Trailhead Story Hub

When Joanna Croston, Director of Mountain Culture at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity first visited the Festival in 1997, she never would have predicted the course her life would take. 
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Our Festival staff have given some of their personal picks for what events they are most looking forward to during the 50th Anniversary of the Festival in Banff from November 1-9.
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Find out more about the story behind the stunning photo taken by local photographer Paul Zizka of two climbers under a starry sky which is used to represent both the Festival and World Tour. You'll see throughout the Festival on screen and on banners at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.
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Read more about "the voice" behind the Film Festival trailer! Here's an earlier article we posted a few years ago about Richard Armstrong, featured in the video above. 
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The Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival is built on the power of storytelling - sharing moments of resilience, failure, pain, and celebration which connect us as human beings and remind us of our collective human experiences. When an author or filmmaker shares their unique perspective through their work, they open a dialogue that unites us all, highlighting commonality amid diverse experiences.

I invite you to immerse yourself in the stories that this year’s Festival and World Tour has to offer. From tales of adventure and triumph, to connecting with rich mountain cultures, to coming together in fellowship of the families we are born with and the families we chose, there’s something for everyone. 

We hope these stories on the big screen inspire you, spark your imagination, and deepen your appreciation for the beauty and complexity of mountain culture. As we embark on upcoming Festival and World Tour adventures together, I would like to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has made this event possible—from our dedicated staff and partners to our generous sponsors, volunteers, and talented authors and filmmakers. This celebration of storytelling owes its success to the passion and commitment of each one of you. 

In celebrating this extraordinary collection of stories, it’s an opportunity to carry the lessons and inspirations from these films and books into our own lives. As Festival Director, my hope is that the transformative power of storytelling leaves a lasting impact on each of you, forging deeper connections and fostering a greater understanding of the world around us. Thank you for being part of this remarkable journey we've had so far  –  and we look forward to seeing you in person again soon as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Festival in Banff from November 1-9, 2025! 

Joanna Croston, Director – Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival & World Tour

Before August 14th, 2024, no one had ever seen the entire Karakoram range from the top of Laknak Kangri. Until Divyesh Muni, experienced mountaineer and Indian Tour Host for the Banff Mountain Film Festival, led a team to summit peak 6496 in the Karakoram. 

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In 2022, National Geographic Explorer and ice core scientist Alison Criscitiello led a team of international scientists on a daring expedition to climb Mount Logan – a long and arduous ascent which 50% of climbers don’t complete. The team braved -20 to -40 C temperatures, strong winds, complex icefalls, and intense snowfall to reach the summit plateau and successfully extract an ice core from the mountain.

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For some countries, given political and other circumstances, hosting an event like the Banff Mountain Film World Tour is extra complicated.

This year, we wanted to recognize some of our tour hosts who bring these stories of resilience and passion to their communities, reminding us of the power of story, adventure, nature, and connection.

Read the full article and interview.

Whether it’s a challenging trail in the mountains, or running a nine-day film festival, we know better than anyone that working hard means big rewards. So after your next long day of hiking, biking, skiing or snowshoeing – here’s how to unwind like the Banff Centre Festival Team!

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Thanks to the growing access to an indoor climbing wall, the plastic holds have found their way into the heart of the mainstream. This year’s Olympic bouldering and speed climbing competitions have seen a full 6 k audience, and that could be easily doubled.

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Canada Vertical premiered at the 2023 Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, showcasing an epic adventure where the team skied, canoed, and cycled across longest north-south crossing of Canada. Catching up with Nicolas (writer, producer, co-director) felt like picking up right where we left off—the team back in Quebec, regrouping after their big quest and looking ahead to new adventures.

Read the full article here.

After travelling around the world to promote award-winning film Subterranean, director François-Xavier De Ruydts shifted his focus from cinematic landscapes to the vibrant, calm life on his farm in Belgium.

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Cody Lefthand grew up with a “camera glued to [his] hand.” He made short films with his friends when younger, eventually joining the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers. His first feature-length documentary, Stories we Have Earned: The Stoney Nakoda Film Project, tells the story of the intersection between film history in Banff and Nakoda heritage and how these films have shaped perceptions of Stoney Nakoda culture.

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Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity Marketing Officer Nicky Lynch caught up with mountain and adventure photographer Alex from his new home in Nova Scotia (now as a family of four) to find out more about his journey to Canada and what adventures lie ahead.

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Andrea Wing, known as the Mountain Fest director for Leo & Chester (2022) and The Pass (2023), merged her passion for marketing and filmmaking to create her own journey. She has spent the last fifteen years working on commercial content and award-winning documentaries, and she has no plans to stop anytime soon.

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"When the petro-city of Fort McMurray was overrun by fire on an unseasonably hot May afternoon in 2016, it was clear from the fire’s intensity, and its subsequent behavior, that we were turning a corner in our relationship to fire - not just regionally, but climatically and planetarily. Fire Weather is an attempt to explore the causes and effects of this phenomenon, which I term 21st Century Fire." - John Vaillant

Read the first chapter of Fire Weather.

"The inspiration for “Alpine Rising” came while doing research for my last book, “Winter 8000”, which is about climbing 8000-metre peaks in winter. A niche activity, to be sure. I was interviewing elite high-altitude climbers, trying to understand their attraction to the unique ‘art of suffering’ that best describes climbing above 8000 metres in the coldest season. One of the most impressive was Pakistani climber, Ali Sadpara. Despite growing up in extremely modest circumstances in the village of Sadpara, and having had no formal training in mountaineering, Ali was one of the world’s leading high-altitude winter specialists." - Bernadette McDonald

Read the excerpt from Alpine Rising.