Forget the Oscars. Austin’s outdoorsy set prefers the documentaries and short films of the Banff Film Festival.
The festival’s on-the-road component stops at the Paramount Theatre in Austin on March 2 and 3. This year’s lineup includes a gritty collection of films about skiing, climbing, mountain biking, running, mountain culture, exploration, fishing and the environment.
Proceeds from the event, hosted by Whole Earth Provision Co., will benefit Texas State Parks. The money will help fund day-to-day operational expenses, create park trail maps and enhance visitor programs.
If you’ve been to Banff Film Festival before, you probably remember that the two-day event once featured the more nature-oriented World Tour films one day and the adrenaline-pumped Radical Reels the next. Festival organizers have discontinued Radical Reels and will show two different World Tour programs. Each night will feature different films.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and films start at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and films start at 6 pm on Sunday. Tickets are $23.73 each night online. For more information or to purchase tickets go to https://www.wholeearthprovision.com/info/banff-mountain-film-festival#preview.
The Banff Mountain Film Festival began in Banff, Canada in 1976. A small number of the 400 or so films entered into the festival are chosen to tour the globe.
I just returned from Banff, where temperatures in mid-February sunk to minus 35 degrees Celsius. My face hurt, but that didn’t take away from the sheer beauty of the place. (I’m guessing it won’t be as cold here in Austin for the show.)
The Paramount Theatre is located at 713 Congress Avenue.
