Are you looking for a night of adventure?
The Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival will be making its first ever stop in Collingwood on Sept. 26, bringing films from around the world to the Historic Gayety Theatre for outdoor adventure seekers and admirers.
Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival is the largest mountain festival in the world. Started in Banff, Alta., in 1976, the festival started touring internationally in 1986. This year will mark the first time the tour will be making a stop in Collingwood.
“The films are quite inspiring. There have been people (who have watched them) and said, ‘Forget it, I’m quitting my job and going climbing for the rest of my life,’ said Charla Tomlinson, local tour host for the festival.
“Until you’ve actually experienced it, it’s kind of hard to sum up,” she said. “The films are full of passion from around the world.”
Traveling to exotic landscapes and remote cultures, and bringing audiences up-close and personal with adrenaline-packed action sports, the 2018-19 World Tour is an exhilarating and provocative exploration of the mountain world.
Stops are planned in approximately 550 communities and more than 40 countries.
“I’m familiar with the world tour because I live part of the year in Banff and part in Collingwood,” said Tomlinson. “The two towns are actually quite similar in terms of size, demographic and mountain activities.”
“Specifically, the thing that inspired it was that Collingwood is the sister city of Boone, N.C. Boone is one of the most popular locations on the world tour,” she added.
Approximately 400 films were entered into the annual festival. The three-hour Collingwood stop will show nine films of varying lengths.
“The films range in length, and in subject matter,” said Tomlinson. “They have to have a mountain connection. They’re usually true stories, and inspiring stories.”
Brotherhood of Skiing and This Mountain Life are two of the nine films chosen to be shown in Collingwood. For a complete list of films showing world-wide, click here.
Tomlinson said 100 tickets have already been sold for the Collingwood stop, so she advises interested parties to not wait to snap up their tickets. There will also be a prize draw for all attendees, with prizes provided by sponsors such as Yeti.
The festival takes place at The Historic Gayety Theatre on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $28 to $33. For tickets and information call 1-888-353-3203.
