If you have ever had the chance to attend an adventure film festival, you know just how inspiring they can be. Beyond the screenings of incredible outdoor adventure films, the community that comes together brings tangible excitement to the air. Workshops, speakers and prize giveaways are just some of the bonus activities often associated with adventure film festivals, and all add even more to the motivation to get outside. Chances are if you live near a decently populated city, one of these adventure film festivals will stop by you, so check it out yourself to see what all the excitement is all about.
Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival
The official Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival takes place each fall in Alberta and includes nine days of inspiring adventure storytelling. For those that can’t make this epic festival in Canada, Banff also hosts one of the most impressive world tours out there. Hitting nearly every state in the U.S. and numerous international locations ranging from Antarctica to Wales, there’s plenty of opportunities to catch a show near you.
Reel Rock Film Tour
Whether you consider yourself a climber or not, the Reel Rock Film Tour can easily inspire you to find new adventures. Founded in 2006, the Reel Rock Film Tour visits a long list of U.S. cities and international venues each year—and can often be a definitive gathering of the climbing community of those areas. A combination of special presentations, athlete cameos, and prize giveaways usually accompany each showing, and for the full experience, Reel Rock also hosts a special Reel Rock Fest in select cities.
European Outdoor Film Tour
Seen by over a quarter-million people each year, the European Outdoor Film Tour (E.O.F.T.) is one of the biggest gathering and celebrations of the outdoor community in Europe. For the last 17 years, the E.O.F.T has screened heart-pumping features one after another, and it’s not uncommon for patrons to leave a show believing they can do something they have never done before. Just the trailer alone is enough to make you want to pack up your bags.
Adventure Film Festival
Touching on all types of adventure-focused films, including conservation based, adrenaline enticing and cinematically appealing, the Adventure Film Festival looks to inspire and bring together the adventure community. With 2017/18 dates including Boulder, Bozeman, Seattle and New York, as well as international locations such as Chile, Rome and Israel, there is plenty of chances to catch the speakers, seminars and showtimes.
The Adventure Travel Film Festival
Hosted and organized by outdoor journalist and advocates Lois Pryce and Austin Vince, the 2017/18 schedule for the Adventure Travel Film Festival includes locations in England, Scotland and across Australia. Featuring independent travel-focused films, including vintage material dating back to the 1930’s, half the fun of this laid-back festival is the community and camping that takes place between the two days of screenings.