Saturday, November 1

1:00 p.m. Program ($7)
Winged Migration
(France, 2002, 85’)
Director/Producer: Jacques Perrin
Production Co.: Galatée Films/France 2 Cinéma/France 3 Cinéma/Les Productions de la Guéville/Bac Films
"Who wants to see a documentary about birds of every feather who migrate across forty countries and seven continents? You do. With the help of many cinematographers, director Jacques Perrin gets so close to the intimate beauty of flight, you feel privileged. The result is a movie miracle; it soars." — "The Rolling Stone Review", April 2003. If you’ve ever dreamed of flying, this film is for you!

Farther Than the Eye Can See
(USA, 2003, 46’)
Director: Michael Brown
Producer: Les Guthman
Production Co.: Serac Adventure Films
The first HDTV production to the summit of Mount Everest documents the emotional and inspiring story of blind climber Erik Weihenmayer’s ascent of Everest.

4:00 p.m. Program ($7)
Yönden
(France, 2002, 90’)
Director: Marie Jaoul de Poncheville
Producer: Michel Rotman
Production Co.: Kuiv Productions
Yönden is the name of a young Mongolian who leads a nomadic life with his family, following herds of animals as they move across the vast taiga. Yönden is not a person confined to his own world; he is familiar with other countries and has also participated in a film. But the call of his land is irresistible. This is a scrupulously recorded feature-length fiction film based on a true story.

Northwest Passage – On Franklin’s Trail
(Ireland, 2002, 68’)
Director/Producer: John Murray
Production Co.: Crossing the Line Films
This spectacular journey through the Arctic follows an Irish expedition as it shadows one of the most tragic stories in polar history. One hundred and fifty years ago, the famous Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin sailed his ships into the ice-clogged seas of northern Canada to find a northwest passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and vanished without a trace. In 2001, a group of Irish adventurers, inspired by the extraordinary drama of Franklin’s lost expedition, set sail to follow his trail into the Arctic and attempt to sail through the Passage — a challenging voyage rarely undertaken in a small boat.

8:00 p.m. Program ($7)
Schwabenkinder (The Swabian Children)
(Austria/Germany, 2002, 109’)
Director: Jo Baier
Producer: Dieter Pochlatko
Production Co.: Epo-Film/Filmline Productions
Tyrol, 1908. After a twenty-year absence, Kaspar, almost 30, returns to his native village to assist his dying father. He tells his father about his experiences as a child in Swabia from 1885 onwards. At a very young age, he was sent by his father to Lake Constance, in Germany, where he was virtually sold as a slave to the children’s market of Ravensburg. In the following years, he was forced to work in dreadful conditions for his "master", the farmer Steinhauser, who exploited him until Kaspar managed at last to escape towards a new future.

Sunday, November 2

1:00 p.m. Program ($7)

The Monkey Prince
(France, 2003, 49’)
Director/Producer: Frédéric Fougea
Production Co.: Boréales/Gaumont
Somewhere between fact and fiction, this film delves into the destiny of a remarkable monkey and reveals private lives of two rival troops by showing their territorial wars and their interaction with the human and natural worlds.

The Other Final
(Netherlands, 2002, 53’)
Director: Johan Kramer
Producer: Jacqueline Kouwenberg
Production Co.: KesselsKramer
On the same day as Germany and Brazil played in the World Cup Final in Japan, the national teams of Bhutan and Montserrat met in an officially sanctioned, friendly match in Thimphu, the Bhutanese capital. Ranked at the very bottom of international soccer, they played strictly for the love of the game. The film follows the two teams in their respective countries as they prepare for the match, travel to the stadium and play in the Other Final.

4:00 p.m. Program ($7)
Tibet – Cry of the Snow Lion
(USA, 2002, 104’)
Director: Tom Peosay
Producers: Maria Florio, Victoria Mudd, Tom Peosay, Sue Peosay
Production Co.: Earthworks Films/Zambuling Pictures
Filmed during a remarkable nine journeys throughout Tibet, India and Nepal over ten years, this provocative documentary brings audiences to the long-forbidden "rooftop of the world" through an unprecedented richness of imagery. From rarely seen rituals in remote monasteries, to horse races with Khamba warriors, the dark secrets of Tibet’s recent past are powerfully chronicled through riveting personal stories and interviews, and a collection of undercover and archival images never before assembled in one film.

Sister Extreme
(Canada, 2003, 30’) WORLD PREMIERE
Directors/Producers: Glen Crawford, Brad Wrobleski
Join renowned climbers Rex Van Fuegoshmidt and Jeff Z. as they attempt the first ascent of the notorious west face of Canmore’s Middle Sister. During this "out there" climb, Rex and Jeff shed light on the mystery surrounding the tragic disappearance of legendary Dutch alpinist Rexal Van Fuegoshmidt. With commentary by Bow Valley locals Barry Blanchard, Will Gadd, Pat Morrow, Tim Auger and Bob Sandford. This extreme adventure is not to be missed!

8:00 p.m. Program ($7)
Karu Süda (The Heart of the Bear)
(Estonia/Russia/Germany/Czech Republic, 2001, 124’)
Director: Arvo Iho
Producer: Mati Sepping
Production Co.: Faama Film/Cumulus Projekt/
Lenfilm/Manfred Durniok Producktion/Studio Fáma 92/4S Production
Nika, a young Estonian hunter, leaves for Siberia, where he spends his time in the mountains and hills. However, a series of unexpected romantic entanglements complicates his search for a life of simplicity. He kills a male bear in the forest, and the female starts to follow him wherever he places his traps. Adding to his anxieties, he begins to confuse the myths of the North with its sometimes harsh realities. An engrossing film about the tension between experience and illusion. Nominated for a European Film Award. Contains mature subject matter.