Banff Mountain Film FestivalOfficially known as the Banff Center Mountain Film and Book Festival, it is a world-famous event held annually in Banff, Canada. Celebrating mountain culture, adventure sports and environmental storytelling, the festival showcases a wide range of films, book readings and presentations over nine days. The annual open house and film event took place recently, presenting a wide range of exciting and inspiring films. A selection of the winning films will soon embark on a world tour, bringing a variety of outdoor adventures to global audiences. Andrew Marshall wrote a recent Article for ExplorersWeb highlights a selection of this year’s best finishers Banff Mountain Film Festival.

Champions of the Golden Valley inspired film festival attendees. This film is set against the backdrop of political strife in rural Afghanistan. The film focuses on a group of young Afghan boys and girls learning to ski race while creating competitive yet friendly rivalries. Old ski equipment and intermediate facilities cannot reduce their enthusiasm and joy for this sport. The US withdrawal from the country in 2021 caused the Taliban to return to the region and the lives of young skiers were turned upside down.
ExplorersWeb editor-in-chief Jerry Kobalenko said: Golden Valley Champions, “This labor of love has been years in the making, and the unexpected return of the Taliban has added a dark side to what began as a feel-good story about the discovery of outdoor sports in Central Asia.”

109 Below It describes a tragedy that occurred on New Hampshire’s Mount Washington in 1983 and the subsequent rescue attempt. The cold and unstable winter weather of Mount Washington hinders rescue efforts, and the legend remains at the heart of the community today. The film instantly captures the audience with its gripping surprises.
“Landed with empathy and dignity, the narrative conveys decades of moral consensus in just 14 minutes while opening up a debate it cannot hope to resolve.” juror Brian Johnson noted.

giants It chronicles the fight to protect the beautiful Australian landscape, led by politician and environmentalist Bob Brown. Brown works tirelessly and passionately to protect giant trees from development and extinction. The film uses live action cinematography and creative animation to bring to life the breathtaking Australian nature and the forces that seek to marginalize it.

The Big Water Theory follows French extreme kayaking star Nouria Newman as she attempts to achieve the first female descent of the Rondu Pass on the Indus River. Newman is a colorful and ambitious character who fills the screen with skill and adventure. “Ultimately, this is a story in which little people bravely confront the vast nature; Amidst the foamy, mighty waters of the Indus, tiny figurines in plastic canoes seemingly teeter on the brink of disaster but miraculously manage to float down the rapids unscathed. Luck or skill? Mostly the former, with just a touch of the latter.” (Juror Masha Gordon)

The elegant film focuses on Jal Tumursukh, a former hunter and ranger who works to preserve conservation efforts and traditional cultural practices in Mongolia. Juror Brian Johnson talked about Bear Valley Mongolia “aspectmovie of many genres. A cinematic spectacle that separates poetry from landscape. It’s an eco-documentary that’s too complex to be doctrinal. A character drama featuring a deceitful hero. “A western about an enforcer who fights an outlaw gang of poachers by recruiting warriors from their ranks.”

The festival announced that all winning films will be available to watch online in the US and Canada between November 6-13. (Related Article) Other Category Winners: Best Climbing: adra Best Snow Sports: Wild Days Best Feature: Ashima Best Short Film: The Bird in My Backyard Creative Excellence Award: Thundering Smoke