Even though there’s no snow on local ski slopes quite yet, (Don’t worry; it’s coming.) area residents can still get a preseason “fix.”
The world’s largest mountain festival, the Banff Mountain Film Festival, has hit the road again this year, with stops planned in more than 285 communities and 30 countries across the world. The tour, sponsored locally by the Flathead Nordic Ski Patrol, will stop in Kalispell for shows Nov. 18 and 19 at 7 p.m. in the Flathead High School Auditorium. Tickets are $12 and are available at the Sportsman Ski Haus in Kalispell and Whitefish, Rocky Mountain Outfitter in Kalispell, and Runner Up and the White Room in Whitefish.
From the approximately 300 films entered into the national competition, the World Tour uses about 25 films that feature a range of styles and themes, including mountain culture, climbing, skiing, kayaking, biking, adventure, culture and the environment.
The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour is FNSP’s only fundraiser and helps the group fund equipment and training. FNSP is a non-profit group of about 30 volunteers trained to respond to any type of winter backcountry emergency. They are dispatched by the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and operate primarily within Flathead County, though occasionally within other areas of northwest Montana. Members are EMT certified and specialize in avalanche rescue, mountain travel, education, and outdoor emergency care and transport.