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Highlights from the 2024-25 Banff Mountain Film Festival

• Breckenridge
Title screen for the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, projected on the screen in the Riverwalk Center in Breckenridge, CO

Last weekend I went to both nights of the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, which comes to the Riverwalk Center in Breckenridge every year and benefits the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center’s adaptive sports programs for people with disabilities and special needs.

The first time I saw the festival was in Fernie, probably in 2017, and I was blown away by the stunning cinematography and intense action. Since then, it’s become something of a tradition for me in Breckenridge – a yearly dose of adventure that never disappoints. What keeps me coming back isn’t just the heart-stopping action sequences (though there are plenty), but the full spectrum of outdoor storytelling: humans overcoming immense physical and personal challenges, conservation efforts that give you hope, and stories about diversifying outdoor spaces and activities.

The films are frequently heartwarming, often inspiring, occasionally terrifying, and consistently spark a desire to travel and see more. There’s something powerful about sitting in a packed theater with fellow outdoor enthusiasts, collectively gasping, laughing, and sometimes tearing up at these shared human experiences in wild places.

My favorites from this year’s showing:

  • Dolomites - Kilian Bron’s mountain biking had me white-knuckling my armrest. What made this one special was the behind-the-scenes footage showing just what goes into capturing those impossibly perfect lines.

  • Home from Home - Japanese free skiing through impossibly deep powder. Having just returned from my own Japan trip two weeks ago, this was a nice complement to my experience – refreshing some very recent memories of those incredible snow conditions.

  • Ice Waterfalls - A kayaker’s quest to drop the most pristine ice waterfall imaginable. The cinematography was truly exceptional – capturing moments where water, ice, and light created scenes of breathtaking natural beauty.

If you ever have the chance to catch the Banff tour when it comes through your town, don’t miss it.