As a child, Jillian Amatt said she did not really understand the enormity of a film festival created by her father.
Amatt, who now lives in Powell River, was born in Canmore, Alberta, on October 21, 1976, 10 days before the first film event that eventually became Banff Mountain Film Festival was held.
The screening took place at what is now known as the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Jillian’s father, John Amatt, was the founder and festival director from 1976 to 1985.
According to John, the festival started as a three-hour event, intended as simple entertainment for outdoor enthusiasts in the Rocky Mountains while they waited for the snow to fall and skiing to begin after summer climbing season concluded.
Collected donations that year amounted to $250, which is the funding today’s event grew from, said John.
“We assembled six mountaineering films from around the world, booked a 300-seat theatre and promoted the event from Golden, BC, to Calgary,” said John. “One hour before opening the doors, 500 people were clamouring to get in.”
After that, John said the local newspaper in Banff wrote that if he could produce a similar event the following year, he would have to book a security team to handle the crowds.
In its second year, John said the event expanded from a few hours to a full day.
“In the third year the event became competitive, with money prizes for several film categories,” he said.
Today, Banff Mountain Film Festival is one of the most famous film festivals of its kind in the world, selling 30,000 tickets for the nine-day event each year.
The world tour of award-winning films is shown at hundreds of locations on all seven continents, including a scientific station at the South Pole.
The festival tour comes to Max Cameron Theatre Friday, January 6, and Saturday, January 7, and is sold out.
“In retrospect, nobody anticipated the rapid expansion of the festival,” said John. “It was simply the right idea at the right time, tapping into the surging interest in outdoor adventure around the world.”
Jillian said she remembers going to festivals, being a part of them through her parents’ involvement, and that she had the opportunity to meet people, such as Royal Robbins, one of the pioneers of rock climbing, and Yvon Chouinard, who started Patagonia Outdoor Clothing and Gear.
“As a kid, I really didn’t understand it until I left home and saw how much the festival had grown and travelled around the world,” she said. “Then I really realized a great thing had been started.”
If Jillian is in Powell River when the tour comes to town, she said she always makes a point of seeing it.
“Going and knowing it’s such a great event and that people enjoy it so much, and knowing my dad had a part in starting it is my favourite part,” she said.
Jillian said she ended up in Powell River rather than remaining in the mountains because, after travelling with her parents at a young age, she was always drawn to the ocean.
Despite being the daughter of the founder of a famous festival that celebrates extreme outdoor adventurers, Jillian said she is not one of them.
“I’m not as outdoorsy as one would think,” she said. “I enjoy outdoor activities, but I’m not a diehard outdoor enthusiast. I like to ski and go hiking and kayaking. I appreciate the outdoors, but I don’t live for extreme adventure or anything like that.”
