Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival Celebrates 25 Years
Festival director Alan Formanek talks about some of his favourite moments, "John Bachar in one of his rare performances, playing saxophone on stage"
The Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF) is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with a number of amazing films that will be screening in Vancouver next week. VIMFF is a multi-media event that includes international outdoor films, live presentations, photo exhibitions, workshops and seminars.
Founder and festival director Alan Formanek worked with a few others to launch the first five-event show in 1998. This year’s festival will run from Feb. 25 to March 5, and will offer in person shows as well as virtual streaming events. There will be three main shows: Climbing, Snowsports and Wild Places.
“This is the first time we will be offering the festival in a hybrid model with in-person and online shows,” said festival director and founder Alan Formanek about the 2022 festival. “The world has changed a lot over the last two years and we had to adapt. We were hoping for a bigger, celebratory event, but needed to scale down a lot. It is great the festival is here, alive, growing more than ever before.”
When asked what has been one of the most amazing VIMFF experiences for you in the past few decades? Formanek said, “There are too many to remember just one. Being a climber, I am very biased and tend to remember mostly the climbing shows. Chris Sharma doing his very first big public show after climbing Realization in Ceuse. John Bachar in one of his rare performances, playing saxophone on stage and then with a local jazz bank in a local pub. Guy Edwards presenting on his epic Coastal Traverse. Taking VIMFF on a BC Tour with a used veggie oil powered car, a 1984 Mercedes, nicknamed “George Oilwell” (for the 1984 Orwellian connection).”
There have been dozens of now-classic climbing films screen at VIMFF, but a few stick out for Formanek more than most. “Vlad Cellier’s 2013 Rockin’ Cuba is one of my all-time favourites and I have watched it many times. Love the way how it combines music and video, I find it very special and unique.”
He also said that the award-winning paddling film Solo from 2008 was memorable. “It was incredibly powerful and sad, with Andrew McAuley attempting a solo kayak expedition from Australia to New Zealand.”
The climbing show this year will include the world premiere of Frontlines, a B.C. premiere of Not Alone, and E11 Lexicon by Alastair Lee. For a full list of films visit here.
VIMFF 2022
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