Tickets for the Banff Mountain Film Festival world tour went on sale this week and festival goers are encouraged to pick up their tickets before they are sold out.
Event organizer Jim Palm said he had a lot of people phoning him for tickets before they were officially available.
“There were quite a few people who wanted tickets but didn’t get them last year,” he said.
Four hundred tickets are on sale for each night of the festival and many people buy tickets for both nights, said Palm.
“It’s our usual format for the evening with...all kinds of door prizes,” he said. “We have a lot of giveaways due to the generosity of our business community.”
After eight years of organizing the festival, Palm said he is amazed at the level of support the event receives from sponsors and patrons.
“There’s something about the new year,” he said. “People just want to get out and enjoy some films and have a good night.”
The festival runs over two nights, Friday, January 10 and Saturday, January 11, and features about two and a half hours-worth of award-winning, outdoor extreme films.
The film lineup has not yet been set, though Palm said the best of the best will be screened, including: Heaven’s Gate for Mountain Sports, High Tension Reel Rock 8 in Mountain Culture, North of the Sun winner of the People’s Choice Award, Not Bad in Biking, The Last Great Merchant in Environment and Natural History and The Last Great Climb in Climbing.
“The lineup for films each night will be totally different,” he added. “There won’t be any repeats.”
This year doors will open a little earlier, at 5:45 pm, to give patrons extra time for a bite to eat, a drink and some socializing before the screenings start at 6:45 pm. Tony Papa from The HUB 101 will be providing appetizers and beer from Townsite Brewing has been donated for the event. Brooks Secondary School Culinary Arts students will be serving the refreshments.
For the second year in a row, patrons will be able to bid on silent auction items. “I’m bringing back that major fishing trip on the west coast of Vancouver Island,” Palm said.
The festival is in the planning stages and there will be between six to 12 smaller items also up for auction, which will run over both nights of the festival. Displays from the local outdoor community will also be at the festival.
“One of the big items there is Eagle Walz’s new [Sunshine Coast Trail] passports,” said Palm.
Funds raised from the event will be donated to Powell River Action Centre Food Bank and help fund Brooks’ hot lunch program for students in need. Money has also been donated to the Terry Fox Run and the fund to build Jasper Mohan’s memorial computer.
Tickets are available at Alpha Outdoor Adventure Store, Taws and River City Coffee, and are $20 each. The event is held at Max Cameron Theatre.
