Banff in NYC - March 6 and 7

[Papa Bear]

The NYC Banff web site has been updated with the 2007 dates and films for the NYC showings:

http://www.chestnutmtnproductions.com/banff/nychome.htm

Unfortunately, the web site says "Monday, March 6 and Tuesday, March 7, 2007" and March 6 is a Tuesday not a Monday. So the real dates may be March 5th and 6th. Or maybe not.

But in any case, mark your calendars for this. As per usual, the NYC VFTTers will meet on the sidewalk outside the theater (not across the street Coldfeet! ) after the 2nd night's showing and walk the block over to Amsterdam Ave and quaff a few colds ones at the "Dive Bar". (Now where else but NYC would a bar have a name like that? )

As the time gets closer and the dates are confirmed, I'll bump this thread up and see who might be coming. I expect to go both nights.

 

[alpinista]

Looks like it might actually be that Tuesday and Wednesday. If you go to the link for "film menu," the first section's date is off but the second one appears to be accurate in terms of matching the day of the week with the actual date.

Sounds like a fun time. I've got it in my calendar!

 

[Papa Bear]

The web site is now fixed. The days are "Tuesday, March 6 and Wednesday March 7, 2007 - 7:30 PM" and these days and dates are repeated in the film menu page. So mark your calendars for

Banff Mountain Film Festival - New York City

Symphony Space (95th & Broadway)
Tuesday, March 6 and Wednesday March 7, 2007 - 7:30 PM

http://www.chestnutmtnproductions.com/banff/nychome.htm

 

[coldfeet]

Wed are good for me...will check as we get closer....will also stay on the correct side of the street!

 

[Papa Bear]

Since this is now just a few weeks away, I thought I'd give this thread a bump.

Banff in NYC: Symphony Space - 7:30 PM March 6 (Tuesday) and March 7 (Wednesday)

I'll be going both nights. As in previous years, let's meet outside the Symphony Space theater on the second night (Wednesday) and we'll walk the block or so up to the Dive Bar and put down a few cold ones. If you miss us at the theater, look for us at the bar. We'll try to snag a table towards the back.

Please RSVP to this thread so we know whom to look for.

BTW: tickets are $20 in advance (at the theater or at Paragon Sports) but they are $23 at the door.

Here's the link with the film program: Banff in NYC.

(ain't Google Maps nice?)

 

[Papa Bear]

Another bump.

We are now a week away. So far we have

Alpinista (both days?)
Coldfeet (Wednesday)
me

Surely there's more of you out there. How 'bout the Banff regulars? Warren? F-Freddy?, Cauchybar. I suspect Dawn will be busy getting ready for her thru.

Reminder: tickets $20 in advance, $23 at the door.

I'll be there both nights. Probably sit on the left side about half way down. Wednesday we'll meet outside on the corner after the show and walk over to the Dive Bar (see above for directions).

Edit: I'll be on the left side, not right. I'm getting dyslexic. And it's $20, noy $120.

 

[Warren]

Haven't purchased tickets yet, but I'm planning on being there

 

[alpinista]

I'm planning to be there on Wednesday. Looking forward to it!

 

[banjolady]

we saw it up here in suffern last wed--it was great. the trail conference was there and campmor gave away a bunch of stuff. they were throwing hats into the audience. some of the photography is AMAZING. enjoy it--
susan

 

[Tuco]

I will be in NYC for business on 3/6-3/8. If I can get away I will try and join; most likely on Wednesday. Likely last minute, but I'll try and post in advance if I am coming.

Hope to see you all there.

 

[funkyfreddy]

Unfortunately I'm not going to make it this year, have a lot of other things demanding my time and attention right now. I hope everyone has a great time!

 

[Papa Bear]

First of two showings - tonight

Tonight is the first of the two showings. I suspect there will be more of my VFTT friends there tomorrow, but just in case anyone makes last minute plans, here's the schedule of films for tonight. Looks like a fun night.

Tuesday, March 6, 2007


Anomaly
USA, 2006, 16 minutes
Directed and produced by Todd Jones, Dirk Collins, Steve Jones, Corey Gavitt
Focus: Ski/Snowboard (some coarse language)

ANOMALY n. (a-nom-a-ly) 1. Deviation or departure from the normal or common order, form, or rule 2. One that is peculiar, irregular, abnormal, or difficult to classify. Hard to define, never easy to apply. Yet, this has come to embody a year of extraordinary feats, tribulation and continued progression within the ski and snowboard arena. Anomaly, TGR’s newest 16mm and HD ski and snowboard release, showcases the freakish and abnormal abilities of today’s top athletes as they push the boundary of what is humanly possible.


Tyrol — Land in the Mountains
Austria, 2001, 10 minutes
Directed and produced by Georg Riha
Website: www.brainsandpictures.com
Focus: Environment
Rating: General — No Advisory

Images of the Tyrolean Alps by Georg Riha combined with piano music composed by Philip Glass (“Koyaanisqatsi”) form a symphony, a declaration of love for the beauty of the Tyrolean landscape.


The Best of Jo
Canada, 2006, 3 minutes
Directed and produced by Logan Carlstrom
Focus: Sport / Animation / Humour
The Best of Jo is a stop-action Lego film about a coffee-addicted guy named Jo. He is eager to try all the mountain sports available to him, such as climbing, skiing, and fishing.


Fatima’s Hand
Best Film on Mountain Sports
Germany, 2006, 38 minutes
Directed by Jens Hoffmann
Focus: BASE jumping/Culture
Rating: General — No Advisory

photo credit: Jens Hoffman

A 27-year-old woman from Norway plans to climb and BASE jump off an
imposing mountain in one of the most remote and poorest area of Mali, West Africa. The project does not work out as planned. It turns into a risky adventure and opens the eyes of the filmmakers and athletes, to a different reality.



The Simplicity Factor
©The Simplicity Factor. Credit: Nathan Cando. Courtesy of the Banff Center
Canada, 2006, 7 minutes
Directed and produced by Nathan Cando
Focus: Climbing/Bouldering
Rating: General — No Advisory

The Simplicity Factor is a segment from The Top 20 Classic Boulder Problems of North America. Featuring an all-female cast of athletes, it looks at bouldering’s overall appeal while showcasing ascents of several famous boulder problems.


Asiemut
People’s Choice Award and Special Jury Mention
Canada, 2006, 56 minutes
Directed and produced by Olivier Higgins, Mélanie Carrier
Focus: Cycling/Culture

photo credit: Provided by Mélanie Carrier and Olivier Higgins

In 2005, Olivier Higgins and Mélanie Carrier went on their first cycling expedition — 8000 kilometres across Asia. In six months they pedalled from Mongolia to Calcutta, India, travelling through Xinjiang, the Taklimakan Desert, the high Tibetan plateau, and the jungle of Nepal. Why? Not only to discover the world, but also to discover themselves.

 

[Papa Bear]

Last nights showing was fun as expected. I saw Warren there and we had a nice chat about the films on the way home. We more or less agreed that the best was Asiemut, which was about a bike journey 2 young Canadians took from Mongolia to India. There was a lot of content and depth to it. Second was Fatima’s Hand, a story of group who like to parachute jump off of things and the experience they had in a poor African area when the two women jumpers climbed a pinnacle in a dessert area and did their thing. Both stories showed insight into poor communities where the action took place. The other films were perhaps a bit shallow, but still I do enjoy skiers going down what look like 90 degree mountain faces.

Tonight I expect to see a fair number of VFTTers, and remember to meet outside afterwards and we'll go up together to the Dive Bar (Amsterdam, between 95th and 96th).

For those still wavering, here's tonight's bill of fare:



Wednesday, March 7, 2007


First Ascent: Thailand
USA, 2006, 8 minutes
Directed by Peter Mortimer
Produced by Peter Mortimer, Timmy O’Neill, Nick Rosen, Pascal Bronnimann
Focus: Climbing

photo credit: Rob Frost

Steep towers of untouched rock jutting out of the ocean. And the best part is that with only the sea below you, there's no rope. Thailand is a dream come true for David Lama, perhaps the best on-sight climber in the world, and purportedly the future of the sport. Amidst the exotic beauty of the Andaman Coast, Lama and friends take 60-footers into the drink, and bring deep-water soloing to a new level.


Patagonia — A Travel to the End of the World
Norway, 2006, 40 minutes
Directed and produced by Vebjørn Hagen / TV 2 AS
Focus: Adventure/Kayaking
Rating: General — No Advisory

photo credit: Borge Ousiand

Attempting the first unsupported traverse of the Southern Patagonia Icecap, Børge Ousland (appearing in person) and Thomas Ulrich start from the small village of Tortel in August 2003. After three days of paddling into the Patagonian fjords with two kayaks each, they reach the bottom of the Jorge Montt Glacier; from here they carry their equipment up and start skiing across the ice cap. This film is most of all about the spirit of adventure. Few expeditions have had to master so many different skills to reach their goal.


Unchained: New World Disorder VI [short]
Canada, 2005, 7 minutes
Directed by Derek Westerlund
Produced by Derek Westerlund, Carey Bokser
Focus: Mountain Biking
Rating: General — No Advisory

This short excerpt from New World Disorder VI: Unchained showcases a group of young, daring riders who push the limits of freeride mountain biking beyond imagination.


Ride of the Mergansers
USA, 2004, 11 minutes
Directed and produced by Steve Furman / Furman Technologies
Focus: Environment
Rating: General — No Advisory

photo credit: Steve Furman

The hooded merganser is a rare and reclusive duck found only in North America. Every spring, in the Great Lakes region, the wary hen lays and incubates her eggs in a nest high in the trees. Just 24 hours after hatching, the tiny ducklings must make the perilous leap to the ground below in order to begin life in the wild. Ride of the Mergansers brings this hidden drama to the screen.



The Thrill Seekers (Extreme Film School)
UK, 2005, 3 minutes
Directed by Roland Arnison, George Arnison
Focus: “Exteme Sport” / Humour
Rating: General — Nudity

One of the 12 productions from the Kendal Mountain Film Festival Extreme Film School “48-hour Film Marathon.” Two brothers try their hand at mountain biking, climbing and another extreme sport on a camping weekend with hilarious results.



Conflict Tiger
Grand Prize
From the film Conflict Tiger Conflict Tiger Unit ©Yuri Trush 2004 Courtesy of the Banff Center
UK/Sweden, 2005, 62 minutes
Directed and produced by Sasha Snow
Focus: Environment
Rating: Parental Guidance — No Advisory, not suitable for small children

In the forests of the Russian Far East, an inexperienced and foolhardy poacher triggers an infamous series of tiger attacks on people. The authorities call upon the services of Yuri Trush, a specialist in tracking and eliminating tigers that have lost their fear of man. Conflict Tiger takes Yuri’s most notorious pursuit of a “man-eating” tiger as the basis for a documentary thriller. In the aftermath of this epic confrontation, the film emerges as a parable that challenges the cozy illusions of traditional “big cat” natural history by setting the animal’s precarious situation against the pressing needs of human survival.

 

[coldfeet]

My friend is driving me in to the city...hope to be there early app...6....hopefully the snow won't delay us to much....pretty to look at the white stuff before it gets all dirty..

 

[daxs]

It seems like different sites choose different films for the festival. Some of the NY films were not shown in PA where I went and vice versa. Actually, some of the NY picks seem more interesting.

 

[alpinista]

Sad to say, work kept me later than usual yesterday so I missed the festivities. The lineup looked really awesome too. Hope everyone had a good time!

 

[Papa Bear]

It was a good showing but unfortunately only 3 VFTTers (myself, Warren & Coldfeet). Coldfeet won a nice belt pack - and he said he never wins anything.

On the films, the consensus was that if they had put the Tigers in the first half, and the Patagonia trek at the end, the evening would have ended on more of an up beat.

 

[coldfeet]

After finally winning something my wife told me

"You had to win a fanny pack, You couldn't have won Mega Millions?"

I enjoyed the movies and I loved the express train to 34th st..caught the 11:04 and was home an hour later..

 

[Tuco]

Business meetings turned into a business dinner. Sorry I missed it.