Review: Banff Mountain Film Festival at Nottingham Playhouse

With a brand-new collection of short films from the world’s most prestigious mountain film festival, filmmakers and explorers are seen pushing themselves to the limit in the most remote and stunning corners of the globe. As the world emerges from a two-year pandemic, these epic adventures remind you of an environment outside of working from home or the daily grind. 

Beginning in the UK, Rab Wardell single-handedly takes on Scotland’s iconic long-distance 95-mile West Highland Way. In the 22-minute film, Rab battles with former competitors of elite mountain bikers in order to claim the fastest known time record on the challenging route. As he makes history in his beloved homeland, Rab needs to funnel every sweat of endurance into the onward trail. 

Following this, with similar handle-bar-breaking and sweaty-palm experiences, is another mountain biking themed film, Follow the Light. But this time we travel to Cappadocia, Turkey, to ride among its famously distinctive “fairy chimneys” – the singular towers clustered on the high plain of central Anatolia. Filmed during several sunrises and evenings, professional cyclist Kilian Bron is seen traversing on two wheels beneath clouds of hot air balloons, as well as following a drone-mounted flare through a narrow canyon in a spectacular night scene. 

The endurance levels continue to the Alta ski area, in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, in Salt Lake Country. In memory of the local legend Dave Van Dame who, equipped with his Pocket Rocket skis, faded red jacket and wool-knit hat, spent his winters harvesting powder snow. With his efficient and sustainable process of farming snow without machinery well into his seventies, this short film, The Farmer, demonstrates how an individual can have such a large impact on their community. 

Stretching west across America, the next film takes us to Yosemite, where professional snowboarder, climber and descendant of the Ahwahnechee people Lonnie Kauk embarks on a mission to honour his indigenous Yosemite roots and connect to his legendary father, Ron (the climbing double for Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible II). In short film Deep Roots, Lonnie tackles his father’s iconic climbs, including a second ascent of the route Magic Line, considered to be amongst the world’s hardest climbs. The film captures Lonnie’s personal journey with sensitivity and a sense of serenity, but keeps you comfortably stimulated as you watch impressively steep climbs in stunning locations. 

Now venturing east to Colorado, we join Melissa Simpson in the emotive From My Window. As the title suggests, Melissa has gazed at the Colorado mountain peaks for her whole life, with the distant dream of one day hiking to the highest points. Yet, these mountains stand as a symbol for both her greatest dream and her largest obstacle, because she has cerebral palsy. With the help of plenty of gritting hours in the gym and her friend, blind adventurer Erik Weihenmayer (first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest) and his inspirational team, Melissa conquers her fears and dreams. This film manifests the truest form of encouragement, proving dreams don’t have to be worlds away from reality.

Taking us to Europe, in Germany’s Frankenjura region, the penultimate film, Action Directe, offers a different dream. French climber Melissa Le Nevé takes ambition to another level, as she attempts to become the first woman to climb one of the most revered limestone prows from which the film takes its title – just under thirty years since the late Wolfgang Güllich made the original ascent. The climb requires a sequence of moves on single finger gaps in the rock and a dramatic leap of faith that takes years to perfect.

Completing the night, Banff Mountain Film Festival takes us from the high peaks of Zermatt, Switzerland, to the valley of Luttach, Italy, in the film Ultimate Ski Run - which epitomises the central theme of the impressive outdoors in cinematic excellence. Italian Freeskier, former Freeride World Tour champ Markus Eder pushes the boundaries in an ultimate ski run, descending ancient castles, street rails and huge glacial blocks with once-in-a-lifetime snow conditions. Ending the film with a masterful laugh from Markus centre stage, the run is simply utopic - as well as wildly creative. 

Find out more about Banff Mountain Film Festival on their website