Bruchez, and Jules Socié aim to open new ski lines on the granite walls.

Nov. 2 | 7:30 pm | JBT | p. 40

Oct. 27 | 2 pm | JBT | p. 37

ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Feature Film

ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Culture Shorts

Photos, from the films: Of a Lifetime, photo by Jérôme Tanon; Of the Black Sea, photo by Ross Downard; Painting the Mountains, photo by Matthew Tufts

* In person at the Festival 27

Reel Rock: Yeah Buddy (USA, 2024, 28 min) Director: Josh Lowell Producers: Reel Rock, Peter Mortimer, Josh Lowell

Reel Rock: With My Heart

Reel Rock: Jirishanca (USA, 2024, 32 min) Directors: Peter Mortimer, Josh Lowell Producers: Reel Rock, Halle Johns, Zachary Barr

Renowned alpinists Josh Wharton and Vince Anderson attempt a free ascent of the Jirishanca, an epic 6000-metre peak in the Peruvian Andes. The duo will have to tackle 5.13 face climbing, horizontal ice roofs, technical mixed terrain, and treacherous snow mushrooms as they reconcile the inherent risk of climbing with their love of alpine adventure.

(USA, 2024, 23 min) Director: Andrea Cossu Producers: Reel Rock, Andrea Cossu, Peter Mortimer, Takemi Suzuki, Halle Johns, Zachary Barr

Follow the philosophical journey of Japanese climbing phenom Sachi Amma, as he evolves from threetime world champion to traditional climbing purist, culminating in a visionary first ascent on the mythical Mt. Mizugaki.

Australian climber Angie ScarthJohnson, who first made her mark setting records at a young age, teams up with veteran adventure climber Hazel Findlay to explore the best of Mallorca’s deep-water soloing.

Nov. 1 | 7:30 pm | MBA | p. 39 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Climbing Shorts

Nov. 2 | 2 pm | JBT/MGT | p. 40 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Climbing Shorts

Oct. 27 | 9 am | JBT | p. 37 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Alpine Shorts

28

Photos, from the films: Reel Rock: Jirishanca; Reel Rock: With My Heart; Reel Rock: Yeah Buddy

FILMS A-Z

River Mamma (USA, 2023, 11 min)

CANADIAN PREMIERE

Director: Sarah Hamilton* Producer: Sarah Hamilton Film, Ryan Weigman

River Mamma follows Elisha McArthur*, a lifelong raft guide and single mom and her relationship with her teenage goth daughter, Charlotte, who has no interest in rivers at all.

Nov. 2 | 2 pm | JBT/MGT | p. 40 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Adventure Shorts

Roots Run Deep ‘ROBIN’ (USA, 2024, 16 min) Director: Craig Grant Producer: Bag Carrier Films, Craig Grant

After five years of service in the New Zealand Army, Robin Goomes was at a crossroads. She had to decide whether to continue her career as a heavy machinery operator or to pursue her dream of becoming a professional mountain biker. But Robin had never competed outside New Zealand and despite the everpresent risk of injury looming, she decides to roll the dice.

Nov. 2 | 7:30 pm | JBT | p. 40 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Mountain Sports Shorts

Roots (USA, 2024, 12 min) WORLD PREMIERE

Director: Danny Schmidt* Producers: Gnarly Bay, 11th Hour Racing, Lauren Todd

Run for Life (Lebanon, 2024, 78 min) WORLD PREMIERE

Director: Bachar Khattar* Producer: B.beirut films, Bachar Khattar

Ali Kedami is a 60-year-old man.

A father. A painter. An ultrarunner.

He stumbles across the sport well into his forties, in his quest to find answers to his daughter’s condition.

He decides to run the world for her in order to deliver her a message: you can achieve anything you want as long as you have the will and the determination.

Nov. 1 | 7:30 pm | MBA | p. 39 Nov. 2 | 7 pm | LUX | p. 47 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Feature Film

In the Dominican Republic, baseball is more than just a sport — it’s a way of life. However, as the nation’s passion for baseball flourishes, its natural environment is under threat from rapid development. It requires dedicated individuals like Ismael to guide us back to solutions that harmonize with the environment.

Nov. 1 | 7:30 pm | MGT | p. 38 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Environmental Shorts

Photos, from the films: River Mamma; Roots, photo by Corinna Halloran; Roots Run Deep ‘ROBIN’; Run for Life

* In person at the Festival 29

Shadows in the Understory (Canada, 2024, 4 min) WORLD PREMIERE

Searching for Amani (USA, 2024, 76 min) Director: Nicole Gormley, Debra Aroko Producers: Backroads Pictures, Nicole Gormley Films, Nicole Gormley, Peter Goetz, Mungai Kiroga, Caryn Capotosto

Sadpara (Italy, 2024, 51 min)

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

Director: Gabriele Canu* Producer: feelms, Gabriele Canu

Sadpara is a journey through the heart of Pakistan’s mountains that explores the bond that unites its people with the high lands. What emerges is the simple routine of a small community, strong and pristine in character, set against the immensity of the Karakoram landscape.

A 13-year-old aspiring journalist investigates his father’s mysterious murder within the boundaries of one of Kenya’s largest wildlife conservancies. As a ravaging drought encroaches, his quest to find the killer shifts and an activist is born as the collateral damage of a warming world is revealed. This documentary is a complex nuanced story with shades of grey where realities are revealed through the intimate lens of a young boy who comes of age in a changing world.

Nov. 1 | 8 pm | artsPlace | p. 47 Not available online

Director: Calvin Huth Producer: Calvin Huth

A creative, season-blending mountain bike film that captures the beauty of Vancouver Island.

Nov. 2 | 7:30 pm | MGT | p. 41 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Adventure Shorts

Silvicola (Canada, 2023, 79 min) Director: Jean-Philippe Marquis* Producer: Jean-Philippe Marquis Filmmaking, Jean-Philippe Marquis

Set amongst the rugged forests and shorelines of the British Columbia, Silvicola is a tableau of the complex web of cultural and economic forces which compel and constrain modern forestry practices. A story told through the eyes of an eclectic mix of characters whose lives and livelihoods are intimately entangled with the forest, Silvicola employs sinuating vignettes and industrial soundscapes to explore the tensions and dilemmas between commodification and conservation.

Nov. 2 | 7:30 pm | MBA | p. 41 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Feature Film

Nov. 3 | 2 pm | JBT/MGT | p. 42

30

Photos, from the films: Sadpara, photo by Gabriele Canu; Searching for Amani; Shadows In The Understory; Silvicola, photo by JP Marquis

ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Feature Film (Canada only)

FILMS A-Z

Sliding

Stories We Have Earned: The Stoney Nakoda Film Project

(United States Virgin Islands, 2024, 4 min) CANADIAN PREMIERE

Directors: Katie Tannenbaum*, Matiss Spaile Producers: Katie Tannenbaum, Juris Kudeiko

A short mountain sports film showcasing the sledding sport of skeleton.

Radical Reels | Various Dates/Venues p. 38, 47 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Radical Reels

Soul Flyers (France, 2024, 18 min) Director: Thibault Gachet Producer: TG films, Thibault Gachet, Guillaume Peyrot

20 years after the creation of the first-generation Soul Flyers team

by Reunion Island native Loïc Jean-Albert, new-generation team members Fred Fugen and Vincent Cotte return to the island where it all began, to keep the Soul Flyers spirit alive.

(Canada, 2024, 87 min) Director: Cody Lefthand* Producer: Stoney Film Project Ltd, Gary Burns*

Stories We Have Earned: The Stoney Nakoda Film Project examines the exploitation of the Stoney Nakoda people’s culture and customs for entertainment purposes through their involvement in Banff Indian Days, the Calgary Stampede, and the dozens of Hollywood films they participated in.

Oct. 26 | 7:30 pm | MGT | p. 36 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Feature Film

Oct. 27 | 2 pm | JBT | p. 37

The Smoke that Thunders

ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Mountain Sports Shorts

(Canada, 2024, 4 min) WORLD PREMIERE

Director: Caleb Roberts* Producer: Caleb Roberts

Aiming to paddle the fabled Minus rapids at the base of Victoria Falls on the Zambezi river, Ben Marr’s biggest challenge is to access them by trekking upstream. A total assault on the senses awaits as the force of the river speaks for itself.

Radical Reels | Various Dates/Venues p. 38, 47 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Radical Reels

Photos, from the films: Sliding; The Smoke that Thunders, photo by Caleb Roberts; Soul Flyers, photo by Vincent Cotte; Stories We Have Earned: The Stoney Nakoda Film Project

* In person at the Festival 31

Taras (USA, 2024, 12 min)

CANADIAN PREMIERE

Streets to the Peaks

Director: Zeppelin Zeerip Producers: Matchstick Productions, Steve Winter, Murray Wais

(UK, 2023, 29 min) Director: Andy Ashworth Producer: Cut Media, Sami Young

Twelve young athletes are here to change the world, defy the odds, and show that nothing is impossible.

From city streets to the epic alpine trail race at UTMB, this documentary captures their emotive and powerful journey to inspire change.

Nov. 3 | 2 pm | JBT/MGT | p. 42 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Mountain Sports Shorts

Tamina (Switzerland, 2024, 108 min) WORLD PREMIERE

Director: Beat Oswald* Producer: Conobs GmbH, Beat Oswald

Wolves are returning to the Swiss Alps, and Beat Oswald is determined to find them. To do this, he settles in the small town of Vättis in Tamina, a remote mountain valley. Yet as he searches for traces of the wolf, it is mostly humans he comes across as the journey unfolds into a multilayered quest. Tamina provokes and surprises viewers as it crosses the cinematic genres of mystery, wildlife documentary and thriller.

In March 2022, Taras Bihus hung up his snowboard boots and volunteered for the Ukrainian military. Having spent years competing throughout Europe, he knew the next chapter of life would bring him far from the peace of the mountains.

Oct. 27 | 9 am | JBT | p. 37 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Snow Shorts

Nov. 2 | 2pm | artsPlace | p. 47 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Feature Film

32

Photos, from the films: Streets to the Peaks, photo by Jered Gruber; Tamina, photo

by Samuel Weniger; Taras

FILMS A-Z

Undammed (USA, 2024, 17 min)

CANADIAN PREMIERE

Director: Shane Anderson Producers: Patagonia Films, Swiftwater Films, Shane Anderson

After witnessing a massive fish kill on her ancestral home waters, Yurok tribal attorney Amy Bowers Cordalis dedicated her life to reversing the generations-long destruction wrought by the Klamath River dams.

Undammed follows her journey to free the Klamath, from testifying before Congress to passing down fishing traditions within her young family.

Nov. 2 | 9 am | JBT/MGT | p. 40 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Environmental Shorts

Usugilix Awakun (USA, 2023, 12 min) CANADIAN PREMIERE

Director: Matt Mikkelsen, Palmer Morse Producer: Spruce Tone, Kanesia McGlashanPrice, Shayla Shaishnikoff

In the waters off the remote island of Iluulux^, Alaska, toxic algal blooms are increasingly infecting filter feeding shellfish with unknown causation.

When a community member dies from eating blue mussels, Unangax^ scientist Shayla begins working with her tribe to research and understand the harmful blooms.

Nov. 2 | 7:30 pm | MBA | p. 41 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Environmental Shorts

Via Sedna (Austria, 2024, 91 min) Director: Ramona Waldner, Alex Brugger* Producer: LM.Media, Markus Bauer*

Against the odds and with only three days of decent weather, a team of eight women who speak different languages bond to overcome months of stormy seas on a fifteen-metre sailboat as they sail north to attempt a new route on Northern Sun Spire in Greenland.

Oct. 27 | 9 am | JBT | p. 37 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Feature Film

Photos, from the films: Undammed; Usugilix Awakun, photo by Palmer Morse; Via Sedna, photo by Ramona Waldner

* In person at the Festival 33

Welcome to the Pit (Canada, 2024, 15 min) WORLD PREMIERE

Director: Seth Gillis* Producer: Charlène Brochu

In 2011, Steve Matthews had a bright idea. With his kids completely hooked on snowboarding, he rallied a few friends and set out to build Yellowknife’s first and only rope tow.

What Brings You Up There

Oct. 26 | 7:30 pm | JBT | p. 36

In his infinite quest of always trying to achieve more, para-alpinist Nathanaël Sapey-triomphe keeps running as far as possible from himself. What Brings You Up There (Pourquoi tu vas là-haut?) follows Nathanaël hopping from one expedition to another, questioning the reasons that bring him back to the alpine again and again.

ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Snow Shorts

(France, 2024, 20 min)

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

Director: Nathanaël Sapey-triomphe Producer: Anth Film, Nathanaël Sapey-triomphe

Nov. 1 | 7:30 pm | MGT | p. 38 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Mountain Sports Shorts

Wild Aerial (Canada, 2024, 17 min) WORLD PREMIERE

Director: Trixie Pacis* Producers: Figment Films, Trixie Pacis, Sasha Galitzki*

Blending techniques from the disparate worlds of mountaineering and acrobatics, adventure aerialist Sasha Galitzki performs gravitydefying routines in subzero temperatures in Banff and Jasper National Parks, all without being tied in.

Oct. 27 | 9 am | JBT | p. 37 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Canada-only Shorts

34

Photos, from the films: Welcome to the Pit; What Brings You Up There?; Wild Aerial, photo

by Kris Andres

FILMS A-Z

Wolf of Wingsuit (Australia, 2023, 4 min) Director: Aaron Garcia* Producer: Aaron Garcia

Wild Days (France, 2024, 83 min)

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

Director: Yohan Guignard Producer: L’Endroit, Pascal Barneville

Four friends from Savoie have a crazy idea: 50 days of self-sufficiency in Alaska’s Denali massif. Wild Days takes us on a gruelling overland journey to a place where time drifts, spirits wander off, and where friendships are created and then tested by commitment.

Oct. 26 | 9 am | JBT | p. 36 Oct. 27 | 7:30 pm | artsPlace | p. 47, ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Feature Film

Wildflowers (Canada, 2024, 37 min) WORLD PREMIERE

Director: Trixie Pacis* Producers: Figment Films, Meghan J. Ward*, Trixie Pacis

Mountain writer Meghan J. Ward recruits a team of creative women to revisit Mary Schäffer Warren’s 1908 expedition to Maligne Lake, in Jasper National Park. Blending backcountry adventures with historical research, Wildflowers demonstrates that sometimes we must look back to blaze a better trail forward.

The beautiful and towering mountains of Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland, are a paradise for BASE jumpers and wingsuit professionals seeking thrills during the off-season. Avalon, an American wingsuit pilot, and a Filipino-Australian documentary filmmaker unite to capture Avalon’s audacious quest to leap from the mountainside as many times as humanly possible.

Radical Reels | Various Dates/Venues p. 38, 47 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Radical Reels

Nov. 2 | 10 am | MBA | p. 40 ONLINE: Nov. 6 – 13 | Canada-only Shorts

Photos, from the films: Wild Days; Wildflowers, photo by Natalie Gillis; Wolf of Wingsuit, photo by Aaron Garcia

* In person at the Festival 35

Body of a Line

Dawa Yangzum Sherpa

Events Schedule SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26 Morning Mixed Films 9 am – 12 pm | JBT | $32-42 Oasis p. 26 Mataperra p. 25 No Monastery No Village p. 26 The Bird in my Backyard p. 14 BREAK, 15 MIN

Wild Days p. 35

Afternoon Mixed Films 2 – 5 pm | JBT | $32-42 Judy’s Creek p. 23 Kentaro p. 24 A Team Sport p. 12 Keep it Burning p. 23 BREAK, 15 MIN

Bring Them Home p. 15

Photos: Courtesy of Dawa Yangzum Sherpa; from the films Body of a Line; Reel Rock Jirishanca; Boundless: A Sam Anthamatten Portrait, photo by Frederik Kalbermatten; 2 Legs is 2 Easy, photo by Tamara Susa 36

Dawa Yangzum Sherpa and Films

Stories We Have Earned: The Stoney Nakoda Film Project

7:30 pm | JBT | $32-42

7:30 pm | MGT | FREE (Ticket required)

Kick off the Festival on opening night with the remarkable mountaineer Dawa Yangzum Sherpa! Dawa Yangzum summited Everest at age 21, went on to become one of just over 100 women worldwide to earn an International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations certification, and was part of the first all-female team from Nepal to reach the summit of K2. She joins us in Banff for an onstage interview with Nikki Tate.

Stories We Have Earned: The Stoney Nakoda Film Project examines the exploitation of the Stoney Nakoda people’s culture and customs for entertainment purposes through their involvement in Banff Indian Days, the Calgary Stampede, and the dozens of Hollywood films they participated in.

See p. 31

The Summit of Excellence Award will be presented at the beginning of this program.

Speaker presentation followed by films:

Welcome to the Pit p. 34 Body of a Line p. 15 Above Sinai p. 12 Into the (Un)known p. 22 Draw prize sponsored by YETI

EVENT CATEGORY: Feature Film Mixed Film Program Speaker Event Accessible Program Free Event

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Reel Rock: Jirishanca

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27 Snow Show 7:30 pm | JBT | $32-38

Fall Harvest p. 18 Reel Rock: Jirishanca p. 28 Taras p. 32 Wild Aerial p. 34

Waist deep pow, big air, steep and deep couloirs and sick lines are all in the cards for Snow Show. Join us at this favourite big screen event that rings in the riding season!

BREAK, 15 MIN

Via Sedna p. 33

Afternoon Mixed Films 2 – 5 pm | JBT | $32-42 Carved From Stone p. 16 Soul Flyers p. 31 Feeling the Apocalypse p. 19 Of the Black Sea p. 27

Boundless: A Sam Anthamatten Portrait p. 15 Home From Home p. 20 Of a Lifetime p. 27 BREAK, 15 MIN

2 Legs is 2 Easy p. 11 The Meaningless Pursuit of Snow p. 25

Boundless

Morning Mixed Films 9 am – 12 pm | JBT | $32-42

Sponsored by

BREAK, 15 MIN

LOCATION KEY: JBT MBA MGT

Jenny Belzberg Theatre Max Bell Auditorium Margaret Greenham Theatre

2 Legs is 2 Easy

Karuara, People of the River p. 23

For screenings at Lux Cinema Banff and artsPlace Canmore, see page 47.

37

John Vaillant

Anytime

MONDAY, OCTOBER 28 Radical Reels 7:30 pm | JBT/MGT (simulcast) $32-38 High adrenaline films surging with energy and good vibes all presented on the big screen. Epic adventures and fearless athletes abound, one of Banff's most popular programs!

Eliot Jackson – Drop the Mic p. 18 Backyard p. 14 Wolf of Wingsuit p. 35 Dropping Molly p. 17 BREAK, 15 MIN

Sliding p. 31 The Smoke that Thunders p. 31 Anytime p. 13 Sponsored by

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31

Dirtbag Café – Bronwyn Hodgins 7:30 pm | Rose and Crown | $20

John Vaillant, Book Awards – and For Winter Film Premiere

Get Tickets: Banff Centre Box Office

7:30 pm | JBT | $32-42

Enjoy a social night in downtown Banff hearing stories from Bronwyn Hodgins, a professional rock climber and guide based out of Squamish, BC. She is known as the first Canadian woman to free climb the 1000-metre face of El Capitan in Yosemite, has climbed up to 13d trad and 14c sport, and has established new routes on remote big walls in Greenland and on Baffin Island.

John Vaillant, the award-winning bestselling author of The Golden Spruce and The Tiger, joins us in Banff to talk about his latest book Fire Weather – a panoramic exploration of the rapidly changing relationship between fire and humankind, where in our new age of intensifying climate change we are seeing the destructive power of fire unleashed in previously unimaginable ways.

Draw prize sponsored by Rab

This program begins with a presentation of the 2024 Banff Mountain Book Awards.

Followed by film:

For Winter p. 19 Book signings with John Vaillant and winning authors in attendance will be held during intermission.

For screenings at Lux Cinema Banff and artsPlace Canmore, see page 47. .

38

Draw prize sponsored by Arc'teryx

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Adra

Beth Rodden

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1

7:30 pm | JBT | $32-42 ACCESSIBLE — See p.9 One of the best female rock climbers of our time, Beth Rodden joins us in Banff to share A Light Through the Cracks, her inspiring new memoir about overcoming devastating trauma, refusing to be held hostage by fear, and taking a leap toward healing. She will be joined by author Eva Holland for an in-depth interview.

Presentation followed by films:

Canyon Chorus p. 16 Farming Turns p. 18 Adra p. 13

Evening Mixed Films 7:30 pm | MGT | $38 Roots p. 29 What Brings You up There p. 34 The Magnus Way p. 25 Darkhorse p. 16 BREAK, 15 MIN

Ashima p. 13

Evening Mixed Films

Ashima

Beth Rodden – and Films

7:30 pm | MBA | $38 Reel Rock: Yeah Buddy p. 28 Between the Lines p. 14 Ghost Resorts: Japan p. 20 Last of the Monarchs p. 24 BREAK, 15 MIN

Run for Life p. 29

Draw prize sponsored by

*Programs subject to change.

Roots

Kicking Horse Coffee

Photos: From the film Anytime, photo

by Sterling Lorence; photos courtesy of John Vaillant and Beth Rodden; from the films Adra, photo by Lena Drapella; Ashima, photo by Kenji Tsukamoto; Roots, photo by Corinna Halloran 39

I Am the Nature

Mongolia, Valley of the Bears

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 ALL DAY FILMS: JBT | $70-78 HALF DAY FILMS: MGT | $38

Morning Mixed Films 9 am – 12 pm | JBT/MGT Jackson Goldstone – Solo p. 22 All in or Nothing p. 13 Undammed p. 33 Jamie p. 22

Bow Valley Filmmakers Showcase

Riders on the Storm – and Films

10 am | MBA | $25

7:30 pm | JBT | $32-42

Iniskim – Return of the Buffalo p. 22 Find Me Outside p. 19 Wildflowers p. 35

In February 2024, 33 years after the original German ascent, climbers Siebe Vanhee, Sean VillanuevaO’Driscoll, Nicolas Favresse and Drew Smith made the first free ascent of the legendary line, Riders on the Storm in Patagonia, spending a wild and wooly 18 days on the wall. The trio of alpinists — Siebe, Nicolas, and Sean — joins us for an evening of tall tales and musical interludes.

BREAK, 15 MIN

Mongolia, Valley of the Bears p. 25

Afternoon Mixed Films 2 – 5 pm | JBT/MGT I Am the Nature p. 21 House of Bliss p. 21 River Mamma p. 29 How the Land Remembers Us p. 21 Reel Rock: With my Heart p. 28 BREAK, 15 MIN

Champions of the Golden Valley p. 16

*Programs subject to change.

40

Diving into the Darkness 1:30 pm | MBA | $25 p. 17

Presentation followed by films:

109 Below p. 11 Roots Run Deep ‘ROBIN’ p. 29 Painting the Mountains p. 27 Draw prize sponsored by Oboz Footwear

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Going East

The Giants

Riders on the Storm

Iniskim – Return of the Buffalo

The Giants 7:30 pm | MGT | $25 ACCESSIBLE — See p. 9 Shadows in the Understory p. 30 The Giants p. 20

Evening Mixed Films 7:30 pm | MBA | $38 Designed by Disaster p. 17 Usugilix Awakun p. 33 Jamrock p. 23 The Last Skiers p. 24 BREAK, 15 MIN

Sadpara p. 30 Going East p. 20

Photos: From the films Mongolia, Valley of the Bears, photo by Zed; I Am the Nature, photo by Talieisn Black-Brown; Iniskim – Return of the Buffalo, photo by R Kautuk; Riders on the Storm event, photo by Drew Smith; The Giants 41

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Big Water Theory

Embracing the Grim

Final Day

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3 ALL DAY FILMS: JBT | $70-78 HALF DAY FILMS: MGT | $38

Morning Mixed Films 9 am – 12 pm | JBT/MGT Footprints on Katmai p. 19 Odyssey of Loppa p. 26 Ian p. 21 The Last Observers p. 24 BREAK, 15 MIN

Kids Program 2 & 3 pm | MBA | FREE No ticket required.

A selection of family-friendly films for everyone to enjoy!

Note: Both screenings show the same films and are 30 minutes long.

Big Water Theory p. 14 Sponsored by

Afternoon Mixed Films

Best of the Festival Various Venues | $32-38

It's a night not to be missed! The international film jury announces film award winners and a selection of the winning films will be screened.

Note: Films screened are not confirmed until the jury finalizes the award winners on November 3, and the program will be announced following the film award presentations.

2 – 5 pm | JBT/MGT Canafornia p. 15 Embracing the Grim p. 18 Nomad and Mare p. 26 Streets to the Peaks p. 32 BREAK, 15 MIN

Awards Presentation and Films:

Silvicola p. 30

7:30 pm | JBT | $32-38 Draw prize sponsored by BUFF® Photos: From the films Big Water Theory, photo by Emile Dominé; Embracing the Grim, photo by Megan Moss; Festival finalist book covers Eric Blehm, Ben Goldfarb, Bernadette McDonald, Simon Carter 42

LOCATION KEY: JBT MBA MGT

Jenny Belzberg Theatre Max Bell Auditorium Margaret Greenham Theatre

Films only: 8 pm | MGT | $35 8 pm | Lux/artsPlace | $35 Subject to change.

MOUNTAIN BOOKS

Book Signings

FESTIVAL READING ROOM Elder Tom Crane Bear Room, MBB

Relax and read 2024 Festival Book Competition entries.

Nov. 2 and 3 9:30 am – 5 pm Nov. 4 9:30 am – 5 pm Nov. 5 9:30 am – 4 pm LOCATION KEY: KCCI MBB RMB

Kinnear Centre Max Bell Building Rocky Mountain Books

Faye Latham Nov. 2 | 6 pm | MBB Lobby Nov. 3 | 1 pm KCCI Pages Booth Jane Marshall

Eric Blehm Oct. 31 | 11:30 am MBB Lobby Nov. 2 | 10 am KCCI Pages Booth Simon Carter

Nov. 2 | 4 pm KCCI RMB Booth Lynn Martel Nov. 2 | 5 pm KCCI RMB Booth Bernadette McDonald

Nov. 1 | 4:30 pm MBB Lobby Nov. 2 | 1 pm KCCI Pages Booth Gloria Dickie

Nov. 1 | 9 pm | JBT Lobby Chad Sayers Oct. 31 | 11:30 am | MBB Lobby Nov. 1 | 5 pm KCCI RMB Booth D.L. Stephen Nov. 2 | 3 pm KCCI RMB Booth

Nov. 2 | 12 pm KCCI RMB Booth

Sonja Swift

Christopher Pollon

Nov. 2 | 6 pm | MBB Lobby Jamey Glasnovic

Geoff Powter

Nov. 3 | 11 am KCCI RMB Booth

Beth Rodden

Nov. 1 | 2 pm | MBB Lobby

Nov. 2 | 10 am KCCI Pages Booth

Nov. 2 | 6 pm | MBB Lobby

q̓ apkiǂ Nov. 2 | 2 pm KCCI Pages Booth

Nov. 1 | 11:30 am MBB Lobby

Oct. 31 | 4:30 pm | MBB Lobby Nov. 1 | 6 pm KCCI RMB Booth John Vaillant Oct. 31 | 9 pm | JBT Lobby Meghan Ward

Nov. 2 | 11 am KCCI RMB Booth

Nov. 3 | 1 pm KCCI RMB Booth

Nov. 1 | 4:30 pm MBB Lobby

Nandini Purandare & Deepa Balsavar

Paul Zizka

Nov. 2 | 12 pm KCCI Pages Booth

Oct. 31 | 4:30 pm MBB Lobby

Ben Goldfarb

Nov. 3 | 2 pm KCCI RMB Booth

Nov. 2 | 11 am KCCI Pages Booth

BOOK WINNERS SIGNING Oct. 31 | 9 pm | JBT Lobby | John Vaillant, Book Awards – and For Winter Book winners will sign during intermission.

43

Mountain Books

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31 Eric Blehm and Chad Sayers

Nandini Purandare, Deepa Balsavar and Sonja Swift

10 am | MBA | $20

3 pm | MBA | $20

Freeskier Chad Sayers has graced dozens of magazine covers, starred in film projects, and has made his way through over 60 countries on six continents, whether searching out the perfect ski run, the perfect wave, or the perfect light. His photography book Overexposure: A Story About a Skier was a finalist in the 2022 Banff Mountain Book Competition.

Headstrap: Legends and Lore from the Climbing Sherpas of Darjeeling is a captivating chronicle by authors Nandini Purandare and Deepa Balsavar that weaves a vivid tapestry and delves into the untold story of a group of people who have played a significant role in mountain exploration and climbing in the Himalayas.

In his new book The Darkest White, Eric Blehm shares the life story of Craig Kelly – a heartbreaking but extraordinary and inspiring odyssey of a legendary snowboarder whose athletic prowess and innovations would revolutionize winter sports, take him around the globe, and push him into ever more extreme environments that would ultimately take his life.

44

Cory Richards 12:30 pm | MBA | $20 The Color of Everything is a thrilling tale of risk and adventure by renowned climber and National Geographic photographer Cory Richards. But it is also the story of a tumultuous life – a stirring, lyrical memoir that captures the profound musings of an unquiet mind grappling with the meaning of success, the cost of fame and addiction and whether it is possible to outrun your demons. Jack Tackle joins Cory for an in-depth interview.

Sonja Swift’s Echo Loba, Loba Echo is a story about the metaphor of the wolf and how this is echoed in the lives and minds of people. It is a story about wolves’ own cultures, survival stories, acts of rebellion, and vital roles in maintaining healthy territories – and what wolves show us about ourselves.

Photos: Chad Sayers; Eric Blehm, photo by Callia Blehm; Photo by Cory Richards; Sonja Swift; Nandini Purandare and Deepa Balsavar; Jim Donini; Bernadette McDonald; Simon Carter; Ben Goldfarb

MOUNTAIN BOOKS

Programs will be followed by book signings with the authors.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1 Voices of Adventure – Jim Donini

Simon Carter and Ben Goldfarb

10 am | MBA | $20

3 pm | MBA | $20 ACCESSIBLE — See p. 9

Climber Jim Donini set free climbing standards in Yosemite Valley in the 70s, established bold new routes in Alaska, pioneered first ascents in Patagonia, and more recently explored remote peaks on the edge of the Northern Patagonia icecap.

Geoff Powter, author of Survival is Not Assured: The Life of Climber Jim Donini, will interview Donini – diving into a remarkable life story, exploring groundbreaking climbs and tumultuous experiences both on and off the rock.

TALES AND ALES Nov. 2 | 4:30 pm MBA | Cash Bar | FREE

Bernadette McDonald 12:30 pm | MBA | $20 The name of Maurice Herzog, the first man to reach the summit of Annapurna, is recognized, but how many know Ang Tharkay, the Sherpa who carried the seriously frostbitten Herzog on his back for miles? Rarely mentioned in accounts of early expeditions, local climbers have been significant members of first ascents on the world’s tallest and most challenging peaks. In Alpine Rising, award-winning writer Bernadette McDonald sets the record straight by shining a light on these too often forgotten heroes.

See p. 49 for details.

Simon Carter’s decades-long photography career in Australia and awe-inspiring locations around the globe is showcased in his latest book.

The Art of Climbing provides endless inspiration for aspirational outdoor climbers – and anyone keen to graduate from inside climbing walls – and seasoned climbers alike.

While roads are so ubiquitous they’re practically invisible to us, wild animals experience them as entirely alien forces of death and disruption.

In Crossings, environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb travels throughout the United States and around the world to investigate how roads have transformed our planet.

This program will have live ASL interpretation.

*Programs subject to change.

45

Summ

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Your epic home away from home

Whether it’s a family adventure or a romantic getaway, reconnect with each other at Shadow Lake Lodge.

Book your stay at shadowlakelodge.com

Bring Them Home

artsPlace &

Of a Lifetime

LUX CINEMA + ARTSPLACE EVENTS

Searching for Amani

Lux Events Enjoy a night out in downtown Banff or Canmore and catch favourite films and rescreenings of films you may have missed earlier in the week.

artsPlace Screenings Sponsored by

artsPlace Screenings

LUX Cinema Screenings

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31

Wild Days

Snow Show Repeat

7:30 pm | $20

8 pm | $30

MONDAY, OCTOBER 28

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1

Bring Them Home

Radical Reels Repeat

7:30 pm | $20

7 pm | 10 pm | $30

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2

Snow Show Repeat

Snow Show Repeat

7:30 pm | $30

2 pm | $30

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31

Run for Life

Radical Reels Repeat

7 pm | $20

7:30 pm | $30

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1 Searching for Amani 8 pm | $20

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 Tamina 2 pm | $20

Ashima 9:30 pm | $20

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3 Big Water Theory 2 pm | $20

Best of the Festival 8 pm | $35

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3 A Gift From Kei Taniguchi artsPlace 950, 8th Avenue, Canmore artsplacecanmore.com

2 pm | $20

Best of the Festival 8 pm | $35

Lux Cinema, 229 Bear Street, Banff Tickets at the door or at luxbanff.com Photos: From the films Bring Them Home; Searching for Amani; Of a Lifetime photo by Jérôme Tanon 47

FREE EVENTS

Free Events AND PARTNER EVENTS

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26

Arc’teryx x Monods Run

LOCATION KEY: JBT KCCI

MBA MBB SBB

Jenny Belzberg Theatre Kinnear Centre for Creativity and Innovation Max Bell Auditorium Max Bell Building Sally Borden Building

9:30 am | Monods Sports

All events on pages 43 – 51 are free, except partner events where noted.

Led by Arc'teryx athletes, this 7-8km intermediate friendly trail run will move through some stunning scenery in Banff National Park, with after run refreshments and celebration at Monod Sports. Registration required.

Festival Opening Reception 5 pm | MBB Lobby | Cash Bar Join us to open the 49th Festival, celebrate the recipients of the 2024 Summit of Excellence Award and enjoy Faye Latham’s exhibit, British Mountaineers.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27

Festival Happy Hour, hosted by Wild Life Distillery 5 – 7:30 pm | JBT Patio Happy Hour drink specials and sampling, music, campfire conversation and games.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 28

Festival Happy Hour, hosted by Wild Life Distillery 6 – 7:30 pm | JBT Patio Happy Hour drink specials and sampling music, campfire conversation and games.

Mountain Voices and Echoes 7 pm | Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies

48

Join us for a moderated conversation to discuss mountain voices in mountaineering and skiing from the Swiss Alps to the Rockies.

Registration required.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30

Meet us on the Mat, hosted by Lolë

6 – 7 pm | Lolë Store, Banff Meet us on the mat for an hour of meditative and relaxing yoga.

Registration required.

Mountain Ski and Trivia Night 7 – 9 pm | Wild Life Distillery, Canmore It’s time to put your outdoor knowledge to the test — expect a mix of fun questions covering everything from epic ski films to legendary mountain feats, all designed to challenge mountain enthusiasts of any level! Hosted by SkiUphill RunUphill.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31

Arc'teryx x Monods After Party 8 pm | Secret Location!

We’re celebrating film and community with a special after party — at a secret location! Tickets required.

Festival Happy Hour, hosted by Wild Life Distillery 6 – 7:30 pm | JBT Patio Happy Hour drink specials and sampling, music, campfire conversation and games.

FREE EVENTS

Sunrise Hike

Festival Happy Hour, hosted by ACC/YETI

6:30 am | KCCI, 2nd floor

5 – 7:30 pm | KCCI, 2nd floor

Join Oboz Footwear, BUFF®, Kicking Horse Coffee, Yeti, and Kahtoola for a sunrise hike up Sacred Guardian Buffalo Mountain. Alison Criscitiello in person. Registration required.

Purchase your signature Festival Yeti for a minimum $30 donation, receive a complimentary beverage provided

by Wild Rose Brewery and Core Values Cider Co. Proceeds support the Alpine Club of Canada Facilities Fund.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2

Nikon Photo Walk 8 am | KCCI, south entrance Join wilderness photography and Nikon Canada ambassador Kristian Bogner for a free instructional photo walk in Banff. Registration required.

Climb with the Pros: Bronwyn Hodgins & Connor Runge 12:30 & 2:30 pm | SBB | Requires SBB day pass.

Join professional climbers and Rab athletes, Bronwyn Hodgins and Connor Runge for a climbing session, practice technique, get some tech-tips, and chat about their epic adventures. Sign up required — two sessions available. $16 day pass.

(Free with SBB membership)

Art Walk 2 pm | JBT Trees Explore the Photo Jury Showcase, Emily Beaudoin’s exhibit Daybreak, and Faye Latham’s exhibit British Mountaineers, with photographers and artists in attendance.

Tales and Ales FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1

Festival Happy Hour, hosted

by Wild Life Distillery 6 – 7:30 pm | JBT Patio Happy Hour drink specials and sampling music, campfire conversation and games.

4:30 pm | MBA Partake in heady tales from three authors as they read from new work — a perfect pairing of adventure and wildlife, with a splash of poetry.

Supported by Wild Rose Brewery.

Festival Happy Hour, hosted by Wild Life Distillery 5 – 7:30 pm | JBT Patio Happy Hour drink specials and sampling music, campfire conversation, and games.

POW Pre-Season Stoke Party, presented by Rab 9 pm | Rose and Crown Banff | $20 Join us for an unforgettable party, as we celebrate the kickoff of the winter season and raise funds for POW Canada to protect our future ski adventures! Tickets required.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3

Mountains and Mimosas: Art with Emily Beaudoin 9:30 am | KCCI 301 A morning of art and inspiration hosted by Rab, with Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival tee artist Emily Beaudoin. Art supplies provided, registration required.

Kids Program 2 pm and 3 pm | MBA A selection of family-friendly films for the whole family to enjoy! The same film program will be shown twice.

View details and registration links for all free events here.

Photos: Happy Hour, by Abigaile Edwards; courtesy of Nikon Photo Walk, photo by Monika Deviat

filmfest.banffcentre.ca/schedule

49

FREE EVENTS

Kinnear Centre, 1st Floor

Stage Peter Mather

All events on the Rab Stage are free.

No registration required.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1

Ana Caroline de Lima — Sempre Viva

Craft cider with altitude.

4 pm Sempre-Viva is a flower endemic to Brazil's only mountain range where a community of flower pickers have had their way of life recognized by the United Nations.

Photographer Ana Caroline de Lima will present stories and photos about the Sempre-Viva.

Rab Athletes — In Search of the Qhapaq Ñan 5:30 pm In late 2023, two Latino friends, Leonardo Brasil and Adam Pawlikiewicz Mesa, embarked on a bicycle odessey in search of the oldest trail system in South America, the Qhapaq Ñan. Leo and Adam join us on the Rab Stage to share stories from this trip.

CO R E VA L U E S C I D E R .C A 1402 Railway Ave, Canmore AB

50

Photos: Mountain Ghosts by Peter Mather; Photo Rodeo, Evan Wong

FREE EVENTS

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3

Where Did it Come From, Where is it Going? — The Lifecycle of your Outdoor Gear Indigenous Dialogue — q̓ apkiǂ 1 pm

Evan Wong

q̓apkiǂ is the Ktunaxa verb for telling someone everything and is the title of a new book that shares generations of Ktunaxa Indigenous wisdom, creation stories and ways of life. Join Elder Lillian Rose and other contributors for a lively discussion about their project.

The Enormocast, Live with Barry Blanchard 10 am The Enormocast podcast features deep and engaging interviews with some of the biggest names in climbing.

Barry Blanchard joins host Chris Kalous for this live interview for The Enormocast.

Impact Storytelling and Environmental Documentaries 11:30 am Documentary films may be one of the most effective tools for conveying authentic messages about climate change that inspire conservation and ultimately lead to action and real world impact.

Join storytelling experts as they share best practices and visions for both the planet and the creative genre.

Join JoJo Das, Executive Director of the Sea to Sky Outdoor Adventure Recreation Enterprise, in conversation with representatives from Arc’teryx, Rab, ANEW Climate, and KORE as they explore what a sustainable outdoor apparel and gear industry looks like.

Writers Forum – Creativity in Storytelling 11:30 am

A screening of the winning short film from the Take Me Outside contest.

Writers, publishers, and editors attending this year's festival discuss the creative process and the challenges of telling a good story. Hosted by Don Gorman, Rocky Mountain Books.

Filmmakers Forum — The Art of Short Film

Filmmakers Forum — Ideas for Funding Your Project

Take Me Outside SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2

10 am

3:15 pm

3:30 pm | ACCESSIBLE

1 pm

Join five women filmmakers from this year's festival as they discuss why short films rule and how they can set your career in motion. This program will have live ASL interpretation.

Join finalist filmmakers from this year's festival as they discuss funding, pitching and ideas for securing sponsorship. Hosted by Jimmy Hopper.

Festival Photo Rodeo

Peter Mather — Banff Mountain Photo Essay Winner, Mountain Ghosts

5 pm

3 pm

The Photo Rodeo continues for its second year as four photographers go head-to-head presenting their best shots and telling stories of life in the field. Hosted by Paul Zizka and supported by Paul Zizka Photography.

Peter Mather is a Yukon photographer and filmmaker specializing in outdoor adventure, wildlife, and wilderness landscape photography. Peter will present his winning essay from the 2024 Banff Mountain Photo Essay Competition, Mountain Ghosts.

51

Daybreak

MOUNTAIN ART

Exhibitions

Emily Beaudoin (Canada)

Photos left to right: British Mountaineers, courtesy of Faye Latham; Daybreak, courtesy of Emily Beaudoin; Mountain Photo Essay Jury: Showcase, photo by Irene Yee; Glyde Hall, Walter Phillips Gallery exterior, photo by Rita Taylor; Mountain Ghosts, photo by Peter Mather; Dwayne Harty, Plains Bison Near the Bull Mountains, Montana (detail).

18” x 30”. Oil on linen, courtesy of the Banff Culture Collective 52

Max Bell Auditorium Trees Until November 11 Emily Beaudoin has spent the last 32 years exploring, painting and growing in the Rockies and they have always been her muses. This show tackles dramatic lighting – alpenglow on towering peaks, blue hour over a still lake, or the aurora dancing across the sky – to stop you in your tracks and remind you to live in the moment.

AT BANFF CENTRE (FREE)

British Mountaineers Faye Latham (United Kingdom) Max Bell Building Lobby Until September 2025 Erasure poetry is the process of erasing, covering or otherwise obscuring selected words from an existing text to create a new poem. This exhibit features the erasure poetry of Faye Latham’s book collection, British Mountaineers. Written in 1942, F. S. Smythe’s biographical text of the same title forms the original canvas where words are picked, painted and stitched together to create a new, dream-like narrative, which tracks the journey of an anonymous figure found by reading between the lines.

2024 Mountain Photo Essay Jury Showcase Jenny Belzberg Theatre Trees Until November 11 This exhibit features the photography of Mattias Fredricksson (Canada), Irene Yee (USA) and JoJo Das (Canada) who together form this year’s 2024 Banff Mountain Photo Essay Jury.

MOUNTAIN EXHIBITIONS

Listening Devices Walter Phillips Gallery Ongoing Listening Devices is comprised of audio and score-based works in Banff Centre’s Permanent Collection or on long-term loan that are informed by the relationship between sound, listener, and location. Taking place outside of Walter Phillips Gallery, the works in the exhibition are variously intended to be experienced in the woods, amongst the pollinators, and mountainside in Banff, or alternatively online.

Information on the exhibition and accessing the works:

Walter Phillips Gallery is closed for renovations and will reopen in February 2025.

Banff Mountain Photo Essay Competition Grand Prize 2024: Mountain Ghosts Peter Mather (Canada) Laszlo Funtek Building Wall Until September 2025 Canada's Yukon Territory is a vast wilderness, with surprisingly low wildlife populations. The extreme cold, darkness and limited plant communities of the North are reflected in the abundance of animals. Predators and furbearing animals in the North are also generally very shy due to hunting and trapping. This creates a feeling in the North, that many animals are ghosts, we rarely see them, most often we find passing signs of animals in the snow. This photo essay captures this story in imagery, highlighting how our mountains are home to rarely seen wildlife.

Photo Essay Competition sponsored by

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BANFF CULTURE COLLECTIVE

Gallery Hop Various downtown locations October 26 – November 3 What could be more invigorating than moments of crisp mountain air interspersed with moments of wonder, intrigue and discovery? Enjoy an unscripted self-guided discovery of Banff’s cultural spaces on your own time.

See schedule and venues at: banffculturecollective.com

53

FESTIVAL MARKETPLACE

FESTIVAL

Marketplace Purchase the latest gear and apparel from partners and industry leaders, unique mountain gifts from local artisans, book signings, and more!

RETAILERS ON SITE KORE Outdoors Kumpfy Shoes Norseman Outdoor Specialist Smartwool Banff SkiUphill RunUphill Rocky Mountain Dog BOOK AN ADVENTURE

Friday, Nov. 1 | 4 – 7 pm Saturday, Nov. 2 | 10 am – 7 pm

World Expeditions

Sunday, Nov. 3 | 10 am – 5 pm Banff Centre, Kinnear Centre for Creativity and Innovation, 1st & 2nd Floor

EXHIBITORS MAJOR BRANDS Rab Equipment Oboz Footwear BUFF® Arc'teryx Fjallraven DUER NRS Ferreol Lolë Petzl Prior Skis

Lake Louise Ski Resort and Summer Gondola The Lodge at Bow Lake The Alpine Club of Canada Yamnuska Mountain Adventures HI Wilderness Hostels Shadow Lake Lodge Sawback Alpine Adventures Freeflow Institute Selkirk Powder Descents Wells Gray Adventures Alpine Air Adventures GET EDUCATED & INVOLVED

BOOKS & MEDIA Rocky Mountain Books Pages Books Summerthought Publishing Gem Treks Maps BEVERAGES & MOUNTAIN MUNCHIES Wild Life Distillery Wild Rose Brewery Happy Yak Drop Caramel Co. Wild Mountain Eats Sly Foods 7 Summits Snacks ARTISANS & MAKERS Knurl Design Company Tibetan Trom GeoGems SillyGoat Studio Mountain Adornment Wonderland Maxiene's Fibers Back to Nature Apparel Emersons Cree Designs Tibetan Meditations Branches Marketplace & Gifts

Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies

Treasure Mountain Jewel Shop

Great Divide Trail Association

Let Them Play Apparel

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society Southern Alberta Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative Rocky Mountain Adaptive Mountain Muskox POW Canada Soul of Miistaki

Photos by Rita Taylor 54

View Marketplace

FESTIVAL MARKETPLACE

Purchase at the Festival Marketplace from Nov. 1 – 3 Rab Tech Shirt

About the artist:

Purchase the Signature Festival shirt at the Rab booth.

Rab and Buff ® launched the fourth annual Signature Artist search. Emily Beaudoin is a talented watercolour artist, illustrator, and muralist based in Canmore, AB. The mountains and their flora and fauna are an endless source of inspiration for her, and she spends her time hiking, biking, and skiing into the backcountry to paint her experiences. Emily strongly believes that we must protect the wild places we call home.

Festival Buff® Purchase the Signature Festival Buff ® at the Buff ® booth.

BUILT FOR COLD ADVENTURES BANGTAIL MID INSUL ATED B-DRY

WPG AD So in love with my new Bangtails!

They are light weight, super warm and comfy enough for all day wear while out enjoying nature.

- Angie C.

OBOZFOOTWEAR.COM

55

FILM COMPETITION JURY + AWARDS

Film Competition

2024 BANFF MOUNTAIN

Awards

Find out more

56

$5000 Sponsored by Rab

Best Film: Adventure $3000 Sponsored by Kahtoola

JOAQUIN GOMEZ (ARG)

$3000 Sponsored by Happy Yak

Best Film: Environment $3000 Sponsored by ANEW Climate

Best film: Climbing

MASHA GORDON (RUS)

$3000 Sponsored by Arc'teryx

Best Film: Mountain Sports $3000 Sponsored by NRS

Best Film: Snow Sports $3000 Sponsored by the American Alpine Club

BRIAN JOHNSON (CAN)

Special thanks to Wild Life Distillery, and Erwin and Lorraine Widmer for hosting the Film Jury Dinner.

Grand Prize

Best Film: Mountain Culture

Best Short Film $3000 Sponsored by DUER

Best Feature Film $3000 Sponsored by Grangers

Creative Excellence Award

SHELMA JUN (USA)

The 2024 Banff Mountain Film Competition received 477 film submissions from 47 countries. One of the most exciting but difficult jobs at any competitive festival is choosing the winners. This process starts with our devoted pre-screening committee who viewed all of the entries. From all the entries, 90 finalists from 20 countries were selected. This year’s Festival features 16 World premieres, 11 North American premieres, and 26 Canadian premieres. Prior to the Festival, our international jury — selected to represent a range of knowledge and experience in film production, distribution, and mountaineering and exploration — screens each finalist and then will meet in Banff to determine the award winners.

Mountains of thanks goes to each of them for helping us ensure that fine filmmaking is recognized and rewarded, and that our Festival programming continues to be of the highest quality. The awards are announced on Sunday evening, November 3 in the Jenny Belzberg Theatre. The winners will be announced online at banffmountainfestival.ca.

KASIA BIERNACKA (POL)

Jury

$3000 Sponsored by Core Values Cider Co.

Audience Choice Award $3000 Sponsored by 11th Hour Racing

BOOK COMPETITION JURY + AWARDS

Book Competition

2024 BANFF MOUNTAIN

Awards

Jury $5000 Sponsored by the Alpine Club of Canada

Adventure Travel Award $3000 Sponsored by Rocky Mountain Books – RMB

Mountain Fiction & Poetry Award $3000 Sponsored by the Town of Banff

Mountain Literature – The Jon Whyte Award $3000 Sponsored by The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies

MARNI JACKSON (CAN)

Our dedicated volunteer readers helped narrow down 186 submissions from 10 countries to the long list of category finalists in seven categories, before the international jury went to work to read all 31 finalists to determine the award winners. The Grand Prize will be announced at the evening show on Thursday, October 31 in the Jenny Belzberg Theatre.

Grand Prize

GLORIA DICKIE (CAN)

The 31 st annual Banff Mountain Book Competition once again saw a large number of entries, with 180 of the best mountain books from around the world submitted to the competition, a feat that shows mountain literature is alive and well.

Mountain Image Award $3000 Sponsored by Mountain Life Media

Guidebook Award $3000 Sponsored by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides ACMG

Climbing Literature Award

Find out more

ANTHONY WHITTOME (UK)

$3000 Sponsored by World Expeditions

Environmental Literature Award $3000 Sponsored by Lolë

Mountain Article Award $3000 Sponsored by The Lodge at Bow Lake

57

PHOTO ESSAY COMPETITION JURY + AWARDS

The annual Banff Mountain Photo Essay Competition showcases the best in mountain themed photography by recognizing photographers who have mastered the art of storytelling through still images. The 2024 competition saw 286 entries from 50 countries and all seven continents! After reviewing photography from 22 finalists, our international jury selected Peter Mather’s essay titled Mountain Ghosts as this year’s Grand Prize Winner.

Grand Prize 2024 Mountain Ghosts Peter Mather See p. 53 for details Photo Essay Competition sponsored by

MATTIAS FREDRIKSSON (CAN)

JOJO DAS (CAN)

Photo Essay Competition

IRENE YEE (USA)

A Special Jury Mention was given to Adolfo Mesias for his essay Through the Clouds and Among the Lonely Mountains.

Photo: Mountain Ghosts, by Peter Mather 58

COMMUNITY AWARDS

2024 RECIPIENTS: LEANNE ALLISON AND KARSTEN HEUER

Summit of Excellence Award

Presented at Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival since 1987, the annual Summit of Excellence Award has recognized an individual who has made a significant contribution to mountain life in the Canadian Rockies.

The 2024 award will be presented on opening night, Saturday, October 26.

|

WORKSHOPS

Mountain Spirit Award This award recognizes a young Albertan between the ages of 15 - 25 for initiating positive change to celebrate, protect, and advocate for the outdoors.

The 2024 award will be presented on October 28 at Radical Reels.

Sponsored by

Sponsored by

Photo by Deb Lantz

Adventure Filmmakers Workshop

Mountain Writing Intensive

Fall 2025

Fall 2025

Bringing Stories to Life. Explore the concepts that are key to every great adventure film in this intensive 10-day workshop.

For more information on all programs and application deadlines:

Scholarship support generously provided by the Asper Endowment and the MacLachlan Ridge Family Endowment Supported by:

banffcentre.ca/programs

Special thanks to: Carlyle Norman Writing Scholarships, Steve Swenson and Ann Dalton, Michael and Julie Kennedy

Photo by Rita Taylor

For more information on all programs and application deadlines: 59

EXPLORE . REJUVENATE . DINE . EXPERIENCE Otter Hotel

Meadow Spa + Pools

Sudden Sally

HOTELS, CONDOS, SUITES, SPAS & MORE

WWW.BANFFLODGINGCO.COM

HOW TO FESTIVAL

Sally Borden Fitness and Recreation

HOTELS

Come and Stay

Oct. 26 – Nov. 3 $16 Drop-in Day Pass: Must present a ticket/stub from an event • Use of climbing wall/fitness room/pool/hot tub • Festival climbing Open daily: 12 – 8 pm Harness/shoes $3 each Prices do not include tax

Community Climb Presented by Rab

Nov. 2 Bronwyn Hodgins and Connor Runge 12 – 1:30 pm 2:30 – 4 pm ( See page 49 for details )

Make the most of your Festival adventure!

It's not too late to book a getaway and stay in the heart of the Festival at Banff Centre or with our exclusive downtown lodging partner, Banff Lodging Co. Special discounts for Festival attendees.

Photo: Bronwyn Hodgins, by Jaron Pham

Find out more about Festival hotels

BANFF AIRPORTER SHUTTLE SERVICE Receive a 25% discount on the Banff Airporter's shuttle service between Calgary Airport and Banff. Valid Oct. 23 – Nov. 7.

Use Promo Code: FILMFEST banffairporter.com

Photos: Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, photo by Tom Arban; Banff Lodging Co.

Hours and facilities available are subject to change.

61

HOW TO FESTIVAL

SHUTTLE AND BUS SERVICE

|

PARKING

Getting Around free

free

November 2 + 3

November 2 + 3

Show your Festival ticket (paper or digital) for a free bus ride.

The Festival downtown shuttle is sponsored by Banff Airporter

Canmore-Banff – Route 3 Lake Louise Express – Route 8X.

Shuttle Service

Roam Transit

For schedules: roamtransit.com

Downtown Shuttle

Depart Time (min. on the hour)

(morning and evening)

MORNING SHUTTLE | 7:30 am – 2 pm (Last departure from Jenny Belzberg Theatre at 1:50 pm)

Depart: Fox Hotel

00 | 30

Depart every hour (00) and half hour (30)

Depart: Banff Ptarmigan Inn

05 | 35

Depart every (05) and (35) after the hour

Depart: Mount Royal Hotel Parking lot behind hotel Depart every (10) and (40) after the hour

Parking At Banff Centre There is limited parking at Banff Centre. Please arrive early or park your vehicle downtown and walk to Banff Centre.

Paid Parking in Banff Go to BanffParking.ca to use an interactive web app to view parking lots and availability.

Then walk up to Banff Centre via St. Julien Road or the Ken Madsen pathway. (see map p.63)

Arrive: Jenny Belzberg Theatre

10 | 40 15 | 45

Arrive every (15) and (45) after the hour

Depart: Jenny Belzberg Theatre

20 | 50

(For downtown hotels)

EVENING SHUTTLE | 5 pm – 12:30 am (Last departure from Jenny Belzberg Theatre at 12:20 am)

Depart: Fox Hotel

00 | 30

Depart every hour (00) and half hour (30)

Depart: Banff Ptarmigan Inn

05 | 35

Depart every (05) and (35) after the hour

Depart: Mount Royal Hotel Parking lot behind hotel Depart every (10) and (40) after the hour

Arrive: Jenny Belzberg Theatre Arrive every (15) and (45) after the hour

Depart: Jenny Belzberg Theatre (For downtown hotels)

10 | 40 15 | 45 20 | 50

Times are approximate and subject to change.

62

BANFF CENTRE MAP

Tunnel Mountain Trailhead To To via Wo wn lf Stree t

St. J ulie nR oa d

5

N

Festival Shuttle Stop

Tunnel Mountain Drive (winter road closure)

St. Ju

lien

17 .J

St

North Access

Path to Town

To Tunnel Mountain Trailhead

Overflow Parking

uli

Way

East Access

en Ro ad

11

8 10

6 15

14

To

4

Tow

n St.

Juli

en

Roa

d

4

5 6

4

Glyde Hall Walter Phillips Gallery Bo

5 6

4

5 6

8

Glyde Hall Walter Phillips Gallery Ken Madsen Path to Town Kinnear Centre for Creativity & Innovation Maclab Bistro Festival Marketplace Lloyd Hall Hotel Reception

10

Max Bell Building

11

Music and Sound Building

8

10 11

14

15

wR

ive to Town Ken Madsen Path r

Kinnear Centre for Creativity & Innovation Maclab Bistro Festival Marketplace Lloyd Hall Hotel Reception

Professional Development Centre Hotel Reception Sally Borden Building Fitness & Recreation Centre Climbing Gym Vistas Dining Room

GlydeAccess Hall Walter Phillips Gallery

Ken Madsen Path to Town

Kinnear Centre for Creativity & Innovation Maclab Bistro Festival Marketplace

Tunnel Mountain Drive (Buffalo Street) 8 Lloyd Hall

Hotel Reception

10 11

14

15

Max Bell Building Music and Sound Building Rolston VIP Theatre

South

Map of Banff Centre

HOW TO FESTIVAL

17

Max Bell Building Music and Sound Building Rolston VIP Theatre Professional Development Centre Hotel Reception Sally Borden Building Fitness & Recreation Centre Climbing Gym Vistas Dining Room Theatre Complex Box Office Jenny Belzberg Theatre Margaret Greenham Theatre JBT Patio

63

17TH AVE

CHINOOK CENTRE

MARKET MALL

WEST EDMONTON MALL

CROSSIRON MILLS

SOUTHGATE

arcteryx.com

NOTES:

FILE NAME: F24_BMFBF_Print Ad

2155 Dollarton Hwy #100, North Vancouver, BC V7H 3B2

TRIM: 6.77 in x 4.33 in

BLEED: .125 in

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Spot

From the tallest peaks to the deepest waters, the ocean connects us all.

From the oxygen we breathe to the food we eat to the stability of our climate, we only thrive when our ocean thrives. At 11th Hour Racing, we envision a future where the ocean is healthy and thriving. We work with sports and the outdoor community because everything we do on land affects the ocean. By leveraging the power of storytelling, 11th Hour Racing unites people to inspire collective action toward sustainable practices.

11thHour_DOCNYCAd_8.5x5.5.indd 1

9/18/23 1:49 PM

HOW TO FESTIVAL

DINING

Maclab Bistro Come visit us for dine-in service and enjoy your delicious meal looking out over the Bourgeau Range, or use our take-out service.

Open Daily: Coffee & Pastry Takeout: 7 – 11 am Dine-In: 11 am – 11 pm Bar: 11 am – 1 am

Festival Dining Vistas Dining Room

Great for Pre-Show Lunch and Dinner!

Enjoy the view and choose from a selection of hot entrees, a well-stocked fresh bar, delicious house-made desserts plus vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.

Breakfast Lunch Dinner

7 – 9:30 am 11:30 am – 1:30 pm 5:30 – 7:30 pm

Grab & Go Oct. 26 – Nov. 3

Pick up fast take-out options!

Maclab Bistro Throughout the Festival Festival Marketplace Kiosk 1st floor of the Kinnear Centre (Nov. 1 – 3)

Festival Buffets Served in Vistas Nov. 1 – 3 Lunch Dinner

Nov. 2 – 3 $28.50/person Nov. 1 – 2 $34.50/person

Prices include coffee, tea, and fruit juices.

View Festival dining and buffet menus:

Bring your own cup for FREE coffee sponsored

by Kicking Horse at intermission during all events in the Jenny Belzberg Theatre, and on Oct. 31/Nov. 1 in the Max Bell Building during the daytime book events.

A Taste for Adventure Oct. 24 – Nov. 7 | Maclab Bistro Experience a mountain-inspired culinary delight! The Elk Maclab Burger ($26), available as a special offering, pairs beautifully with the Wild Life Rosemary Country Cocktail ($18).

Photos by Rita Taylor

Recycling Bring your own reusable drinking vessel. Recycle or compost using bins provided.

Learn more about: Banff's Zero Waste Trail banffzerowastetrail.ca

65

Argentina

BANFF CENTRE MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL WORLD TOUR

Watch Films Around the World

The World Tour hits the road following the Festival, bringing the best in mountain and adventure films to over 45 countries!

• Did you know… the Banff World Tour has visited all 7 continents (including Antarctica)!

“We had an amazing International Women’s Day program which included our Ambassador for a Day initiative and the screening of the Banff Mountain Film Festival at the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA).

The audience loved it!”

– Pakistan host

• There are more than 930 World Tour screenings annually in over 45 countries!

“Astana was fully sold, which never happened before! Once again, we would like to thank you for the opportunity to bring the best documentary stories and Banff vibe to our people.”

– Kazakhstan host

66

Astana

• We are delighted to have had screenings for the first time ever in Thessaloniki and Athens, Greece and Ljubljana, Slovenia in 2024!

ONLINE FILMS

|

ONLINE MAGAZINE

Online Films N O V. 6 – 13

Following this year's Festival in Banff, you can watch 2024 finalist films online!

WORLD TOUR MAGAZINE 2024/25

Programs: $10 – $25 Online Film Pass: $150 (Early Bird $125 until Oct. 24)

ONLINE MAGAZINE

See details and schedule p. 8.

WATCH FILMS AT HOME BANFF ON DEMAND Enjoy mountain culture and adventure films throughout the year!

From $18.50/per program.

Available in Canada/ USA only.

Photo: From the film What Brings You Up There.

watch.banffcentre.ca/ banffondemand

Get the latest on some of your favourite adventurers, photographers, and authors and and find out what they’ve been up to.

READ AND ENJOY!

watch.banffcentre.ca/ filmfest

Launching Oct. 255!

67

BOARD AND LEADERSHIP TEAMS

Board of Governors MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP TEAM Banff Centre exists for the advancement of creative potential that enriches our world. We bring artists, leaders, and communities together to create, collaborate, share, envision, learn, and be inspired.

Banff Centre is supported by funding from Government of Alberta, Government of Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, and Alberta Foundation for the Arts, as well as through the generous support of many individuals, corporations, and foundations.

Kyla Conner, General Counsel and External Relations Derek Fast, Executive Director, Marketing and Communications Martha Haldenby, Executive Director, Development (Maternity Leave) Aliza LeBlanc, Chief Financial Officer Josephine Ridge, Interim Executive Director, Arts Mark Wold, Executive Director, Leadership

BANFF CENTRE BOARD OF GOVERNORS Paul Baay, Chair — Calgary, AB Brinna Brinkerhoff — Calgary, AB

SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM Chris Lorway, President and CEO Michael Code, Senior Vice President Valerie Kapay, Vice President, Talent Management and Culture

Ron Hallman — Gatineau, QC Chris Lorway, President & CEO — Banff, AB Lori Paine — Calgary, AB Pinder Sandhu — Calgary, AB

The Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival is truly a team effort. Thank you to everyone behind the scenes and to all staff across Banff Centre who help us create one of the largest and most prestigious festival of its kind in the world – including over 90 volunteers from the Bow Valley and from as far away as Massachusetts and Virginia. We also wish to express our gratitude to John Amatt, founding director of the Festival in 1976, and we are grateful for the leadership of all our past directors and staff.

We would also like to thank the dozens of individuals and organizations who have provided their time, expertise, services, and products to help us deliver a festival of such high technical quality.

Naomi Schmold — Edmonton, AB Myron Tetreault — Canmore, AB

Technical Sponsors:

THE BANFF CENTRE FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

• Signiant • Christie

Jill J. Price, Chair — Vancouver, BC

• Avid

Gavin R. Berger — New York, USA

• Dolby

David Gagnon — Montréal, QC

• Cinematronics

Susan P. Kololian — Toronto, ON

• IT Xchange

Sandy Martin — Calgary, AB

• Panasonic Canada

Michael S.H. McMillan — Toronto, ON Aly Khan Musani — Calgary, AB Paul Baay, Chair (ex officio) — Calgary, AB

68

MOUNTAINS OF THANKS

Chris Lorway, President & CEO (ex officio) – Banff, AB

• Riedel Communications Canada • Eventive

FESTIVAL TEAM

Festival Team

Conversion and Mastering Specialists Mark Tierney, Chris Barkhouse Content Verification Rongqin Su, Guy Clarkson

FESTIVAL AND WORLD TOUR Managing Director — Digital, Film & Media Kerry Stauffer Director — Festival & World Tour Joanna Croston Senior Producer Woody MacPhail Festival Manager Megan Cotterell Manager, Strategic Sponsorships Haley Daniels Film and Event Specialist — Festival Natasha Fox Event Specialist — Competitions Margaret McKeon Event Specialist — Partnerships Ryan Prather Festival Coordinators Debra Hornsby, Paige Roulston

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Video Technologist Darcy Locke

Director of Communications Carly Maga

Technicians Branden Charlton, Sandy MacDonald, Andrew Sayer, Paul Price, Dave Miller, Martin Finnerty, John Brigham, Blair Atkinson, Vikas Hansa, Parker Evans-Davies, Raffi Tchalikian, Winston Cromwell, Adam White, Victor Saavedra Miranda

Marketing Officer Nicky Lynch Graphic Design Lead Christine Majer Graphic Designers Shannon Fidler, Martha de Santiago, Jenni Filman Manager, Platforms and Digital Marketing Hayden Browne Digital Marketing Strategist Rachel Bigger Social Media Officer Kyla Jacobs Media Relations and Festival Magazine Porter O’Brien Agency Erin Brandt-Filliter, Nazareth Araújo

AUDIENCE SERVICES

Production Administrative Coordinator Anne Billingsley

Manager, Audience Sales and Services Kay Astop

World Tour Manager Sarah Karasiuk

Supervisor, Audience Sales and Services Lev Nesterov

Event Specialists — Tour Events Seana Strain, Mark Louie, Lauren Schmidt, Karolina Krakowiak, Akcinya Kootchin Film and Event Specialist — World Tour Louise Caola Digital Platform Specialist Tori Nixon

Audience Services Coordinators Gini Dickinson, Marian JohnstonHarvie, Jack Olszewski, Heather Ware

PRODUCTION SERVICES Production Manager, Media and Production Ryan Reaney

BANFF CENTRE MOUNTAIN FILM AND BOOK FESTIVAL Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Box 1020, Banff, AB Canada T1L 1H5 1.403.762.6347 | banffmountainfestival@banffcentre.ca

Graphics and Animation Court Brinsmead Senior Video Editor Jozef Karoly Videographer / Editor Curtis Doherty Audio Post Production Ben Ewing, Jeff Kynoch Lead Video Technician Jennifer Chiasson Photography Rita Taylor

PRODUCTION PERFORMING ARTS Production Manager, Performing Arts Andrew Smith Technical Director, Performing Arts Kirsty Conroy Production Coordinator Marissa Gell Stage Manager Alyssa Neudorf Stage Carpenters Michael Young, Sharon Fish, Kate Sunderland, Lorelee Godden Sound Technicians Lyle Fish, Sam Hindle, Shahid Chew Zulkifli, Chris Bernhardt Lighting Technicians Matt Flawn, Darrell Shaw, Georgia Jeffery, Pui Leung Projection Technicians Brendan Briceland, Juan Anez 69

“The One Book Every New Climber Should Read”—Gripped Magazine

Mountaineers Books is proud to have the following authors speaking at Banff this year: Nandini Purandare & Deepa Balsavar

10th Edition Now Available

Bernadette McDonald

Inspiring outdoor enthusiasts around the globe across nine editions for more than six decades.

Geoff Powter in conversation with climber Jim Donini

3 FREE DAYS

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LoadOut® GoBox 60 Ambassador Christina Lustenberger B.C., Canada

Welcome home to The Lodge at Bow Lake Located in the heart of Banff National Park, the newly restored Lodge at Bow Lake is open summer and winter for your Rocky Mountain adventures.

B O O K YO U R S TAY lodgeatbowlake.com

Visit Fjällräven Banff for

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Find our store *This discount cannot be combined with any other offers, discounts, or promotions. Excludes Hanwag items. Other exclusions may apply. Offer valid through November 17th, 2024.

NO GREAT

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STARTED WITH A CUP

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Join us next year to celebrate our 50th anniversary !

Nov 1 – 9, 2025