Contributed
Looking for a little something different to do this weekend?
The 16th Annual Fernie Mountain Film Festival is taking place February 17, 18. This exciting two night community event is “Dedicated to filmmakers who spark awareness of mountain cultures, fragile environments, and the passion and perseverance of global explorers.”
The FMFF could not function without the generous financial support of so many local organizations and businesses. Our Presenting sponsor this year is Teck. Feature sponsors are: Community Energy Association, Columbia Basin Trust, Fernie Fox Hotel, Island Lake Lodge, Fernie Alpine Resort (RCR Summit Fund), Fernie Wilderness Adventures. Our Short Film Sponsors are: Big Bang Bagels, Wapiti Festival, Edge of the World and Le Bon Pain.
The two night event includes over a dozen films. Along with the following three feature films will be ten other short films ranging from solo mountain running, climbing, Greenland kayaking and blind backcountry skiers to community rebuilding in Nepal.
Screening Feb 17th is To the Hills and Back, Directed by Mike Quigley. A Sherpas Cinema Film, In Co-Production with the Utah Avalanche Center. “Dive into the hearts and minds of those who’ve faced the mountain’s fury firsthand, in this gut-punching exploration of the human cost of adventure.”
Saturday Feb 18th will feature Before They Fall, Directed by Cam MacArthur. “Indigenous Peoples, conservation groups, and scientists come together, as a decades-long battle to protect endangered old-growth forests in BC violently escalates at Fairy Creek (the last unprotected, intact valley on southern Vancouver Island) on unceded Pacheedaht Territory.”
Sticking with the forest conservation theme, local author and giant tree seeker Terry Nelson will introduce and host a Q & A highlightling his new book ‘Big Trees of the Inland Temperate Forests of BC’.
Also showing Feb 18th: Spindrift, directed by Ivan Hughes. Featuring Canadian alpinist Barry Blanchard reflecting on his adventures and reconciling his life in the mountains.
Compete film line up will be posted on the FMFF web site soon.
This year Fernie Mountain Film Festival is pleased to partner with local climate and energy experts from Community Energy Association (CEA) to highlight just some of the people and businesses that are electrifying their mountain lifestyles.
The CEA is a member-based, non-profit organization working at the community level to reduce emissions, conserve energy and progressively transition to a low carbon, resilient economy. We hope this partnership will help all of us passionate outdoor people to be curious about how new technology can protect the places and lifestyles we love from climate change, and keep our economy, jobs and environment stable.
On both afternoons of the festival you can sign up to test drive an all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning and learn about innovations in mobile electricity storage, e-snowmobiles and more. Visit our website to sign up for a test drive, buy tickets and see the film line up.
www.ferniefilmfestival.com