The 2023-24 Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour brings a curated lineup of the best in mountain and adventure films to theatres around the globe! This year’s tour has licensed 37 films from around the world, including films from Canada, USA, Switzerland, France, Sweden and more!

There will be two evenings with different films each night.

Friday Film Program: Arnica

How Did We Get Here? (Tour Edit)
(2023, Canada, 9 min)
Filmmakers: Clay Mitchell, Simon Shave, CK9 Studios Advisory: Coarse language
The Blondes, three strange animals. Who are they? What are they thinking? Are they naturally Blonde? This is a film highlighting the ski crew the Blondes through their friendship and adventures in skiing and in life.

Still Alive
(2023, USA, 27 min) Filmmaker: Santino Martirano Advisory: Coarse language
Doctors gave him until age twenty-five to live and now
10 years after his expiration date, he is still climbing. Despite having Cystic Fibrosis, Klaas Willems has bolted hundreds of routes in Sardinia, Italy and dedicated his life to climbing.

Sea to Sky Trail Series: Progression
(2022, Canada, 12 min)
Filmmakers: Joel Fuller, Michael Overbeck Advisory: None
The trail-running community is constantly evolving. Lately runners have progressed, drawing from the world of alpinism, rock climbing, and running and tackling technical terrain in a way we’ve never seen. Watch as Emma Cook-Clarke and Jesse McAuley dig deep on the west peak of Ch’ich’iyúy Elxwíkn, the Twin Sisters (or the Lions), an iconic Sea to Sky trail.

Slides on the Mountain
(2023, Canada, 30 min)
Filmmakers: Seth Gillis, Aline Mayerhoffer, Sandy Ward Advisory: Coarse language
Two young brothers from the Lil’wat Nation set out to ski the sacred mountain they were raised beneath, pushing both themselves and their culture to evolve.

Leaving A Tread
(2023, USA, 5 min)
Filmmakers: Maxwell Frank, Becky Gardner, WTB Advisory: None
Mountain Biker Israel Carrillo shows us his hometown of Guanajuato, Mexico, and the difficulties and differences of being a mountain biker in Mexico.

Eternal Flame
(Best Film: Mountain Sports)
(2023, Switzerland, 26 min) Filmmakers: Nicolas Bossard, MS PROD Advisory: Coarse language
Following in the footsteps of pioneer jumpers from 1990, French BASE jumpers Eric Jamet and Antoine Pecher jump from the top of the Nameless Tower in Pakistan after climbing the Eternal Flame route, combining one of the most beautiful ascents with one of the most exhilarating descents in the world.

After You’ve Gone
(2022, USA, 12 min)
Filmmakers: Max Erickson, Jared Zissu, Flylords, Fiska Media Advisory: Coarse language
Rachel Finn, a female fishing guide in the Adirondacks, grapples with life after loss. While taking a once-in-a- lifetime trip to Argentina, she navigates moving forward in an unapologetically true-to-self way, that brings a smile to everyone who crosses her path.

Pioneers: Tandem XC Skiing
(Tour Edit)
(2023, USA, 20 min)
Filmmakers: Chris Parr, Flutter Brothers Productions Advisory: Coarse language
After winning the American Birkebeiner, the largest
cross country ski race in North America, Joe Dubay was disqualified for wearing the wrong bib. Now, 11 years later, Joe and his former roommate who lent him the bib – Chris – document their return to the Birkebeiner to pioneer a new sport: tandem cross country skiing.

Saturday Film Program: Yarrow

Fuego
(2023, France, 7 min)
Filmmakes: Pierre Henni, Kilian Bron Advisory: None
Kilian Bron rides from the foot of the Fuego volcano the day before its historic eruption, to the colourful facades of Barrio Chualluma in La Paz, through the geological forma- tions of the Valle de las Animas to an unforgettable meet- ing with the Cholitas Escaladoras.

The Best Skier You’ve Never Heard Of
(2023, Sweden, 8 min)
Filmmakers: Marcus Ahlström, Mattias Fredriksson, Stellar Equipment
Advisory: None
After a successful ski racing career, Adrien Grabinski ventured West from Alberta. He discovered his true calling at Shames Mountain, a remote little co-op non-profit ski area near Terrace, B.C. The mountains, the snow, and the big lines first captivated him, but the local ski community truly stole his heart.

One Degree° #Peru
(2023, France, 15 min)
Filmmaker: Alex Lopez, Riding to Explore Advisory: None
Armelle Courtois and Martin Thomas seek out the highest glacial lakes – over 5000m above sea level – to try and break the altitude record for kitesurfing. Their sporting challenge quickly takes on a new objective: to raise awareness about the consequences of melting glaciers and inspire change.

Subterranean (Tour Edit)
Best Film: Adventure
(2023, Canada, 40 min)
Filmmakers: François-Xavier De Ruydts, Jenny Rustemeyer, Cold Fingers Films Advisory: Coarse language
Two gritty teams of hobbyist cavers are poised to break records for the longest and deepest caves in Canada. From abyssal, muddy crawls to heart-pounding, vertical pits, and underwater squeezes, these are places where no person has been before.

Mustafa Ceylan
(2022, Switzerland, 12 min)
Filmmakers: Jules Guarneri, Benoît Goncerut, Cause Advisory: Coarse language
This is the story of a young Turkish immigrant, destined to play football and take over his parents’ kebab restaurant. But one day, fate put a pair of skis in his way.

Driving Sweep
(2023, USA, 10 min)
Filmmakers: Greg Cairns, Cairns Film Advisory: Coarse language
Few river guides ever get the chance to drive Idaho’s Iconic sweep boat. Join Katie Veteto as she learns how to “drive sweep” down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. She’s learned the rapids and the river. Now she learns to drive 4,000lbs down steep rocky rapids.

Range Rider
(2023, USA, 30 min)
Filmmakers: Colin Arisman, Wild Confluence Media Advisory: Coarse language
As wolves repopulate Washington State, conflict is heating up with rural ranching communities. When wolves are suspected of killing livestock, the consequences for packs can be fatal. Range rider Daniel Curry’s job is to patrol wild areas on horseback, creating a buffer between wolves and the cattle herds.

Two Point Four
(2023, United Kingdom, 20 min) Filmmakers: Natasha Brooks, Leo Houlding Advisory: Coarse language
Not your typical family holiday… but this is not your typical family! Leo Houlding, his wife Jess, and their two children Freya (9 years) and Jackson (5 years) climb Norway’s national mountain via a 2,000 ft big wall.

Date: February 9-10, 2024

Time: Doors: 6:00pm - Show: 7:00pm - all ages

Location: State Theatre - 609 Congress St, Portland, ME 04101

Cost:

$24 advance
$27 day of show

Students (w/ school ID)
$21 advance
$24 day of show

Tickets

Buy tickets in person (without fees) at the State Theatre box office Fridays 10am-5pm, or the night of any State Theatre show starting 1 hour before doors

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