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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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Film lineup announced for Banff Film Fest World Tour in Spokane

ADVENTURE -- The lineup of films for the three-day run of the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour in Spokane has been decided -- just hours before the first films will be shown tonight starting at 7 p.m. at The Bing Crosby Theater.

Friday and Saturday night snows are sold out.  Only a few tickets remained for Sunday at last check.

See the always exciting World Tour trailer above.

Note: The new owners of The Bing introduced a bar for beer and wine just before last year's festival showing, and this year they're offering a wine bar up a spiral staircase near the balcony level.  Also, this year's film screenings will be presented with the new state of the art projector and larger screen that debuted last year, plus the enhanced sound system that was installed since then. 

World Tour host -- better known as the World Tour road warrior -- Michelle de Camp met with Phil Bridgers of Mountain Gear met this afternoon at Soulful Soups to work through the options.  Several films Bridgers wanted to show after attening the festival in Bann two weeks ago still were not licensed.

But they came up with a good lineup of shows for each night with everything from High Tension and the Grand Prize winning North of the Sun to NAKED SKIING in the Valhalla's of British Columbia! 

De Camp will log 60 hours of driving and 4,000 kilometers of travel from from today through mid December to show the World tour around the region. Then the tour will continue around the world in 2014.

Read on for the lineup in Spokane:

FRIDAY

  • Into the Mind --  Fabulous imagery and outstanding cinematography blur the lines between dream-state and reality to immerse us in the mind of a common skier as he attempts to climb and ski the ultimate mountain. The consequences are extreme. Here, outcome is determined by grand experience as the story draws us in deeper – and as the boundary between reality and imagination disappears. 
  • Keeper of the Mountains -- Elizabeth Hawley bucked the conventions of her time by settling alone in Kathmandu in 1960, where she began chronicling Himalayan expeditions for The Himalayan Database. Even as she turns 90, she continues to update these records with rigorous accuracy and dedication.   
  • Heaven's Gate -- A group of wingsuit pilots gather at Tianmen Mountain in China, the birthplace of the dream of human flight, to attempt an intimidating feat – flying through the sacred site known as Heaven’s Gate, an archway carved out of the mountain. As Jeb Corliss drops from a helicopter and soars toward the opening, nearly a half-billion people hold their breath.     
  • The Questions We Ask -- Bruce Kirkby crosses the Pacific from Vancouver to Victoria on a stand-up paddleboard, and ponders what adventure means to him.
  • The Last Great Climb -- Are rock stars Leo Houlding, Sean “Stanley” Leary, and Jason Pickles up to their old tricks again? Maybe so, but they’ve brought along a few new friends and hopes of a bold new line on a remote spire in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. They’re going big again – the majestic unclimbed Ulvetanna Peak is their goal this time. But they’re in the middle of nowhere, miserably cold, a bit delirious. Hopefully it’s nothing a little adrenaline can’t cure. 
  • Sensory Overload -- Blind kayaker Erik Weihenmayer turns whitewater into a new form of braille.  
  • NotBad -- Seven brave riders set out from the four corners of the globe for 30 days of outrageous fun and bicycle tomfoolery in New Zealand. 
  • Valhalla -- The sweetest adventure from Sweetgrass Productions yet! Searching for the heat of a fire still burning in the lands of deep snow, one man rediscovers the freedom of his youth among a unique community of outcasts dwelling on the fringe. In exquisite cinematography bursting with mind-blowing colour, characters blend with a dollop of soulful nostalgia to create a vivid explosion. Valhalla is nirvana. Ski naked!

SATURDAY

  • Cascada -- Paddler and cinematographer alike find perfection in a world beyond the unexpected.
  • Stand -- With a pipeline proposal always comes talk of what will be gained – but shouldn’t we be asking, ‘What do we stand to lose?’ A hauntingly beautiful examination of the people and culture of the Great Bear Rainforest– and the lives of those committed to defending its fragile ecosystems and fjords, one paddle stroke at a time.   
  • North of the Sun -- Tucked between the cold Atlantic Ocean and the rocky slopes of a remote, arctic island, two young Norwegian adventurers discover their own private playground. They build themselves a cabin out of flotsam while clearing the beach of debris, then spend the long winter skiing and surfing in the haunting low light. This was the Grand Prize winner and got the People's Choice Award at the recent festival in Banff.   
  • Poor Man's Heli -- A group of skiers launch themselves across the valley via paragliders to the beckoning and remote slopes of France’s Belldonne Mountains.
  • Push It -- Want to see what it takes to get a job done with unique style and grace – and friendship intact? Let these two women show you as they attempt their first big wall climb ever –  El Capitan in Yosemite. Though yearning for greater confidence, they are inspiring from start to finish. You go! We’re behind you all the way!  
  • Kayak-Free Kayaking -- Have fun with this one.
  • Sea of Rock -- A bicycle found lodged on a climbing route in the Austrian Alps inspires two expert riders to follow in the treads of the early cyclists, down the über-gnarly slopes of the Sea of Rock. 
  • 35 -- 35 routes in one day to celebrate 35 years of life? Take the birthday challenge!  

SUNDAY 

  • Split of a Second -- 99.9% of time is spent in preparation for living a few moments of joy. The other .1% is to only be here now, and step off that cliff! 
  • Sufferfest -- Alex Honnold and Cedar Wright embark on a wholly human-powered adventure to link all of California’s 14,000 foot peaks. Utterly new to biking, the quirky yet endearing duo push themselves to their absolute limits in pursuit of success. 
  • Return of Tepuis -- A wee pebble toad living in the crevices of the Tepuis of South America is the missing link to understanding the age of the species as well as the age of the Tepuis themselves.   
  • Flow: The Elements of Free Ride -- Delight in the flowing symbiosis of freeriding. 
  • High Tension -- Flying fists, obscenities, and death threats at 23,000 feet? Is this the new Everest reality? This film takes a closer look at the 2013 incident at Camp II that made international headlines and had climbers Ueli Steck, Simone Moro, and Jonathan Griffith running for their lives.     
  • The Burn -- Fire frees new lines for skiers, who revel in the newly-charred forest. 
  • The Last Ice Merchant -- When Baltazar Ushca dies, the long-lived tradition of harvesting glacial ice from the tallest mountain in Ecuador will die with him. Every action is tenderly portrayed as Baltazar steadfastly wraps his bounty in hay and loads it on his donkey for delivery to his loyal customers.   
  • I Am Red -- A visual poem of the Colorado River delivers a simple yet powerful message. 
  • Spice Girl -- The UK climbing scene is known for its strict traditional ethic, unyielding super sketchy, dangerous routes, and a competitive machismo.  It’s the last place you’d expect to find a nice little blond girl putting all the lads to shame, but Hazel Findlay is doing just that. The first woman to climb the British grade of E9, Hazel is a connoisseur of loose rock, dodgy gear, and big runouts. 
  •  Valhalla -- The sweetest adventure from Sweetgrass Productions yet! Searching for the heat of a fire still burning in the lands of deep snow, one man rediscovers the freedom of his youth among a unique community of outcasts dwelling on the fringe. In exquisite cinematography bursting with mind-blowing colour, characters blend with a dollop of soulful nostalgia to create a vivid explosion. Valhalla is nirvana. Ski naked!


Rich Landers
Rich Landers joined The Spokesman-Review in 1977. He is the Outdoors editor for the Sports Department writing and photographing stories about hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, conservation, nature and wildlife and related topics.

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