There's a dopamine rush an athlete gets while participating in an extreme sport that equals no other. Whether it’s the high-risk adventure of rafting down fast-moving waters, climbing a vertical mountain or skydiving from unimaginable heights, the thrill is unbelievable.
While adrenalin junkies who have no fear of putting their lives at risk, most of us are armchair adventurers content to watch these jaw-dropping feats from the sidelines.
To satiate our appetites for danger and some of the world’s most beautiful scenery, the Arden Theatre brings back The Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour on Tuesday, Oct. 1.
Below is a capsule of the documentary shorts included in the 2024 touring film.
Fuego
Cyclist Kilian Bron initially created Fuego as a one-hour immersive documentary that is a two-month long bicycle trip from Guatemala to Peru. It follows the footsteps of the Incas and the Mayans and captures the innate character of each country. But the one hour has been edited into a breath-taking, fast-paced seven-minute action film that speeds around the tops of erupting volcanoes and steep mountains.
The Best Skier You’ve Never Heard Of
In this eight-minute Swedish film, Adren Grabinski needs a change. After a successful ski racing career on the Alberta team and then the Canadian National Team, he travels further west. Grabinski discovers his true calling at Shames Mountain, a remote little co-op non-profit ski area near Terrace, B.C. The massive mountains, the powdery snow and big lines capture his attention. But it’s the local ski community that wins his heart.
One Degree #Peru
Daredevil kite surfers Armelle Courtrois and Martin Thomas search for the highest glacial lakes over 5,000 metres above sea level in an attempt to break the altitude record. But in the attempt they set a new goal — to raise awareness about melting glaciers and inspire change.
Subterranean
For adventurous thrill-seekers, Subterranean is a Canadian film that is hard to beat. It combines climbing, diving and overcoming claustrophobia. Two gritty teams, one in the Bisaro Anima cave in the Rocky Mountains and another on Vancouver Island, are hell-bent on discovering uncharted territory in multi-day underground explorations.
Mustaf Ceylan
Goodbye football pitch; hello, snow park. In this 22-minute Swiss film, a young Turkish immigrant was destined to be a football player. But at 15, he discovered skiing. He learned to ski, honed his freestyle tricks and today is a frequent freestyler who works at a ski shop and makes ski films.
Driving Sweep
Few river guides get the chance to drive Idaho’s iconic “sweep boat." The oar-rigged boat doesn't propel the body through water. Instead it turns the boat from side-to-side, changing its angle to avoid obstacles. In the 10-minute Driving Sweep, Katie Veteto learns to “sweep” down the middle fork of the Salmon River piloting a 4,000-pound sweep down steep, rocky rapids.
Range Rider
Range rider Daniel Curry’s job is to patrol wild areas on horseback in Washington State. But wolves are repopulating the area and his job is to create a buffer between wolves in the wilderness trying to stay alive and cattle herds grazing on public land. As illegal poaching and state sponsored kills take a toll, Curry’s job keeping a balance between ranchers and wolves heightens.
Two Point Four
Leo Houlding and his wife Jess are not your typical couple. For a fun family holiday, the duo take their two children Freya, 9, and Jackson, 5, to climb Norway’s national mountain, scaling a 2,000-foot-high wall face.
The film plays Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at 5 St. Anne Street. Tickets are $25 to $30 Visit tickets.stalbert.ca or call 780-459-1542.
