As part of its world tour, the Banff Mountain Film Festival is coming to Ottawa’s ByTowne Cinema this weekend, with screenings on Jan. 28, 29, and 30.
In association with Trailhead Paddle Shack, the festival showcases 37 short films about mountains and adventure in theatres across Canada, the United States, and 50 countries internationally.
Eric Lavigne, marketing manager of the ByTowne, says the cinema is looking forward to this year’s event and it is happy to collaborate with Trailhead Paddle Shack.
“The Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour is something we look forward to every year,” he wrote in an email to Apt613. “Having the chance to see the best films in the world of skiing, mountaineering, and human potential is awe-inspiring on the big screen; [there’s] nothing quite like it.”
Joanna Croston, director of the festival and world tour, writes that the organization received a record number of submissions this year on the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity website.
“This year’s films and books are an emotional ride for the adventurous,” she writes. “The 48th annual festival takes a journey deep into the current times we live in, where individual issues resonate globally. It seems like just when one journey is complete, we simply launch into the next.”
Some of the short films showcased this year include Crying Glacier, which sound artist Ludwig Berger uses to highlight the rippling sound of glacier melt; Range Rider, which documents the conflict between rural ranching communities and newly-repopulated wolves in Washington State; and Subterranean, which follows two teams of hobbyist cavers looking to break records in finding the longest and deepest caves in Canada.
Croston writes that the beauty of life lies in the journey itself and everyone has a story to tell.
“Whichever journey you’re on, there’s a story to tell—around a campfire with friends, or maybe you pick up a camera and capture a few moments while you’re underway. Perhaps you start clacking something out on that keyboard,” she writes. “Whatever your story is, we have all experienced a transformational journey in our lives, and this year’s festival and world tour is case in point.”
Get your tickets while you can, these things sell out fast!
The ByTowne Cinema is screening the festival from Jan. 28-30 at 1pm on Sunday and 7pm on Monday and Tuesday. Tickets sell out fast and are available on the ByTowne website or at the Trailhead Paddle Shack website.
The ByTowne auditorium and washrooms are fully accessible for patrons in wheelchairs. The doors to the men’s room are the old 30″ standard width, and there is no automated door opener but there’s always someone nearby to open the door for you. When you arrive, ask the usher about reserved spaces for wheelchairs. There are several locations to choose from. For hard-of-hearing patrons, the ByTowne has an FM Audio Assist system. Receivers are available free of charge from the candy bar staff.
