July 2, 2001
Himalayan Climbers Headline
2001 Banff Mountain Film Festival
Three generations of Himalayan climbers will share their stories of
adventure at this year’s Banff Mountain Film Festival. Mexican mountaineer Carlos
Carsolio, Slovenian climber Tomaž Humar, and Himalayan veteran George Band will be
featured speakers at the 26th annual festival. The festival takes place October
29 and 30, and November 2 to 4 in Banff, Alberta.
"Mountains inspire stories of courage and adventure. Through this
festival we offer audiences an opportunity to experience that adventure through films,
speakers and seminars," says Bernadette McDonald, director of mountain culture
programming and vice president, The Banff Centre, which hosts the festival. The festival
is presented by Eagle Creek Travel Gear and National Geographic Society.
At the heart of the festival are the world’s best mountain films and
videos, entered annually in the festival’s internationally-juried competition.
Between 30 and 40 of the best films entered into competition are selected for screening
throughout the festival week.
This year’s program highlights include:
Carlos Carsolio Friday, November 2, 8 p.m.
Carlos Carsolio has reached the summit of all 14 of the world’s 8000-metre peaks
– all without supplemental oxygen – yet his name is virtually unknown outside
his native Mexico. He is known for fast, light climbs including solo ascents of
Makalu, Kangchenjunga, Broad Peak and Gasherbrum II. From their home on a mountainside outside
Mexico City, Carlos and his wife, Elsa, regularly travel to the world’s highest
places in the Himalayas, the Karakoram, Patagonia, the Andes, and Baffin Island. Carlos
will talk about his life as a mountaineer at the Friday film festival presentation.
Tomaž Humar Saturday, November 3, 8 p.m.
Slovenian climber Tomaž Humar conquers the impossible. Regarded by many as the best
all-round climber in the world, Humar’s notable ascents include the South Face of
Dhaulagiri, the West Face of Nuptse, Reticent Wall on El Capitan, and a new route
on Ama Dablam. In the past decade he has made over 1200 ascents, of which more than 50
were new routes. Tomaž Humar will explain how he is changing the definition of
extreme climbing at his Saturday evening presentation.
Retro Reels: George Band Saturday, November 3, 8 p.m.
George Band’s love for the Himalayas stretches over fifty years. In 1953, he was the
youngest member of the expedition team that supported Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing
Norgay’s first ascent of Mount Everest. Two years later, Band and Joe Brown made the
first ascent of Kangchenjunga, the world's third highest peak. Using slides and footage
from the 1955 BBC film Ascent of Kangchenjunga, produced by David
Attenborough,
Band will tell the story of that first ascent at the Saturday evening Retro Reels program.
Sunday Evening Awards Program Sunday, November 4, 7:30 p.m.
The festival reaches a peak on Sunday night when the film festival’s international
jury announces the Best of the Festival award winners. Winning films are re-screened, and
the One Step Beyond Summit of Excellence Award is presented to an individual who has made
an outstanding contribution to the mountain world.
New this year
This year, for the first time, the film festival will offer events on Monday and Tuesday
nights, as well as the traditional Friday-through-Sunday schedule. The Monday night
presentation is Radical Reels – a collection of adrenaline-packed mountain
films including the world’s wildest skiing, boarding, mountain biking, and kayaking
films. On Tuesday night the festival presents Mountain Films, Mountain Friends a
themed selection of mountain films, followed by an informal reception for festival-goers.
In addition to speakers and films, the festival also features seminars on
current mountain issues, an adventure trade show, an art and craft sale, and a climbing
wall.
Tickets on Sale July 3
Individual festival event tickets go on sale July 3. Tickets are available by phone:
1-800-413-8368 (North America) or1-403-762-6301 or online: www.banffmountainfestivals.ca
