November 7, 2001

The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour kicks off a year-long journey today that will take the world’s best mountain films and videos to 27 countries.

The 26^th annual festival in Banff concluded on November 4 with the announcement of the festival awards. Today festival staff hit the road to begin the North American portion of the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour. The festival will visit over 175 locations across Canada and the United States, stretching from Vancouver, BC to New York, NY, and from Yellowknife, NWT to Boone, NC..

Internationally the 2001/2002 World Tour will visit every continent, including Antarctica. Screenings will be held in the chill of an Iceland autumn and the sweat of an African sunset. An extensive European tour includes stops in twelve countries. This year, for the first time, the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour will include stops in India, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Peru.

A complete list of locations can be found at www.banffmountainfestivals.ca by clicking on the World Tour link.

Several of the 2001 festival award-winning films will be featured on this year’s World Tour including:

• Best Film on Climbing — Desert Friction (South Africa)

• Best Film on Mountain Culture — Mustang (Slovakia)

• Best Film on Mountain Sports — Jump! (U.S.A.)

• Best Film on Mountain Environment — Wild Asia: At the Edge (New Zealand)

• Special Jury Award: Mountain Men — The Ghosts of K2 (U.K.)

• People’s Choice Award — Berserk in the Antarctic (Denmark)

The Banff Mountain Film Festival is an international competition featuring the world's best films and videos on mountain subjects. The annual event, organized by Mountain Culture at The Banff Centre, also features world-renowned guest speakers, seminars on current mountain issues, an adventure trade fair, mountain art and craft sale, and a climbing wall.