Image from SALMON SECRETS (2023).
The annual Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF) celebrates outdoor adventure and mountain culture through films, presentations, workshops, and panel discussions. Through its exciting programming focused on unique outdoor experiences from all over the world, the festival connects audiences with filmmakers, creators, and speakers that inspire, entertain, educate, and feed audiences’ adventure spirit.
Now in its 27th edition, the festival is taking place between February 23rd and March 3rd in-person at Centennial Theatre and the Rio Theatre, as well as until March 24th online. Showcasing over 70 curated mountain films, the VIMFF film program covers biking adventures, mountain, water, snow sports, and more.
Here are four B.C. films to look out for on this year’s program:
Canada’s West Coast is the home of a globally significant rainforest, whales, wolves, bears, and more, with salmon as the keystone species of this ecosystem. Not only integral to nature, salmon have also sustained West Coast’s First Nations cultures for millennia; yet all of this is threatened by open net-pen salmon farming. The impacts of this are presented in SALMON SECRETS by bringing in the unique perspectives of those fighting to prevent the extinction of wild salmon. The documentary features First Nations members Skookum John (Keltsmaht First Nation) and Joe Martin (Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation), and traditional Chief Ernest Alfred (Na̱mg̱is First Nation), as well as scientist Alexandra Morton.
In this short documentary, Tessa Treadway and her nine-year-old son, Kasper, use mountain biking to aid the grief of losing their husband and father, professional skier Dave Treadway, who passed away in a backcountry-skiing accident in 2019. For the pair, biking is more than a means of transportation: Kasper finds an outlet for his errant energy, while Tessa finds an escape from the chaos of single motherhood.
Image from SUBTERRANEAN (2023).
SUBTERRANEAN follows two stories of hobbyist cavers attempting to break records for the longest and deepest caves in the country. Katie, a daytime office-worker, becomes determined to return to the Bisaro Anima cave in the Rockies after discovering a flooded underground chamber. At the same time, a passionate caver team from Vancouver Island is attempting to create the longest known cave in Canada by linking two tunnel systems. Muddy crawls, vertical pits, underwater squeezes: this documentary is a testament to true exploration.
This observational documentary follows 44-year-old Joe Lax, Pemberton local and one of the most accomplished backcountry riders. Steering clear from the limelight, Joe Lax has created a life defined by snowboarding, family, and wildfire. In a time when social media engagement seems integral to outdoor adventure sports and their booming industry, DARKHORSE provides an avenue to reevaluate what truly matters.
You can find the complete list of films on the VIMFF website.
