Words :: Bob Covey
The 50th iteration of the world-famous Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival is fast approaching. For Mountain Lifers, there’s a 70L pack’s worth of reasons to beeline it to the Bow Valley from Nov 1-9—whether you’re an adrenaline-chasing cinophile, glacier science savant, budding creative, or simply want to peep the outdoor industry’s most cutting-edge gear.
As a film fanatic, community journalist and mountain culture crawler, here are five reasons why I’m personally buzzing to dip into the various hives of activity at the Banff Centre and its BMFBF satellite sites.
1. To Root for the Home Team
The Bow Valley gets a bad rap for Patagucci-clad pretenders, and sure, if you’re caught in the summer surge of tourists at Moraine Lake mid-July, there may be some truth to that stereotype. However, this is the OG of Canadian national parks we’re talking about, and it doesn’t take a visit to the Whyte Museum to realize that when it comes to pioneers of rock and ice, the hallowed grounds of Banff NP have been churning out hard men and women for more than a century.
That’s why I’m pumped to give props to some of the locals who continue to send it to the moon, while remaining grounded to the land that gave them the opportunity. At the Bow Valley Showcase (Sunday, November 9) I’ll be cheering for Canmore’s forever-young ice hero, Will Gadd in Wall of Walls; shouting out Siksika climber Cassie Ayoungman for bringing the healing power of the mountains to those within her community in Iikaiksimatsa’pao’p; and claiming “I’ve been there” when the wild ice of the Canadian Rockies inspires an ex-competitive figure skater in Elladj.
2. To Meet the Authors
Writing is hard. Writing a book is very hard. Writing a book in a strong, unique voice, with a clear market audience and a fresh, compelling concept is, for many aspiring authors, almost inconcievably complex. But in Banff, every fall, festival organizers give budding creatives the opportunity to connect to the people who specialize in bottling that magic, including not just the writers themselves, but the publishers they hope to someday pitch.
I have fond memories of meeting legendary author and adventurer Chic Scott, who told me at his book event a dozen years ago to “Get a life, not a job.” He also suggested that I could save money by eating left-behind oatmeal at Alpine Club of Canada huts. Duly noted, Chic! This year I hope to glean other writing tips by attending a stack of book programming, including alpinist and BMFBF director Joanna Croston’s discussion on Mountaineering Women and mountain masher Greg Hill’s talk about his memoir, I Could Die At Any Moment.
3. For a Wade Davis Redo
I first went to BMFF in 2012. One of the big draws, for me, was hearing eminent ethnographer, writer and filmmaker, Wade Davis, speak live on stage about his 2011 book, Into the Silence. I’d listened to Davis’ brilliant Massey lectures The Wayfinders on repeat; to me just the sound of his professerial voice was satisfying—never mind how he illuminates the richness of diverse cultures and the human experience.
Unfortunately, my own human experience of day drinking in the hotel hot tub left me dull and dopey, and as soon as I took my seat in the Jenny Belzbeg Theatre and heard Davis’ soothing baritone, I could hardly hold my head up. My embarrassed girlfriend (now wife) was elbowing me awake but I ended up missing most of what should have been my personal best of the fest. Awkward! This year, when Davis returns to the stage on November 8 to reflect on his life’s work with journalist Ian Gill, I’ll skip the hot tub happy hour and hopefully (if Davis doesn’t read this first) get my book signed.
4. To Hear The Theme Song
Like many regular festival-goers, whenever I think of the BMFF, my mind’s ear immediately conjures up the signature theme song from the festival’s epic trailer. Those strings, those timpanis, those tubular bells!
While I’m excited to view gorgeously filmed stories of adventure from around the world, I doubt the stoke would be so high were it not for the seven-minute musical lead-in, composed nearly three decades ago by the late Jacques Blackstone. In 2017, Banff Centre audio engineers enhanced the song to drive up the pulsing, energizing rhythm and each year, every single film selected has a small clip in the trailer, a feat adeptly accomplished by festival video editor Jozef Karoly. Sound up!
And finally…
5. To Be Seen in my New Puffy Coat While Sipping an Oat Milk Latté
I’m not above it! Save my mom and me a seat on the Moraine Lake shuttle!
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