Cambridgeshire isn't known for its rugged, mountainous terrain or icy wastelands.
However, adrenaline junkies can get their adventure fix at a touring film festival coming to Cambridge this month.
Basecamp, Denali National Park, Alaska. (Image: © 2012 Christian Pondella ALL RIGHTS GRANTED)
Adventure inspiration for 2022 will be plentiful at The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, which will be bringing brand-new, high-adrenaline footage to the Corn Exchange on Thursday, February 17.
The Banff Mountain Film Festival features the world’s best adventure films, telling stories of extreme expeditions, into the wildest corners of the planet.
Audiences can expect inspirational characters, remote scenery, and spectacular cinematography – all up on the big screen without having to leave the country.
“We are so excited to be sharing these awe-inspiring new films with audiences around the UK and Ireland – up on the big screen,” said tour director Nell Teasdale.
“As well as adrenaline-packed stories from the world’s best adventure filmmakers, Banff events are a celebration of the great outdoors with a vibrant atmosphere – and we guarantee audiences will leave inspired to have an adventure of their own too.”
There are two different short film programmes to choose from on the Banff UK and Ireland theatre tour, with this month's Cambridge date screening the 'Red' movies.
The festival is set to return to the Corn Exchange on May 28 when the 'Blue' films will be shown.
A still from the film West Highland Way. (Image: Supplied by The Banff Mountain Film Festival)
The 'Red' programme features West Highland Way.
Stretching from Scotland’s largest city to the iconic highland town of Fort William, the 95-mile West Highland Way is a long-distance path loved by walkers.
It’s also the subject of fierce competition between elite mountain bikers, all vying to set a fastest known time record on the challenging route.
Enter former pro rider Rab Wardell, who will need all of his bike handling skills and endurance to make history in his beloved homeland.
Action Directe. (Image: Fabian Buhl)
Another highlight is Reel Rock - Action Directe in which French climber and powerhouse Melissa Le Nevé spends seven years battling insane moves, inner doubt and the burden of history to become the first woman to climb the most revered sport route on earth.
French climber Melissa Le Nevé in film Action Directe (Image: Fabian Buhl)
Meanwhile, A Foreign Native follows big mountain freerider Fabian Lentsch as he leaves his familiar world behind to explore the peaks and culture of Iran.
It’s a magical place to score incredible snow and experience a different way of life, but his year-long trip takes an unexpected twist in 2020, when military tension ramps up and Covid hits.
A Foreign Native is among the films featured in The Banff Mountain Film Festival (Image: Florian Breitenberger)
Among the 'Blue' programme films is Exit the North Pole.
In 24-hour darkness, and with temperatures down to minus 40 degrees, polar explorers Børge Ousland and Mike Horn attempt the unimaginable: a 1,500km ski expedition across the frozen Arctic Ocean, via the North Pole.
A clip from the film Exit the North Pole. (Image: Supplied by The Banff Mountain Film Festival)
With drifting ice and the threat of polar bears, this gruelling journey has been described as the boldest polar expedition of modern times.
Footage from the film Exit the North Pole. (Image: Supplied by The Banff Mountain Film Festival)
As well as thrilling films, each event features a free prize draw for outdoorsy goodies from the tour’s partners.
Banff tour films are chosen from hundreds of entries into the Banff Mountain Film Festival, which is held every November in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
For more information, see www.banff-uk.com for more.
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