When I first visited the Festival in 1997 I could never have predicted the course my life would take. I had just finished a three-month intensive mountaineering course and had heard that Lynn Hill would be attending the Festival to sit on the film jury. It was a dream come true. The story of her free climb of The Nose on El Cap was the inspiration that would lead me to a life immersed in mountains. Like many of our Festival-goers, my first visit was transformational and I knew I was hooked for life.
When I was hired onto the Festival team in 2007, I found my dream job-and now 18 years later as Director of Mountain Culture at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, it's up to me to ensure that the energy and inspiration are never lost so
that the legacy lives on.
After 50 years, the Festival continues to be one of the most significant events of the year for the mountaineering community in North America. Since its inception in 1976, the Festival has hosted hundreds of the world’s top adventurers and climbers. Legends like Sir Edmund Hillary, Dr. Tom Hornbein, Fred Beckey, Apa Sherpa, Catherine Destivelle, Alison Hargreaves, and Junko Tabei have all graced the Banff stage. Prominent authors like Wade Davis, Peter Matthiessen, Kate Harris, John Vaillant, Terry Tempest Williams, and many others have shared their stories in our Book Festival—whomever thinks that the Festival is only about films likely hasn’t ever attended our in-person Festival in Banff. The printed word is alive and well and book events prove to be one of the most memorable aspects of the Festival.
We are the storytelling experts and, I can tell you, that tradition continues for the first week of November every year. There have been stories shared on the big screen: of being first (Free Climbing the Nose 1997, Everest Unmasked – the First Ascent Without Oxygen 1980), being the last (The Last Honey Hunter 2017, The Last Observers 2024), the tragic loss of partners (Death on Nanga Parbat 2007, Learning to Drown 2021), audacious rescues (Nordwand 2009, The Rescue 2021), and close calls (Escape from Tibet 1995, Berserk in the Antarctic 2001, Solo 2009).
We have met people who have: survived avalanches (Cold, 2011), got there the fastest (Ueli Steck: The Swiss Machine 2010, A Fine Line 2013, K2: Chasing Shadows 2025), climbed the lightest (The Wall of Shadows 2020, A Gift From Kei Taniguchi 2024), paddled blind (The Weight of Water, 2018) and those who had to cut the rope (Touching the Void 2003). We have met characters who have committed their lives to: saving mountain landscapes (Shepherdess of the Glaciers 2016, Wild Life 2023), sharing Indigenous knowledge (Keepers of the Land, 2023, KONELĪNE: Our Land Beautiful 2016), and those who have reimagined what it means to be human (Becoming Who I Was, 2017).
We have discovered animal realms (He Dances for His Cormorants 1994, Mountain Gorilla: A Shattered Kingdom 1996, Nuisance Bear 2022), met hermits (Charles, Edouard ou le Temps Suspendu 2005, Into the Wild 2007), and seen creativity at its best on screen (Lawren Harris – Journey Toward the Light 1988, All.I.Can 2011, Petit Bus Rouge 2014). We have screened 2419 films in 49 years, that’s 82,681 minutes! This year we will add 87 more films and 2,940 minutes to the total.
We are the leaders in Mountain Culture and our awards remain the most prestigious and sought after on the planet. A Grand Prize in Banff is a life goal realized for any filmmaker or author. Many of the award-winning films that premiere in Banff are scooped up by other festivals who know that a Banff winner is a top-notch crowd-pleaser. Becoming a filmmaker with our official selection laurels under your belt means others will pay attention, and maybe one day you’ll win an Oscar just like Festival alumnus Jimmy Chin did for Free Solo in 2018.
When you attend the Festival as a fan, filmmaker, author, athlete, or artist, a door opens. This door leads to amazing things. It leads to realizing self-potential and takes you on a journey which shows you just how resilient you can be. The wonderment and inspiration of storytelling is in our framework as humans, and we all want to be part of it. Go ahead, step through that door and see where life takes you. I guarantee you’ll never look back.
By Joanna Croston, Director of Mountain Culture at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
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Located in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival is a globally recognized event and tour celebrating the beauty, adventure, and culture of mountains globally.
We are celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Festival in Banff from November 1 – 9, 2025.The nine-day festival showcases live events with adventurers, authors, photographers, and filmmakers sharing their inspiring stories.
Online films are also available to watch throughout the year on Banff on Demand.
To find out more about the Festival, World Tour, and related programs, please visit banffcentre.ca/banffmountainfestival.
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