The Backcountry Film Festival is returning to Brewvies Cinema Pub, and ski-touring specific films will once again be screened for all us freeheelers and lift shunners. This year it happens on January 24th.
This year marks the 8th Annual Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival, and promises to be a celebration of the winter spirit as told through the seven films scheduled to be screened. Films include award winning flicks of the year, including:
“Skiing the Void” from Sweetgrass Productions – The ninth installment of their On The Road With Solitaire series, the Sweetgrass crew gets heavy contemplating the price of pushing too far. In probably the most elegant of the episodes to date, a badass group of ski mountaineers try for a “theoretical” line that’s a decade in the making. a reflection on taking chances during their two-year odyssey in the Andes.
“Further” by Teton Gravity Research – This is a festival cut of the film that brings the return of Jeremy Jones and friends to push the limits of their mountain experience under their own power.
Alaska Wilderness Ski Classic” – winner of the Hans Sari Scholarship and winner of this year’s Best Grassroots Film, Luc Mehl chronicles an epic trip across the wild.
“A Story of Trust” – a call for climate recovery from a nine-year-old activist and the winner of this year’s Best Environmental Film.
“Denali Experiment” – a look at a different type of expedition film from Camp4Collective.
“Freedom Chair” – an athlete’s journey back to the slopes and his love of winter, from Switchback Entertainment.
“Unicorn Sashimi” – highlights the amazing winter snowscapes of Japan, from Felt Soul Media.
Along with the films, there will be a raffle, all the booze and beer available at Brewvies, and tons of stoke. According to the film festival organizers, the movies come from renowned filmmakers who search backcountry corners across the globe to submit their best work, and from grassroots filmmakers who take a video camera out on their weekend excursions and submit their best film short. The entries are juried by a panel of judges and the top selections are assembled into a 90 minute program.
The festival was created eight years ago to highlight Winter Wildlands Alliance’s efforts to preserve and promote winter landscapes for human-powered users. From a single showing in Boise that first year, the festival has grown to include showings in locations throughout the United States, Canada and overseas to Antarctica, Europe, Australia and Asia. Funds raised stay in local communities to support like-minded, human-powered recreation efforts and to raise awareness of winter management issues, avalanche training/safety and winter education programs.
The raffle starts at 7pm, and films will start at 7:30. For more information on the Backcountry Film Festival and the tour, visit www.backcountryfilmfestival.org