The ever-popular Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival is headed back to Kalispell on Nov. 14 and 16, bringing with it new perspectives and a gorgeous film collection you won’t find anywhere else.
The Flathead Nordic Ski Patrol hosts the festival every year, and money from the admission tickets go toward the patrol’s costs. They’ve been running the festival in Kalispell for decades, which I wrote about for last year’s event.
Incidentally, last year’s showing was the first time I’d experienced the festival, and it blew me away. I’ve seen Warren Miller ski epics before, but the breadth of topics covered at the Banff festival was incredible – we saw short films on travels in China, mountain biking, skiing, extreme mountain climbing and paragliding, among others. The auditorium at Flathead High School was packed, and the audience was excited and fun.
Admission to the screenings is $14 each night. In Kalispell, you can find tickets at Sportsman & Ski Haus and Rocky Mountain Outfitters. In Whitefish, tickets are sold at Runner Up Sports, The White Room and Sportsman & Ski Haus.
For a glimpse at awesomeness, here’s the 2011 winner for Best Film – Mountain Sports: “The Freedom Chair.” (I suppose I should add that the language can be a bit salty at times.)
The video is via Salomon Freeski TV.