9:00 a.m.
Eiger-Nordwand – Auf den Spuren der Erstbesteiger (Eiger North Face – In the Footsteps of Its First Climbers)
(Switzerland, 2002, 52’) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Directors: Frank Senn (in person), Thomas Ulrich
Producer: Otto Honegger
In 2002, the accomplished mountaineers Stephan Siegrist and Michal Pitelka take on the challenge of climbing the Eiger’s infamous North Face using equipment similar to that available to the first-ascent party in 1938. The documentary follows the two men in their attempt to repeat the original feat and observes their battles with themselves, the Eiger’s North Face and their unusual, outdated equipment.

9:57 a.m. (9:56 a.m. in Max Bell)
Cost of Freedom
(USA, 2002, 36’)
Director/Producer: Vanessa Schulz (in person)
In 1995, a wolf reintroduction effort in Idaho generated heated controversy, but this time all the major players, human and animal alike, were captured on film. Showing the intensity of the passions that motivate all sides of the wolf issue, "Cost of Freedom" lays out an accessible and infuriating portrait of the wolf question, no matter which side you are on.

10:36 a.m.(10:33 a.m. in Max Bell)
Break

10:56 a.m.(10:48 a.m. in Max Bell)
High Life [short]
(USA, 2003, 20’)
Directors: Todd Jones, Steve Jones, Dirk Collins, Corey Gavitt
Producer: Jon Klaczkiewicz
From the Alaska/B.C. border, to Utah, and to Chamonix and back, highlights include skier Sage Cattabriga-Alosa and snowboarder Victoria Jealouse enjoying spectacular terrain.

11:19 a.m.(11:09 a.m. in Max Bell)
Caught between a Rock and a Hard Place
(UK, 2003, 45’) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Producers: Justine Curgenven, Tim Guilford, Kate Snell (in person)
Welsh cavers Ben Lovett and Lou Maurice explore one of Britain’s longest cave complexes: Ogof Draenen in Wales. This film captures the intensely claustrophobic world of the cave, explores the motivations and the dangers, and witnesses the frustrations, the disappointments and the triumphs. It will make you squirm with discomfort!

12:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Seminar: Max Bell Auditorium, free

SATURDAY: Beyond Imagining: The Next Great Projects How many times do we hear from naysayers: "All of the great adventures have been done," "There are no more blank spaces on the map," "Climbing has reached its peak," or "Too bad we didn't live in another era." Not everyone agrees. There are some with an appetite for the untrodden and unclimbed whose visionary and futuristic projects will dazzle us with their boldness. From the specialized world of speed climbing to the no-mistakes-allowed genre of solo-climbing, from warm rock to rarefied Himalayan heights, from vertiginous walls to the mind-bending emptiness of the poles, this group of acclaimed adventurers will share some of their visions of the next great projects: Bubu Bole, Italy, rock and ice climber with many futuristic ascents to his credit; Børge Ousland, Norway, the world's greatest polar explorer and a recent Everest summiter; Sean Easton, Canada, alpinist and mixed-climbing specialist; Christian Beckwith, U.S.A., climber, and editor of "Alpinist"; Mike Libecki, U.S.A., alpinist with solo ascents in the wildest regions of Greenland; Dean Potter, U.S.A., free-climber, speed climber, solo climber, active in Patagonia and Yosemite; Geoff Powter, moderator. SUNDAY: After Everest: Lives Transformed Anniversaries are a good time to reflect on what has happened and to whom. In the half century since May 29, 1953, individuals, communities, cultures and even countries have been impacted by the first ascent of Everest. For Hillary and Tenzing, it would have been hard to imagine the scope and scale of the reverberations of their climb. Who could have predicted the cultural and economic implications to the Sherpa people and to Nepal as a whole? How many films, books and images would not exist without that first successful expedition? To say nothing of a coronation! Ironically, the one mountain that has done so much to increase the public's interest in mountains in general has also narrowed the focus of the mountaineering community, at the expense of other interesting and worthwhile, yet lesser-known climbing objectives. A diverse group of people from different parts of the world, with individual and profound connections to Mt. Everest — through climbing, guiding, motivational speaking, writing and a cultural lineage — will explore how this mountain has shaped their lives and the lives of those closest to them: George Lowe, New Zealand, member of the 1953 Everest expedition; Tashi Tenzing, Australia, grandson of Tenzing Norgay, and Everest summiter; Sharon Wood, Canada, first North American woman to climb Everest, speaker; Ed Douglas, England, author of "Chomolungma Sings the Blues" and "Tenzing: Hero of Everest"; Pete Athans, U.S.A., Everest climbing guide who has summited seven times; Dwayne Congdon, Canmore-based mountain guide and Everest summiteer; Leslie Taylor, moderator.

2 p.m.(2:15 p.m. in Max Bell)
Last Chance Journeys: Siberia – The Journey North (Part Two)
(Ireland, 2002, 53’) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Director/Producer: John Murray (in person)
A film of the greatest nomadic journey left on Earth, undertaken by an irrepressible group of Siberian natives — the Nenets. Possessing the most intact culture left in the Arctic, they live in tents of reindeer skin and survive on tea, raw reindeer meat, and bread up to six months old. Irish mountaineer Dermot Somers has joined brothers Sergei and Sasha and their families as they travel north by reindeer sled on a six-month odyssey to the Arctic Ocean and back.

2:56 p.m.(3:09 p.m. in Max Bell)
Falling
(USA, 2003, 6’)
Director/Producer: John Armstrong
This short film about waterfall kayaking beautifully captures the awe and exhilaration that kayakers experience when they are able to find harmony in a very special place.

3:03 p.m.(3:16 p.m. in Max Bell)
Ice Up
(France, 2003, 29’)
Director: Bertrand Delapierre
Producers: François Damilano, Bertrand Delapierre
Rather than emphasizing performance, this film about waterfall ice climbing and dry-tooling aims to captivate the viewer through the beauty of the settings and the routes, and the enjoyment found in the activity. Featured climbers include Frenchmen François Damilano, Daniel Dulac and Stéphane Hussot, and Canadian Guy Lacelle.

3:35 p.m.(3:46 p.m. in Max Bell)
Break

3:55 p.m.(4:01 p.m. in Max Bell)
Sister Extreme
(Canada, 2003, 30’)
Directors/Producers: Glen Crawford (in person), Brad Wrobleski (in person)
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.

4:28 p.m.(4:32 p.m. in Max Bell)
National Geographic Explorer: Terminal Velocity
(USA, 2002, 26’)
Producers: Martin Dohrn (in person), Brian Leith
Ken Franklin has a passion to see the unseeable and to answer definitively questions that have fascinated falconers and scientists for centuries: How fast is a peregrine falcon as it stoops towards its prey? How does it achieve these incredible speeds?

4:57 p.m.(4:59 p.m. in max Bell)
The Race for Everest
(UK, 2003, 59’)
Producer: Mick Conefrey
The dramatic story of the first ascent of Everest in 1953 and the controversy that followed is told by the participants and their families.

PROGRAM II
This program is being shown in the ERIC HARVIE THEATRE and MAX BELL AUDITORIUM on SUNDAY, November 9, and in the MARGARET GREENHAM THEATRE on SATURDAY, November 8.
Please note: Times are different in the Max Bell Auditorium.

9:00 a.m.
A Man Called Nomad
(UK, 2002, 39’) CANADIAN PREMIERE
Director/Producer: Alex Gabbay
What makes a nomad? Is it his land, his herd or just his heart? Through the story of Choegatar, a 30-year-old nomad who lives in northeastern China, the film explores the dilemmas of a modern nomad caught in the interface between traditional nomadic life and the changing world around him.

9:47 a.m.(9:45 a.m. in Max Bell)
Parahawking
(UK, 2003, 35’) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Directors/Producers: Graham Saunders-Griffiths (in person), Scott Mason, Adam Hill
Nestled in the heart of Nepal’s foothills and set against the backdrop of the majestic Himalayas, the city of Pokhara has played host to the evolution of a remarkable story. Adam Hill and Rajesh Bomjan, owners of Sunrise Paragliding, meet Scott Mason, a falconer from England, and in a charming twist of fate their passions become entwined. Together they train birds of prey to fly with paragliders.

10:25 a.m.(10:21 a.m. in Max Bell)
Janica Kostelic
(USA, 2003, 23’) CANADIAN PREMIERE
Director/Producer: Bud Greenspan (in person)
The civil war of 1991 in Yugoslavia left the Kostelic family jobless and penniless, but with their mutual love for skiing intact. Ante Kostelic, a self-taught coach, would drive his two children, Janica and Ivica, to the Austrian Alps to train. Living out of their car, they often skied on closed or backcountry slopes, and slept outside at night. They arrived in Salt Lake City with no expectations of what would happen when they took on the titans of Olympic alpine skiing.

10:51 a.m.(10:45 a.m. in Max Bell)
Front Range Freaks: Biscuit
(USA, 2003, 3’)
Director/Producer: Peter Mortimer
With encouragement from owner Tom, Biscuit — a small dog with an appetite for big climbs — makes her way up difficult and committing rock faces.

10:57 a.m.(10:49 a.m. in Max Bell)
Break

11:17 a.m.(11:04 a.m. in Max Bell)
The Dark Side of Everest
(Canada/UK, 2003, 48’)
Director: Andrew Palmer
Producers: Andrew Palmer, Carrie Madu (in person)
Fifty years after the first successful attempt, the lure of Everest is stronger than ever. But reaching the summit is fraught with more than physical challenges; the moral dilemmas faced are equally daunting. This documentary presents viewers with a taste of the drama involved in scaling this icon of adventure — and the agony of deciding whom to help along the way.

2:00 p.m.(2:15 p.m. in Max Bell)
NOVA: Lost Treasures of Tibet
(USA, 2003, 55’)
Director/Producer: Liesl Clark
The tiny kingdom of Mustang conceals a spectacular treasure from the past: the monastery of Thubchen, decorated with intricate and expressive medieval wall paintings. Severely damaged by a leaking roof and stained by soot from the butter lamps of devout monks, the paintings are crumbling fast. Can a crack team of architects and art conservators save this unique gallery of Tibetan Buddhist art?

2:58 p.m.(3:11 p.m. in Max Bell)
No Big Names II: AMPed

3:39 p.m.(3:50 p.m. in Max Bell)
Das Rad (Rocks)
(Germany, 2001, 8’)
Directors: Heidi Wittlinger, Chris Stenner
Producer: Georg Gruber
The stone-people Hew and Kew have seen a lot in their everlasting lives on top of their mountain. They’re only mildly amazed by the goings-on in the valley below because they’ve got their own little problems to deal with. But all of a sudden, humans are discovering and inventing — threatening Hew and Kew’s stoic peacefulness.

3:50 p.m.(3:59 p.m. in Max Bell)
The Race
(Germany, 2002, 12’)
Director/Producer: Uli Wiesmeier
Two mountaineers meet coincidentally in front of a big rock face in the Dolomites. They make a bet on who will be faster to the top, and a very unusual race begins.

4:05 p.m.(4:12 p.m. in Max Bell)
Break

4:25 p.m.(4:27 p.m. in Max Bell)
Locked Horns – The Fate of Old Crow
(Canada, 2003, 42’)
Director/Producer: Andrew Gregg (in person)
The millennia-old way of life of the Vuntut Gwitchin aboriginal community of Old Crow, Yukon, depends on the migration of the 120,000-strong Porcupine caribou herd on its way north. The problem: there is oil under the calving grounds on the other side of the border, and the U.S. government wants to drill. It will likely mean the end of the caribou, the end of the migrations and the end of Old Crow.

5:10 p.m.(5:10 in Max Bell)
Part Animal, Part Machine

5:24 p.m.(5:22 p.m. in Max Bell)
Immersion
(USA, 2003, 32’)
Director/Producer: Scott Gaffney
Immersion captures the essence of skiing’s soul, spirit and rewards as five professional skiers express what keeps them passionate about their sport.