The Best of Banff

Maybe you’re not quite ready to quit that cushy office job for an adrenaline-powered, snowboard-punk stoner lifestyle, but after watching films included in the 33rd annual Banff Mountain Film Festival, you might feel like you could. The festival took place last November, but some of the top movies are now...

By R. Kelly Liggin

February 19, 2009

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Maybe you’re not quite ready to quit that cushy office job for an adrenaline-powered, snowboard-punk stoner lifestyle, but after watching films included in the 33rd annual Banff Mountain Film Festival, you might feel like you could. The festival took place last November, but some of the top movies are now on tour and will stop at the Boulder Theater, 2032 14th Street in Boulder, tonight and tomorrow.

And there’s more than just snowboarding. In fact, the highlight might be Red Gold, says Mark Guebert-Steward, outreach administrator for the event’s host, the Denver REI flagship store. The Colorado-made documentary, which won the festival’s people’s choice award, highlights the clash between environmentalists and the mining interests they oppose along Alaska’s famed Bristol Bay. Still, you can rest assured that the two-hour screenings do boast their share of bad-assed jaw-droppers: rock climbers who specialize in punishing falls, flying BASE jumpers in winged suits, and, yes, even a short centered on the adrenaline-powered, snowboard-punk stoner lifestyle.

Tickets for the 7 p.m. shows are $15 and include parking; they can be purchased in advance at any REI store or the Boulder Theater. For more information, log on to www.banffcentre.ca/mountainculture/tour or call 303-786-7030.
Feb. 24-25, 7 p.m., 2009

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