Login / RegisterVancouver International Mountain Film Festival opens tonight with legendary climber and three film premieres
Tonight (February 10) is the opening night of the 15th edition of the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, which features 51 films from 10 countries at three locations in and around Vancouver from February 10 to 18.
Starting at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) at North Vancouver’s Centennial Theatre, adventure hounds will be regaled with the personal appearance of a legendary climber, the opening of the festival’s photo-competition exhibition and awards, and the world premieres of three films: two shorts and a stunning mid-length climbing documentary.
U.S climber John Harlin III will host a presentation titled “Swiss Borders Adventure”, about his 1,200-mile circumnavigation of the national borders of the country of his childhood: Switzerland.
After a climbing accident resulted in two broken feet early in his journey, Harlin healed up and continued his three month task, which involved paddling and cycling through the north of the country and climbing and descending more than a million vertical feet in the Swiss Alps.
World premieres of the short films The Denali Experiment and Linea Continua follow Harlin’s presentation.
The Denali Experiment features freeride skier Sage Cattabriga-Alosa and mountain snowboarder Lucas Debari as they try to climb, snowboard, and ski the highest peak in North America: Alaska’s Mt. Denali.
Linea Continua profiles the amazing Barmasse family, which for four generations has climbed, explored, and guided on the Matterhorn. The film documents a multigeneration attempt to climb a legendary 1,200-metre couloir on the south face of the iconic peak.
Finally, Moonflower is a 45-minute thrill ride that chronicles the first-ever ascent of one of the world’s biggest alpine faces, Mount Hunter’s north, to make a new line.
British alpinists Jon Bracey and Matt Helliker follow through on the Alaskan vision of their late friend and climber Jules Cartwright as they daringly film their dogged climb themselves, putting the viewer on the mountain with them during their gruelling ascent.
Tickets for the evening are $20 at the door. For complete information on the festival’s film lineup, programs, guest speakers, and special events, go to www.vimmf.org/vimff/.
