Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival schedule announced and tickets on sale August 10

The 48th Annual Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival is thrilled to announce the 2023 Festival schedule. The nine-day Festival will be held from October 28 through to November 5 and will feature over 80 epic films (including World and North American premieres), live in-person events with adventurers, authors, photographers, and filmmakers sharing their inspiring stories, an expanded Festival Marketplace (including the new Rab stage hosting free presentations), happy hours with music, campfire conversations with special guests, downtown events and exhibitions, and much more!  

The Festival schedule is now available to view online and tickets go on sale Thursday, August 10 at 1 PM MT (tickets from $18 - $38, and $75 for all-day films). Tickets can be purchased online or at Banff Centre Box Office. Film finalists will be announced October 4.

Festival highlights:

October 28: Sonnie Trotter, Ashima Shiraishi – and Films
Join us for opening night with two of the world’s most prolific climbers. Celebrated Canadian climber Sonnie Trotter needs no introduction for the Banff audience. His list of accomplishments encompasses all styles of climbing, from deep water soloing to big walls. Ashima Shiraishi gained her reputation as a childhood climbing prodigy, and has reached the incomprehensible bouldering grade of V15. Both climbers join us for a conversation about family, life, and of course, climbing. The Summit of Excellence Award will be presented at the beginning of this program and the speaker presentation is followed by films in competition.

November 2: Leo Houlding, Book Awards – and Films
Britain’s Leo Houlding cemented his reputation as a remarkable climber when he free climbed El Capitan in Yosemite at the age of 18. He has since gone on to summit the world’s toughest peaks and explore the most extreme places on our planet. His new book Closer to the Edge takes us on a whirlwind journey from Venezuela to Antarctica to Baffin Island and back to the Lake District in the UK to meet his young family. This program begins with a presentation of the 2023 Banff Mountain Book awards and the speaker presentation is followed by films in competition.

November 3: Voices of Adventure – Mingma G Sherpa
Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, aka “Mingma G”, began climbing at the age of 20 and became a prominent member of the international mountaineering community after his successful solo ascent of Chobuche, K2 in winter and the opening of the new summit route to the actual top of Manaslu. He has climbed thirteen of the fourteen 8000-metre peaks without supplemental oxygen and if he succeeds on Shishapangma, he will be the first Nepali to do so. Mingma G joins us in Banff for the first time where he will sit down in conversation with local climber and author Geoff Powter.

November 3: Jeremy Jones – and Films
Jeremy Jones is an award-winning snowboarder and the founder of Protect Our Winters, a global non-profit that unites passionate outdoor people to protect the places they love from climate change. The recipient of eleven “Big Mountain Rider of the Year” awards from Snowboarder Magazine, Jones has starred in dozens of snowboard films including his highly acclaimed trilogy, Deeper, Further, and Higher. Jones joins us on stage to talk about his new book The Art of Shralpinism: Lessons from the Mountains. The Photo Essay Award will be presented at the beginning of this program and the speaker presentation is followed by films in competition.

November 4: Jess Kimura – and Films
Jess Kimura has earned practically every accolade in her genre of snowboarding. She’s a renegade who has changed the game for women while challenging the men to keep up, and whose legacy extends far beyond her accomplishments on snow. One of the biggest advocates for representation in the sport, Jess has been an outspoken voice, working tirelessly to create platforms that empower other female riders. Her tenacity, resilience, and willingness to open up about her struggles have reshaped the landscape of what it means to be a pro athlete. This speaker presentation is followed by films in competition.

Don't miss our popular daytime book events, featuring authors, photographers, and explorers from around the world, including Kate Rawles (UK), Maria Coffey (CAN); David Smart (CAN), Graham Zimmerman (USA),  Jeff Smoot (USA), Sid Marty (CAN), Helen Mort (UK), and Alex Buisse (FRA).

Returning in 2023 – online films! Early Bird Online Film Pass (available in CAN/USA only) on sale October 5 - 16.

Please visit banffcentre.ca/film-fest for more information.

If you’d like to provide media coverage of the 2023 Festival, please submit a media accreditation application form (submissions open until October 1). 

For more information or image requests, please contact:

Jess Elliott
Media and Communications
Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival
107 Tunnel Mountain Drive
Banff, Alberta
T1L 1H5 
jess_elliott@banffcentre.ca

About Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival: Created 48 years ago, Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival has become the premier event of its kind in the world. The nine-day Festival hosted by Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Banff, Canada, showcases the world’s best films, books and photographs on mountain subjects – climbing, culture, environment and natural history, exploration and adventure, wildlife, and sport – and attracts the biggest names in mountaineering, adventure filmmaking, and explorers as presenters and speakers. An international jury will also award over $40,000 in prizes for films and books submitted to this year’s Festival competitions. banffmountainfestival.ca

Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival Partners: The 2023 Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival Presenting Partners are: Banff and Lake Louise Tourism and Rab. The Festival is also sponsored by BUFF®, Yeti, Oboz Footwear, Lowe Alpine, Lake Louise Ski Resort and Summer Gondola, Kicking Horse Coffee, World Expeditions, Happy Yak, Doña Paula, and KORE Outdoors.

About Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity: Founded in 1933, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is a learning organization built upon an extraordinary legacy of excellence in artistic and creative development. What started as a single course in drama has grown to become the global organization leading in arts, culture, and creativity across dozens of disciplines. From our home on Treaty 7 territory in the stunning Canadian Rocky Mountains, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity aims to inspire everyone who attends our campus – artists, leaders, and thinkers – to unleash their creative potential and realize their unique contribution to society through cross-disciplinary learning opportunities, world-class performances, and public outreach. banffcentre.ca