BANFF 2025: Quartzite

The Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour highlights the best short films that capture inspiring moments and thought-provoking action in mountain sports and culture from around the world.

January 25th Film Program:

Anytime – Switzerland (Tour Edit)

Set in the Lenzerheide Bike Park this segment will highlight the fact that good times are at the core of it all. Leave your preconceptions behind and join the revolution, as these women prove they’re not just riding – they’re reigning.

Jamrock: The Birth of Jamaican Rock Climbing

Kai Lightner, a 12-time national US climbing champion and the visionary founder of “Climb for Change” embarks on a transformative mission into the heart of Jamaica’s emerging climbing community, where passion and determination thrive despite limited resources and recognition.

Of A Lifetime

Of a Lifetime is a celebration of discovery, adventure, and the passing of the torch to the next generation against the breathtaking backdrop of Antarctica. It chronicles the renowned De Le Rue family’s journey as Xavier, Victor, and 18-year-old Mila sail across the Drake Passage to ride the unimaginably steep icy lines of the white continent.

The Smoke That Thunders (2024 Creative Excellence Award*)

Aiming to paddle the fabled Minus rapids at the base of Victoria Falls on the Zambezi river, Ben Marr’s biggest challenge is to access them by trekking upstream. A total assault on the senses awaits as the force of the river speaks for itself.

The Last Observers (2024 Special Jury Mention*)

For decades, every third hour around the clock, every day of the year, Karin Persson and Lennart Karlsson have gone outside to observe and record the weather. At one of the last manual weather stations on the planet, there are no days off.

Reel Rock: Jirishanca

Renowned alpinists Josh Wharton and Vince Anderson attempt a free ascent of the Jirishanca, an epic 6000-metre peak in the Peruvian Andes. The duo will have to tackle 5.13 face climbing, horizontal ice roofs, technical mixed terrain, and treacherous snow mushrooms as they reconcile the inherent risk of climbing with their love of alpine adventure.

Sliding

A female athlete skips the crowded ski slopes to traverse the Swiss Alps on her sled…headfirst.