Off-road unicycling and trans-ocean solo rowing are the subjects of just two of the fantastic films in the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2009/2010, which opens at the Bloor Cinema on March 26 and runs each evening until March 28.
The Film Festival, an eclectic collection of 22 short films by Canadian, South American, European, and U.S. filmmakers, is presented courtesy of the Alpine Club of Canada/Toronto Section, National Geographic, and The North Face. Just those sponsors’ names alone tell you adventure, stunning photography, and nature’s beauty are going to be the common denominators throughout the entire series. The films range in length from three minutes to just over an hour, and each evening offers a different selection and mix of titles. Although there’s something for everyone on each night, be sure to check the Festival’s detailed schedule on www.bloorcinema.com.
Opening night offers nine exciting films, including Mustang: Journey of Transformation, a look at a remote Tibetan Buddhist sanctuary and narrated by actor Richard Gere, Revolution One, a mind-blowing introduction to the hot new sport of off-road unicycling, and Pick-up Sticks, a Canadian short that explores how climate change is affecting the delicate balance of life in an Artic seabird colony.
Meanwhile, Saturday’s lineup of six titles includes Take A Seat, a UK filmmaker’s study of a cyclist who rides a tandem bike from northern Alaska to the southern tip of South America, picking up random cycling partners along the way, and <Kranked-Revolve, an award-winning Canadian-made short covering the fast-paced world of extreme mountain biking.
Sunday’s seven-title lineup is just as wide ranging with films, such as Uraca, a Brazilian-made film that follows a rock climber’s dangerous and difficult ascent up Rio de Janeiro’s Sugar Loaf Mountain, and Shining Spirit, a beautiful story shot in Canada, India and Tibet by a Canadian filmmaker who brings to life the power of music and family bonds.
Although admission is $20 per show — tickets are available at two Toronto retailers or at the door — the selection and quality of the Festival’s films make this event great value for film fans.
