Radical Reels
Frequently Asked Questions

The Radical Reels Tour

What is the difference between the Radical Reels Tour and the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour?

Most World Tour screenings include a range of different themes (adventure sports, environment, mountain culture, heritage, etc.) and styles (action-filled shorts; longer, more comprehensive films; amateur and professional productions; etc.). The Radical Reels Tour presentations incorporate all these elements, but the focus is on dynamic, high-adrenaline films featuring sports such as skiing, climbing, kayaking, BASE jumping, snowboarding, and mountain biking, and new sports such as snow-kiting and speedriding. These activities continue to be included on the World Tour, but the Radical Reels Tour is for audiences who prefer screenings with “action films only”.

How do I find out when the tour will be coming to Utah or visiting Halifax?

Check our tour schedule page for tour dates and locations. Please contact the local host listed for details about the tickets, times, and venues.

Which films will be shown in my home town?

The Radical Reels film program is a set program of short, higher adrenaline, extreme action sport films that are chosen by our tour team in Banff. Several of the films are custom edits of longer films that have been entered for the Banff Mountain Film Festival which is held in November each year. A list of films included in the 2010 Radical Reels program listing is available.

How can I bring the tour to my home town?

We welcome applications to join the Radical Reels Tour. New host applications can be filled out on-line. If you would rather organize a Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour screening, please check out our FAQ section for the World Tour.

How can I volunteer at my local screening?

The local organizer handles all arrangements for volunteers and local staff at each screening. Please check the contact information provided for each location and contact them to see if any opportunities are available.

How much are tickets to the tour screenings?

Each host organization sets their ticket prices according to their local situation (theatre costs, sponsor support, etc). Please check with the local host for details — check your local host information on our schedule page.

How did the Radical Reels Tour begin?

Held annually each Fall from the end of October into early November, the Banff Mountain Film Festival has included the Radical Reels night, which is a special screening of the wildest high-adrenaline films entered in the Banff Mountain Film Festival. So many action films were being submitted to the film festival that they could not fit into the regular screenings, resulting in the creation of the hugely successful Radical Reels evening presentation.

Since 2004, the Radical Reels Tour has also been out on the road. The Radical Reels Film Tour visits approximately 19 states and provinces, reaching over 35 different locations. Most screenings take place in the September to October and February to May time periods.

The Films

How do I get a copy of my favourite film? Why don’t you sell a compilation DVD of all of the films?

We do not own the home video rights to any of the films you see on tour or at the Festival in Banff, so we cannot sell you a copy for home viewing or produce a compilation DVD. Please ask your local video store to order any titles that interest you. Knowing the title and producer/director can help. You can find this information by searching our on-line festival archives. To view a list of films with contact details for obtaining your own copy, visit our Filmmaker/Distributor Contact Page.

Why aren’t there more women in the films?

Audience feedback indicates that this is an ongoing interest, so we actively look for films that feature women. However, there are some years when we receive very few appropriate film entries starring or made by women. We encourage filmmakers and female athletes to submit more films that include women and we hope to see more in the future. All films are judged for their overall quality, so a film about female athletes will not be chosen for the tour just because it has women in it.

Why do some of the films have strong language or intense situations?

The content of the films is determined by the filmmakers, and can include coarse language and frightening events. Not all films are suitable for family audiences. If you have concerns about the films to be shown at your local event, please check with the local organizer or our office for details and advice.

Why are there sponsor logos at the start of some the films when there are already sponsors in the intro video?

The World Tour sponsors play a key role in making the festival and tour possible through their financial and prize support, so they are always acknowledged as part of our program. Some filmmakers and athletes receive independent support from their own sponsors, and recognition of these sponsors may be included in the films that they enter in the festival. This is most common in action sports films.

General

What is The Banff Centre?

The Banff Centre is Canada’s creative leader in arts and culture. Our mission is Inspiring Creativity. In our powerful mountain setting in the heart of Canada’s Banff National Park, exceptional artists and leaders from around the world create and perform new works of art, share skills and knowledge in an interdisciplinary environment, explore ideas, and develop solutions in the arts, leadership, and the environment.

How do I enter the “Win a Trip” contest that I heard about at the tour screening?

Here are the details for the on-line contest.

How can I find out more about the great music and inspiring images in the video that starts each screening?

The music was composed by Jacques Blackstone. He was commissioned in the late 90s by The Banff Centre to write a theme for the festival. Jacques brilliantly composed this piece that has moved people worldwide. Please visit his website for a list of accomplishments, credits, albums, and contact information. The “voice” for the intro is provided by Richard Armstrong, a New York-based teacher and performer who conducts International Voice Workshops at the Banff Centre. The film clips come from the films that are entered in each year’s festival. View a list of films that were used in the video.