A world tour of outdoor and environmental films made its way to Yellowknife recently.
The Mountain Film Festival took place in Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC) on Jan. 19-20.
Up to 20 short films were shown each night, showcasing stories of adventure, exploration and conservation from around the globe.
The festival, hosted by Overlander Sports, is organized by the Banff Centre in Lake Louise, Alta., which receives film submissions from all over the world. A local outdoor equipment and clothing store, Overlander Sports has been coordinating the tour stop in Yellowknife for 35 years.
“It’s kind of just a nice way to get together with the people that we serve every day in the store and outside of the store, and enjoy some films,” said Aislinn Stirling-Crosby, co-owner of the shop.
Stirling-Crosby said the festival is very popular and sells out every year, with around 600 people attending each night. She said the films are diverse and inspiring, covering topics such as climbing, skiing, kayaking, wildlife, culture and more.
“They’re all mountain films, so outdoor environmental. They usually tell a story, and they’re very well done,” she said.
The festival faced some challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic, having to cancel two years in a row. Stirling-Crosby said she’s glad to be able to host the event again this year.
The Yellowknife hosts have some control over the selection of films that they show, and they try to choose ones that they think their audience would like.
“We don’t watch them all because we actually go to the film festival ourselves so we don’t want to spoil it, but we watch the trailers and we read the descriptions and we read a lot of other audience reviews,” she said.
They work with a person called “a road warrior,” who comes up from Banff and has a lot of reviews and information of what other audiences have enjoyed and not enjoyed, and that helps them with their selection.
Some of the films that caught her attention this year include one about a blind climber, another about a family that goes climbing with their young children, and one that takes place on Baffin Island.
The festival also offers some enticements besides watching films, such as a prize draw at the intermission, with prizes such as a pass for access to Lake Louise National Park, a jacket and coffee.
“I’m excited and it’s a special tradition. I think everyone’s excited before we even get the tickets. Every year we always have customers coming in asking when (tickets) go on sale, and they sell out really fast. So I think a lot of people know and look forward to this event and find it exciting,” she said.