NZ Mountain Film Festival biggest turnout ever

NZ Mountain Film Festival biggest turnout ever

The 14 th annual NZ Mountain Film Festival got off to a roaring start in Wanaka
over the weekend. Excited crowds packed the Lake Wanaka Centre and Rippon Hall for five days to view a world-class collection of adventure films and speakers. The audience numbers have been the largest ever seen by the Trust despite there has been a significant increase in the amount of shows and speakers on offer. The audience was made up of loyal supporters who have attended event for 14 years, new local people from within the region, adventurers from all over New Zealand and a record number of filmmakers.

Festival Director Mark Sedon says, “the audience was made up of a mix of people from the Otago region but also from far and wide. The feedback on the mix of films and the inclusion of the book festival events has been phenomenal. The Trust has made a deliberate effort to communicate the breadth of the content on offer; some of the most stunning films cover environmental issues or tell wonderful stories of the cultures that exist in theses adventurous places. We are chuffed with the reception of the book events and blown away in general by the swell in numbers.” Over 400 people attended the book events at Ripon Hall.

The timing of the event, being a week before school holidays, has been effective and the success of the book event means the Trust will look to split the book and film events across two weekends to ensure people do not miss out on shows. The Trust also recognises the unfortunate lack of snow on Southern ski resorts has contributed to the increased in numbers and hopes the many films including incredible skiing and snowboarding footage adds to the excitement and anticipation of the season to come.

35 speakers hit the stage over the entire event and it seemed the Kiwi characters struck a chord with the audience. Craig Potton entertained with wonderful stories and his thoughts on art, life and the wilderness. Brando Yelavich gave a lively account of his circumnavigation of the New Zealand shoreline and went on to reveal his next adventure will be crossing Australia on 2018. He also spoke at the free Youth Programme that. On Opening Night it was announced that Nathan Fa'avae won the Grand Prize in the inaugural Book Competition for his book 'Adventure at heart'. This is wonderful tale and a must-read for all New Zealanders. Festival-goers enjoyed hearing from accomplished freeskier Chris Davenport as well as many authors, filmmakers, directors and adventurers during the five days.

The NZ Mountain Film Festival programme will continue in Cromwell on July 4 and in Queenstown on July 7-9 at the Memorial Hall. Chris Davenport (USA), one of the world’s most accomplished big mountain skiers, will be speaking about his life in the mountains. Davenport says. “Skiing and time in the mountains adds so much to the fabric of our lives. Life is short, and it’s up to us to take advantage of every opportunity we can to interact with nature, find out what we are capable of, and leave a legacy so that our kids and our grandkids will have something to inspire them.” Davenport promises to present an insightful and fun talk on Thursday July 7. His talk will be amongst a set of the festivals best films including the Grand Prize winner.

The winner of the Grand Prize Award for 2016 is a film called Locked In - First Descent of the Beriman Gorge. Directors Bryan Smith and David Pearson follow four kayakers deep into the jungle of Papua New Guinea to be the first to ever paddle the beautiful, but treacherous Beriman Gorge. Danger is high and the expedition tackles one of the most committed and dangerous stretches of white water on the planet. Judges felt the audience would experience the remoteness of the location and the authentic danger of the mission through the quality of the cinematography and the outstanding style of editing. The commitment to this level of adventure is confounding, Director David Pearson agrees.

The programme includes the always popular Snow Show on Friday July 8 night with several ski and snowboard adventure films in far away lands such as Russia, Siberia and Bolivia.

The Book and literature events kick in on Saturday July 9 with Words and Wine - A Mountain Reading. The audience will enjoy a complimentary drink, with full-bodied tales and hints of adventure and danger, humour and humility.

In his ripping yarn of a book, Eating Dirt, Steve Gurney recounts some of his extreme adventures – in the Sahara, on Mount Cook, and in other remote parts of the world. Steve is an integral part of the Words & Wine show, as is Nick Allen, from Palmerston North, a passionate tramper and climber.

Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 25, Nick thought that his climbing dreams were over. Six years on and with the help of rehabilitation specialists, Nick has been able to get back outdoors, climbing and tramping as well as writing an intriguing new novel. The session also includes Kiwi Hollie Woodhouse, Danny Knudson who wrote Skippers: Triumph & Tragedy, poet Michael Harlow and author Robin McNeill.

Kiwi mountaineer Lydia Bradey is giving a keynote presentation on Saturday night at 7:30pm. Lydia is fresh back from climbing Everest so come along to hear how Nepal is after the 2015 earthquake and what Everest is like almost 30 years after her historic ascent in 1988 to become the first woman to climb Everest without oxygen. Her climb was a truly remarkable achievement but also an internationally controversial one. Her best selling novel, Going Up is Easy is a dramatic, tender, funny, frank and inspiring life story.

Another new experimental genre in the Book Festival is a show called Old Fashion Story Telling. What’s not to love about some old style storytelling, in real time and in person, with no gadgets, gizmos or gear? Hear old-school and off the cuff tales from some fine NZ adventurers. Featuring; hard man and 9-time Coast to Coast winner Steve Gurney, Leading Edge (a cult ski lm from the 80’s) movie star Mathurin Molgat, 9 times Everest summiteer Mark Woodward (Woody), local legendary BASE jumper Chuck Berry, Festival Director and Wanaka mountain guide Mark Sedon and Queenstown mountain guide Tarn Pilkington.

Tickets are available for all Queenstown shows both online and from the Queenstown Memorial Centre from Thursday 7 th July at 5pm.

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