October 22, 2001

The challenge of mountain adventures, the strength of mountain peoples, and the inspiration of mountain landscapes highlight the finalists in this year’s Banff Mountain Film Festival. From the 250 films representing 27 countries entered in the 2001 competition, 39 finalists will be screened at the festival in Banff. The Banff Mountain Film Festival takes place October 29–November 4.

"The sheer volume of films entered this year was staggering — and the quality matched the volume," says Bernadette McDonald, festival director and Vice-president, Mountain Culture at The Banff Centre. "From historical documentaries on the great adventures of Shackleton and Whymper to the esoteric sports of tower jumping and unicycling, and from the grizzlies of British Columbia to the war torn border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the overall quality of this year's films is higher than at any time in the history of the festival: the cinematography, the writing, the editing, the soundtracks — and, over and over again, the incredibly well told stories!"

An international jury will meet during festival week to select the winners in six categories and to choose a Grand Prize winner. The 2001 jury includes: George Band (U.K.), Gauthier Flauder (France), Antonio Cembran (Italy), Harish Kapadia (India) and Sharon Wood (Canada). The festival audience will vote for the People’s Choice Award. Winners will be announced on Sunday, November 4, at 7:30 p.m.

This year’s finalists are:

ALPINE CLUB OF CANADA AWARD FOR BEST FILM ON CLIMBING, SPONSORED BY THE ALPINE CLUB OF CANADA — FINALISTS

• Beyond Gravity, Directors: Sean White/Aaron Black/Aaron Jackson, Producers: Sean White/Aaron Jackson, Production Company: Black & White Productions (Canada)

• Desert Friction, Director: Nic Good, Producer: Brian Valentine, Production Company: Fresh Air Crew (South Africa)

• La grande cordée, Director: Gilles Chappaz, Production Company: Migoo Productions (France)

• Lo domanderò alla montagna (I Will Ask It to the Mountain), Director: Francesco Paladino, Production Company: Motel Productions (Italy)

• Mountain Men: The Ghosts of K2, Producer: Mick Conefrey, Production Company: BBC/TLC (U.K.)

• Mountain Men: The Misfit and the Matterhorn, Producer: Mick Conefrey, Production Company: BBC/TLC (U.K.)

• Salathé — Blood, Sweat and Bagels, Director: Richard Heap, Producer: Simon Wells (U.K.)

• Stick It, Director: Ben Pritchard, Producer: Richard Heap, Production Company: Slackjaw Productions (U.K.)

• The Last Ascent, Producer: Jonathan Halperin, Production Company: National Geographic Television (U.S.A.)

• Carrying the Burden, Director/Producer: Sangita Manandhar, BBC (U.K.)

• Into the Forbidden Zone, Producers: Richard MacKenzie, Charles Poe, Jody Schiliro, Production Company: National Geographic Television (U.S.A.)

• Great North, Directors: Martin Dignard, Bill Reeves, Producer: Martin Dignard, Production Company: TVA International (Canada)

• In the Light of Reverence, Director/Producer: Christopher McLeod, Production Company: Earth Image Films (U.S.A.)

• Mustang, Director/Producer: Pavol Barabas, Production Company: K2 Studio (Slovakia)

• Salt — Tears of the Earth, Director: Wolfgang Thaler, Producers: Peter Mayer, Werner Fitzhum, Production Company: Adi Mayer Film (Austria)

• Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure, Director: George Butler, Producers: Susanne Simpson, Scott Swofford, George Butler, Production Company: White Mountain Films/NOVA WGBH Boston (U.S.A.)

• Africa Extreme, Producers: Robin Freeman, Michael Fay, Michael Nichols, Production Company: National Geographic Television (U.S.A.)

• Gelada Baboons — The Battles of Braveheart, Director/Producer: Mark Linfield, Green Umbrella Ltd. (U.K.)

• Grizzly – Face to Face, Producers: Jeff Turner, Sue Turner, Patrick Morris, Production Company: BBC/Discovery Channel (U.K.)

• Rafting Alaska’s Wildest Rivers, Director/Producer: Chip Duncan, Production Company: The Duncan Group (U.S.A.)

• Torngats —- The Hidden Mountains, Director: Andrew Manske, Producer: Albert Karvonen, Production Company: Karvonen Films Ltd. (Canada)

• Wild Asia: At the Edge, Producer: Alan D’Arcy Erson, Production Companies: Natural History New Zealand Ltd./NHK/Discovery Channel/NDR Naturfilm Studio Hamburg Fernseh Allianz (New Zealand)

• Yellowstone — America's Sacred Wilderness, Directors/Producers: Hugh Miles, Shane Moore, Production Company: ABC/Kane Productions (U.S.A.)

• 1140, Director/Producer: Randy Waldschmidt, Production Company: Resident Films (U.S.A.)

• BASE Heads, Directors: Steve Winter, Murray Wais, Scott Gaffney, Producer: Matchstick Productions, (U.S.A.)

• Kjerag, Director: Tom Day, Producer: Mike Hatchett, Dave Barlia, Production Company: Standard Films (U.S.A.)

• Lo domanderò alla montagna (I Will Ask It to the Mountain), Director: Francesco Paladino, Producer/Production Company: Motel Productions (Italy)

• Meloncholy Summer, Director: Conor Colwell, Producers: Conor Colwell, Ryan Johnson, Production Company: IDFA Film Systems International (U.S.A.)

• The Last Ascent, Producer: Jonathan Halperin, Production Company: National Geographic Television (U.S.A.)

• Timeless, Director/Producer: Dominique Perret, Production Company: Vertical Zoo, (Switzerland)

• 1140, Director/Producer: Randy Waldschmidt, Production Company: Resident Films (U.S.A.)

• African B.A.S.E., Director: Nic Good, Producer: Brian Valentine, Production Company: Fresh Air Crew (South Africa)

• BASE Heads, Directors: Steve Winter, Murray Wais, Scott Gaffney, Producer: Matchstick Productions, (U.S.A.)

• Berserk in the Antarctic, Director: Kaare Skard, Production Company: TV2 Denmark (Denmark)

• High Velocity, Directors: David McMahon, Lise Meloche, Producer: David McMahon, Production Company: XCZone (Canada)

• Jump!, Directors/Producers: Allen Hill/John Catto, Production Company: Alpenglow Film & Video (U.S.A.)

• Kjerag, Director: Tom Day, Producer: Mike Hatchett, Dave Barlia, Production Company: Standard Films (U.S.A.)

• Meloncholy Summer, Director: Conor Colwell, Producers: Conor Colwell, Ryan Johnson, Production Company: IDFA Film Systems International (U.S.A.)

• Mind the Addiction, Directors: Dirk Collins, Todd Jones, Steve Jones, Producers: Dirk Collins, Todd Jones, Steve Jones, Corey Gavitt, Production Company: Teton Gravity Research (U.S.A.)

• Orange Unplugged, Director: Nic Good, Producer: Brian Valentine, Production Company: Fresh Air Crew (South Africa)

• Timeless, Director/Producer: Dominique Perret, Production Company: Vertical Zoo, (Switzerland)

• Will Gadd — This is Your Life, Directors: Melissa Forman, Pat Morrow, Producer: Melissa Forman, Production Company: Sun Bear Productions (Canada)

• A Time for Drunken Horses, Director/Producer: Bahmar Ghobadi, Production Company: Mongrel Media Inc. (Iran)

• Christmas in the Clouds, Director: Kate Montgomery, Producers: Kate Montgomery, Mitchell Stein, Production Company: Clouds Productions LLC (U.S.A.)

• Songcatcher, Director/Producer: Maggie Greenwald, Production Company: Lions Gate Films (U.S.A.)

• The Cup, Director: Khyentse Norbu, Production Company: Coffee Stain Production Pty. Ltd. (Australia)

The Festival Grand Prize is sponsored by the Leadership Development at The Banff Centre and Eagle Creek Travel Gear. The People’s Choice Award is sponsored by The Hostel Shop, Calgary, Alberta.

The following films will be screened as part of the Monday evening Radical Reels program:

• Disorder II – Fat Tire Fury, Director/Producer: Derek Westerlund, Production Company: Freeride Entertainment (Canada)

• Mind the Addiction [short] Directors: Dirk Collins, Todd Jones, Steve Jones, Producers: Dirk Collins, Todd Jones, Steve Jones, Carey Gavitt, Production Company: Teton Gravity Research (U.S.A.)

• Ski Movie II — High Society, Directors: Steve Winter, Murray Wais, Scott Gaffney, Production Company: Matchstick Productions (U.S.A.)

• Third Degree Burns, Directors: Brad McGregor, Travis Robb, Production Company: Treetop Films (Canada)

• Unizaba, Director: Sean White, Producers: Sean White, Derek Westerlund, Production Company: Freeride Entertainment (Canada)

To order tickets for festival events, contact the Banff Centre Box Office at 403-762-6301 or 1-800-413-8368 or order online at www.banffmountainfestivals.ca