Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour Returns to Washington, DC

The National Geographic Society will once again host the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour at the National Theatre in downtown DC with an award-winning slate of films showing.

Schedule of Events:

January 31, 2025

-7:00pm: Granite

Anytime - Utah (Tour Edit)

2024, Canada, 8 min
Filmmakers: Darcy Wittenburg, Colin Jones, Darren McCullough, Galen Knowles, Ian Dunn, Anthill Films, Red Bull Media House
Advisory: Coarse language

In Utah's rugged, arid landscape, a new era of female freeride mountain biking is born. Follow four trailblazing women as they carve unprecedented lines and push the limits of what is possible.

Ian

2024, Australia, 8 min
Filmmakers: Matt Raimondo, GoodFolk Film Production
Advisory: No advisory

Meet 72-year-old Australian climber, Ian Elliott. Ian's extraordinary climbing ability defies age stereotypes, showcasing his resilience and challenging societal perceptions.

For Winter (Tour Edit)

2024, USA, 45 min
Filmmakers: National Geographic Society Impact Story Lab, Taylor Schuelke, Katie Cleary Advisory: Coarse language

Glaciologist and National Geographic Explorer Alison Criscitiello leads her team on an ambitious 10-day climb up Mt. Logan, through whiteout conditions and precarious icefalls, to unearth thousands of years of climate data in one record-breaking ice core.

2 Legs is 2 Easy

2024, USA, 7 min
Filmmakers: Tamara Susa, BTX Productions
Advisory: No advisory

Steve Karczewski was born with bone cancer in his left leg and has never known what it is like to have two legs, but that hasn't prevented him from doing anything and everything he's ever wanted as an outdoor athlete.

House of Bliss

2024, Iceland, 9 min
Filmmakers: Elli Thor Magnusson, Ben Weiland, Steve Lewis, 104 Frames
Advisory: Coarse language

House of Bliss (Saeluhus) documents the making of a shelter situated somewhere on the border of reality and imagination. A private world of contemplation and quiet relief from the outside world.

Ice Waterfalls (Tour Edit)

2024, Spain, 36 min
Filmmakers: David Arnaud, MOVIO, Red Bull Media House
Advisory: Coarse language

For years, professional kayaker Aniol Serrasolses has dreamed of running the rivers and waterfalls formed by melting ice caps and gigantic glaciers. Accompanied by a team of expert kayakers and Arctic guides, he ventures into one of the most remote and rugged regions of the planet: Svalbard. Amidst the Arctic's otherworldly landscapes, reality is about to surpass his wildest dreams.

A Team Sport

2024, USA, 16 min
Filmmakers: Alexis Berg, Julien Raison, Sarah Stewart, Jon Brogan, Laura Mittleberg, Jason Israel, Marion Blache, Oliver Denton, Stept Studios
Advisory: No advisory

Ultra-runner Courtney Dauwalter is one of the greatest athletes in the history of the sport. Continuing to shatter records, in 2023 she became the first person ever to wear the Triple Crown of ultra-running, winning three iconic 100+mile races back-to-back in one summer. But who is the team behind Courtney and her remarkable success?

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February 1, 2025

-1:00pm: Quartzite

Anytime - Switzerland (Tour Edit)

2024, Canada, 5 min
Filmmakers: Darcy Wittenburg, Colin Jones, Darren McCullough, Anthill Films, Red Bull Media House, Ian Dunn, Galen Knowles
Advisory: No advisory

Set in the Lenzerheide Bike Park this segment will highlight the fact that good times are at the core of it all. Leave your preconceptions behind and join the revolution as these women prove they're not just riding they're reigning.

Jamrock: The birth of Jamaican rock climbing

2024, USA, 17 min
Filmmakers: Gareth Leah, Well Good Productions
Advisory: No advisory

Kai Lightner, a 12-time national US climbing champion and the visionary founder of "Climb for Change" embarks on a transformative mission into the heart of Jamaica's emerging climbing community, where passion and determination thrive despite limited resources and recognition.

Of A Lifetime

2024, Switzerland, 44 mins
Filmmakers: Jérôme Tanon, Sarl XDLR Suisse, Xavier de Le Rue, Beanie de Le Rue
Advisory: Coarse language

Of A Lifetime chronicles the renowned De Le Rue family's journey as Xavier, Victor, and 18-year-old Mila sail across the Drake Passage to ride the unimaginably steep icy lines of the white continent.

The Smoke that Thunders (2024 Creative Excellence Award*)

2024, Canada, 5 min
Filmmakers: Caleb Roberts
Advisory: No advisory

Aiming to paddle the fabled Minus rapids at the base of Victoria Falls on the Zambezi river, Ben Marr's biggest challenge is to access them by trekking upstream. A total assault on the senses awaits as the force of the river speaks for itself.

The Last Observers (2024 Special Jury Mention*)

Filmmakers: Maja K Mikkelsen, Patagonia Films, Adam Mikkelsen Advisory: No advisory

For decades, every third hour around the clock, every day of the year, Karin Persson and Lennart Karlsson have gone outside to observe and record the weather. At one of the last manual weather stations on the planet, there are no days off.

Reel Rock: Jirishanca

2024, USA, 32 min
Filmmakers: Peter Mortimer, Josh Lowell, Zachary Barr, Halle Johns, Sender Films, Patagonia Films
Advisory: Course and sexual language

Renowned alpinists Josh Wharton and Vince Anderson attempt a free ascent of the Jirishanca, an epic 6000-metre peak in the Peruvian Andes. The duo will have to tackle 5.13 face climbing, horizontal ice roofs, technical mixed terrain, and treacherous snow mushrooms as they reconcile the inherent risk of climbing with their love of alpine adventure.

Sliding

2024, United States Virgin Islands, 4 min
Filmmakers: Katie Tannenbaum, Matiss Spaile, Juris Kudeiko
Advisory: No advisory

A female athlete skips the crowded ski slopes to traverse the Swiss Alps on her sled... headfirst.

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7:00pm: Basalt

Home from Home

2024, USA, 8 min
Filmmakers: John Peirce Dellanno
Advisory: No advisory

Take a glimpse into the lives and hearts of some of the best Japanese freeride skiers in the world. Home from Home explores the intersection between Japanese athletes and the natural world.

Wolf of Wingsuit

2024, Australia, 4 min
Filmmakers: Aaron Garcia
Advisory: No advisory

The beautiful and towering mountains of Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland, are a paradise for BASE jumpers and wingsuit professionals seeking thrills during the off-season. Avalon, an American wingsuit pilot, and a Filipino-Australian documentary filmmaker unite to capture Avalon's audacious quest to leap from the mountainside as many times as humanly possible.

Canyon Chorus

2024, USA, 17 min
Filmmakers: Chris Cresci, Davis Love, Wondercamp
Advisory: Coarse language

Set against the backdrop of Desolation Canyon, UT, Mikah Meyer, a world-record traveler and LGBTQ+ advocate and his friends reflect on their stories and the power of mentorship within the queer community.

Dropping Molly

2024, USA, 30 min
Filmmakers: Cedar Wright, Cedar Wright Productions
Advisory: Coarse language, mature content

Follow Molly Mitchell's roller coaster journey to climb Crank It, one of Colorado's most dangerous routes. After breaking her back on the climb, Molly must face her rocky mental health and embark on a journey of therapy, self discovery, and growth.

Eliot Jackson - Drop The Mic

2024, Canada, 2 min
Filmmakers: Scott Secco, Seb Kemp, Daniel Gillooley, Scott Secco Films Advisory: No advisory

Eliot Jackson has sneaky superpowers. He is one of the most badass riders to ever scrub-whip a mountain bike.

The Bird in My Backyard (2024 Best Short Film*)

2024, Canada, 20 min
Filmmakers: Ryan Wilkes, CBC, Trochilus Films
Advisory: No advisory

Follow Eric Pittman, a window salesman turned hummingbird expert, as he documents the secret lives of the hummingbirds that nest in his urban backyard.

Wild Days (Tour Edit) (2024 Best Film - Snow Sports*)

2024, France, 50 min
Filmmakers: Yohan Guignard, L'Endroit, Pascal Barneville
Advisory: Coarse language

Four friends from Savoie have a crazy idea: 50 days of self-sufficiency in Alaska's Denali massif. Wild Days takes us overland on a grueling journey to a place where time drifts, spirits wander off, and where friendships are created and then tested by commitment.

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Date: January 31 and February 1, 2025

Location: National Theatre - 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20004

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