The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour Comes to the San Francisco and Monterey Area!

7 pm, Saturday & Sunday, March 7 & 8
UC Berkeley, Wheeler Auditorium

Come experience adventure filmmaking at its best! REI is pleased to host these special evenings of award-winning adventure films from the 2008 Banff Mountain Film Festival. Now in its 33rd year, this international film competition is held every November in Banff, Alberta, Canada. This year's tour features a collection of the most inspiring, thought-provoking, environmental and action-filled mountain films, submitted to the 2008 festival.

Tickets are now on sale at REI Berkeley and Concord. Will-call tickets will be available through REI Berkeley only. Ticket cost: $15 for REI members (if purchased in advance at REI); $18 for nonmembers, will-call, and for tickets purchased at the door. Doors will open half an hour before show time for open seating. Net proceeds will benefit UC Berkeley's Cal Adventures Youth Scholarship Program, www.caladventures.org. For additional details, including the lists of films to be shown each night and the complete schedule of Bay Area REI screenings, call REI Berkeley's Customer Service Department, (510) 527-4140. Each program is approximately 2.5 hours, with intermission and a raffle of prizes donated by REI and Banff Tour sponsors.

Additional dates/venues:
* 7 pm, Monday, March 9: Spreckels Performing Arts Center, Rohnert Park
* 7 pm, Tuesday, March 10: Smith Rafael Film Center, San Rafael
* 7 pm, Wednesday & Thursday, March 11 & 12: Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, San Francisco
* 7 pm, Friday & Saturday, March 13 & 14: Eagle Theater, Los Altos High School
* 7 pm, Sunday, March 15: The World Theater, CSU Monterey Bay, Seaside

Banff Mountain Film Festival - Bay Area Film Lineup 2009

These films will play at 7:00pm on the following nights:
Berkeley: UC Berkeley Wheeler Auditorium, Saturday March 7th
San Rafael: Smith Rafael Film Center, Tuesday, March 10th
San Francisco: Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, Wednesday, March 11th
Los Altos: LAHS Eagle Theater, Friday, March 13th
Monterey: CSU Monterey Bay World Theater, Sunday, March 15th

The Red Helmet
Multi Sport, USA, 2008, 6 minutes
Directed by Tyler Young, Produced by Dave Barlia
Overcome with fear, a young boy runs into the forest. He finds a magic red helmet and goes on the adventure of a lifetime. Slowly building courage, he is transformed and returns to confront his boyhood fears.

The Sharp End: Lisa Rands

Climbing/Bouldering,USA, 2008, 6 minutes
Directed and produced by Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen
Lisa Rands shows us the drive, talent, and courage needed to climb challenging and scary "highball" boulder problems.

Red Gold
Environmental, USA, 2008, 54 minutes
Award: People's Choice
Directed by Ben Knight and Travis Rummel, Produced by Travis Rummel
At the headwaters of the two largest remaining sockeye salmon runs on the planet, a proposed mine may require the largest dam ever constructed to contain the toxic runoff. Native, commercial and sport fishermen oppose the proposed Pebble Mine, while mine officials argue the case for development. At stake is a unique way of life that would not exist if the salmon didn't return with Bristol Bay's tide.

If You're Not Falling
Rock Climbing, UK, 2008, 8 minutes
Award: Best Short Mountain Film
Directed by Paul Diffley, Produced by Dave Brown
Canadian rock legend Sonnie Trotter heads to Scotland to do battle on another "hardest rock climb in the world". As each day passes, he collects more and more air time: fifty-foot falls from the steep rock buttress that plunges down beneath a historic castle. "Well, if you're not falling, you're not trying," observes Trotter.

Danzak
Culture, USA, 2008, 19 minutes
Directed and produced by Gabriela Yepes Nina is a 10 year old Peruvian girl whose life dramatically changes when her dying father and Scissor Dance master asks her to fulfill his last wish.

Papiroflexia
Environmental, USA, 2007, 3 minutes
Directed and produced by Joaquin Baldwin
An origami tale of a skillful paper folder who shapes the world with his hands.

The Fine Line
Skiing/Snowboarding, Canada, 2008, 25 minutes
Directed by Dave Mossop, Produced by Malcolm Sangster
A cinematic journey that combines unites the cutting edge of winter action sports with education about responsible backcountry usage, The Fine Line features epic riding, amazing visuals, and stunning true stories of avalanche survivors.


These films will play at 7:00pm on the following nights:
Berkeley: UC Berkeley Wheeler Auditorium, Sunday March 8th
Santa Rosa: Spreckels Performing Arts Center, Monday, March 9th
San Francisco: Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, Thursday, March 12th
Los Altos: LAHS Eagle Theater, Saturday, March 14th

Crux
Cycling, Canada, 2007, 12 minutes
Award: People's Choice Radical Reels Night
Directed by Alexander Lavigne, Produced by Ryan Leech
Combining sheer difficulty with creative style, three athletes execute mind-bending feats of bike mastery and redefine technical riding standards.

The Cable Car
Animation, Switzerland, 2008, 7 minutes
Directed by Claudius Gentinetta, Frank Braun, Produced by Claudius Gentinetta
While travelling by cable car to a place somewhere in the mountains, an old man treats himself to some snuff. With every sneeze, the cable car cabin falls apart more and more, but the man is far from accepting his fate.

Patagonian Winter
Alpine Climbing, UK, 2007, 31 minutes
Award: Special Jury Selection
Directed and Produced by Alastair Lee
Andy Kirkpatrick is a pioneer of winter climbing in Patagonia, with many hair-raising ascents to his name. His latest Patagonian horror show is an attempt at the first winter ascent of Torre Egger with fellow alpinist Ian Parnell.

The Sharp End: Eastern Europe
Climbing,USA, 2008, 17 minutes
Directed and produced by Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen
A talented group of climbers explores the unique history, culture, and danger of one of the world's most remarkable climbing destinations.

Silent Snow
Environment, The Netherlands, 2007, 13 minutes
Produced by Ann Andreasen, Sabine Groenewegen, Jacob Gelt Dekker, Henk Sannes
Dangerous pesticides from all over the planet are being carried to the poles by northbound wind and waves. Against a background of melting ice, two girls in northern Greenland discuss the pollution that is dramatically changing their lives.

The Unbearable Lightness of Skiing
Skiing, Canada, 2008, 14 minutes
Directed and Produced by Greg Hill
A season of backcountry skiing, described by a keen and passionate narrator.

The Last Frontier - Papua New Guinea
Kayak, USA, 2008, 18 minutes
Directed and Produced by Trip Jennings
The Epicocity crew travel to Papua New Guinea to document the island of New Britain's pristine water, habitat and intact indigenous culture through an exploratory caving and kayaking expedition.