Media Release

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For immediate release
October 13 , 2006

World’s top films in adventure, environment, and adrenaline sports chosen for 2006 Banff Mountain Film Festival

October 28 to November 5 • The Banff Centre, Banff, Alberta, Canada
Tickets: 762-6301 or 1-800-413-8368

In 2004, Australian filmmaker Michael O’Shea embarked on a kayak journey from the source of the Mekong River in Tibet to the South China Sea. After paddling almost 5,000 kilometres through Tibet, China, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, he became the first known person to travel the full length of the river. The Mekong passes through a remarkably diverse region, ecologically and culturally, and O’Shea made the trip in part to highlight the environmental damage threatened by a series of mega-dams on the river.

On Saturday, November 4, audiences at the 2006 Banff Mountain Film Festival will see the world premiere of O’Shea’s documentary on his trip, Exploring the Mother of Waters, one of the festival’s 60 finalist films. Over the nine days of the festival, Banff audiences will experience the world’s best films chronicling the passions and obsessions of mountaineers, endurance and extreme athletes, and environmental and cultural advocates.

The festival will screen a host of great climbing films, including Alun Hughes’ The Story of Indian Face, about the first ascent of one of the U.K.’s most notorious rock routes; University Wall, which combines vintage 1966 footage of the climbing scene around Squamish, B.C.; and filmmaker Peter Mortimer’s latest climbing opus, First Ascent, which travels to Thailand, Yosemite, and the concrete  jungles of downtown Los Angeles.

As always, the festival travels to the top of the world with mountaineers and daredevils, for first ascents and long looks into hidden cultures. L’homme qui revient de haut (The Man who Returned from the Heights) follows French alpinist Marc Batard, holder of the world speed record for ascent of Everest without supplemental oxygen. Polish filmmaker Dariusz Zaluski’s film Shisha in Winter will have its Canadian premiere at the festival, introduced by Italian mountaineer Simone Moro. The film follows Moro and his climbing partner Piotr Morawsky on their grueling 2004 first winter ascent on Shishapangma. Marco, étoile filante (Marco – Shooting Star) is about extreme snowboarder Marco Siffredi’s disappearance on his second attempt to snowboard from the summit of Everest.

The festival’s first weekend, October 28 and 29, is devoted to feature-length mountain films. The lineup includes a family feature that journeys into the lives of a Mongolian nomad family in The Cave of the Yellow Dog. That weekend, Banff audiences will also see The Journals of Knud Rasmussen, the second feature by Inuit filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk, director of the acclaimed Cannes-winning film Atanarjuat — The Fast Runner.

Specialty film nights include Radical Reels on Monday, October 30. Hosted by the Urban Ape himself, Timmy O’Neill, and a very “special guest”, the evening features an always-popular lineup of adrenaline films. This year they include a leap off a stunning Norwegian cliff in the BASE jumping film 2nd Base; New World Disorder’s latest mountain bike release, NWD VII: Flying High Again; and Teton Gravity Research’s newest ski and snowboard film, Anomaly. On Friday, November 3, ski fans will gather for the Snow Show, with films including a quick ride downslope on a “noboard” — a snowboard without bindings, in Dave Mossop’s Yes to the No; the Canadian premiere of Hustle & Snow, following competitive skiers in Tahoe, California; and an all-girls’ snowboard adventure in Dropstitch.

On Saturday, November 4, the festival will pay special tribute to filmmaker Hans Gmoser who died earlier this year. In co-operation with the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Canadian Mountain Holidays, and filmmaker Guy Clarkson, the Retro Reels program will feature a selection of his films, with his own narration.

On Sunday, November 5, an international jury will announce the Best of the Festival awards in eight categories, and most of the winners will be screened (time allowing). Jury members for the 2006 festival include U.K.-based photographer John Beatty, Les Guthman, founding executive vice president and executive producer of Outside Television, Canadian filmmaker Bill Noble, Spanish alpinist Edurne Pasaban, and French film producer Emmanuel Priou.

Founded in 1976, the Banff Mountain Film Festival has become the biggest and best-known mountain film festival in the world. Accompanied by the Banff Mountain Book Festival, it is held annually at The Banff Centre in Banff, Alberta, Canada.  More than 300 films are entered in competition annually, and in 2006, 60 films were chosen as festival finalists. Following the festival, films are selected for the popular Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, which takes Banff films on a screening circuit around the globe.

For tickets to the 2006 Banff Mountain Film Festival, call The Banff Centre Box Office at
1-800-413-8368 or 403-762-6301.

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For media accreditation to the 2006 Banff Mountain Film Festival:
https://secure.banffcentre.ca/mc/media/accred.htm

For high-resolution photos from Banff Mountain Film Festival special guests, speakers, and films:
http://www.banffcentre.ca/mountainculture/media/images/

For the complete list of film finalists:
http://www.banffcentre.ca/mountainculture/festivals/2006/film/