The Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival : Earz Magazine

The Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival

October 17, 2007 · Words: Andy Sharp ·

This unique event brings together a wide range of films from outdoor adventure enthusiasts and film makers along with a range of speakers to give presentations on their experiences and views on many topics surrounding the world of outdoor adventure. Growing further in popularity every year this year’s line up includes a packed program of awe-inspiring adventure films from Scotland and around the world.

This includes an exciting programme of twenty films together with a group of speakers including Stephen Venables - legendary British climber, the first to climb Everest without oxygen, Barry Blanchard, Canada’s most legendary climber and an inspirational lecturer who also worked on the Hollywood films Cliffhanger, K2 and Vertical Limits; and Karen Darke, who was paralysed from the chest down in a climbing accident and has since cycled through Asia, kayaked up Canada’s west coast and skied accross Greenland.

Films on show include all kinds of action and adventure in the great outdoors; including iceberg climbing in Canada; the first speed skiing descent of the legendary North Face of The Eiger; trekking across New Zealand’s South Island; extreme mountain biking in North America and even the trials and tribulations of ‘Xtreme’ trampolining! For climbers, ‘Dider versus The Cobra’ is a likely festival highlight, telling the story of the first ascent of Cobra Crack at Squamish, Brittish Colombia, which is touted as the hardest rock climb in the world.

A host of Scottish films such as ‘Cycopath’ with borders-based mountain biker Douglas Brown turned film-maker, which shows a helter-skelter ride through the single track trails of Glentress. Also ‘Polldubh - A Mountain Climbers Paradise’ featuring 77 year old Jimmy Ness repeating his ascent of “Pinnacle Ridge” - a severe rock climb - sixty years after he first climbed it. All some very interesting and exciting things that you would be hard pressed to miss if you are an outdoor enthusiast or just a big film buff.

Festival Director Stevie Christie said: “The festival aims to promote all aspects of mountain culture and provide a platform for adventure filmmakers to showcase their work; in short to entertain, enlighten and inspire people to enjoy the natural enviroment. Now in its fifth year, it is also an established social gathering for Scotland’s vibrant outdoors community.”

Tickets are on sale now for the three-day festival which takes place from Friday 19th to Sunday 21st October at the George Square Lecture Theatre, Edinburgh University. Tickets are available from the website now, so don’t wait; book your tickets and prepare to be inspired.

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