"The selection of films is without doubt the strongest ever." said event organiser Matt Heason. There are a total of sixty two films, of which twenty two feature climbing and mountaineering.
But are films the only thing happening? Heason says not:
"There's also a packed live music programme, an amazing second hand kit sale, free sports massage, a down hill mountain bike race, one of the world's foremost international bouldering masters (The CWIF), and loads, loads more."
Appearing at the event are the likes of Andy Kirkpatrick, Kenton Cool, Niall Grimes, Jerry Moffatt, Ron Fawcett and Lucy Creamer
The Youtube trailer, edited by master filmmaker Alastair Lee, has had 13,000 views in one month.
View it here:
Websites, reviews and trailers to all the films at the festival can be found at www.shaff.co.uk
Here Matt Heason takes us through the twenty two films featuring climbing and mountaineering:
A Life Ascending (57 mins) USA
A LIFE ASCENDING explores the highs and lows of living life on the edge as mountain
ski guide Ruedi Beglinger and his family deal with the ever-present dangers
of their dad working in the avalanche prone Rocky Mountains. Filmed against
the stunning backdrop of their home on a remote glacier in British Columbia,
their story is heart-breaking, uplifting and thought-provoking. It examines
what price is worth paying for living life to the full?
Showing as part of Mountain Films (Sat 5 Mar - 13.30 - Screen 2 , Sun 6 Mar
- 13.00 - Screen 2). Best Film On Mountain Culture - Banff; People's Choice
Award - Banff; Best Mountain Culture Film - Kendal; Plus Many More
Matt's comments: A really engaging and touching film about a well
respected Swiss mountain guide living with his family in the Rockies. Beautifully
filmed with story-telling second to none at the festival this year. It's
won countless awards at other festivals. Don't write it off because it's
not adrenaline fuelled.
Annapurna in Light Style (25 mins) Poland
Piotr Pustelnik is trying to climb his 14th 8000 m peak for the 4th time. This
time together with his good friends Peter Hamor, Piotr Morawski and Darek Zaluski.
This small expedition climbing in light style reaches the summit ridge at almost
8000 m. There they have to decide if they dare the summit push of “only”
150 m despite a storm coming up.
Showing as part of Mountain Films (Sat 5 Mar - 13.30 - Screen 2 , Sun 6 Mar
- 13.00 - Screen 2).
Matt's comments: A typical Eastern European gritty film on high altitude
mountaineering. Lots of beer drinking in a very laid back approach to what is
clearly a gruelling climb.
Down & Out & Under (17 mins) USA
A once-in-a-lifetime adventure expedition for first ascents in Australia and
on the wild sea cliffs of outer Tasmania.
Showing as part of Climbing Films 2 (Sat 5 Mar - 21.00 - Screen 2 , Sun 6 Mar
- 20.30 - Creative Lounge).
Matt's comments: An unusual take on a climbing film actually featuring
very little climbing, but lots of strife, man-wrestling and wallaby bowling.
Guaranteed to make you smile.
Father of the Pride (3 mins) UK
Simon Lee gets on the grit at age 5
Showing as part of Young Adventurers Films (Sat 5 Mar - 11.00 - Screen 2 , Sun
6 Mar - 11.00 - Screen 2).
Matt's comments: A lovely little short, featured in the festival trailer
and capturing those infamous words “come on, get your feet up”.
Crackoholic (29 mins) Sweden / (British Premiere)
CRACKOHOLIC is the story of the history of Europe's best kept climbing secret
- the trad climbing paradise of Bohuslän in Sweden. Featuring archive footage
of Leo Houlding and Neil Gresham's early climbs, the film tells the full story
about this climber's paradise and portrays these granite afficionados, these
Crackoholics. BRITISH PREMIERE.
Showing as part of Climbing Films 1 (Sat 5 Mar - 17.00 - Screen 1 , Sun 6 Mar
- 15.30 - Screen 2).
Matt's comments: This is a short edit of a longer feature length film.
If you like trad climbing and have not hear of Bohuslan then I guarantee that
it will be high on your list of places to visit as soon as you have watched
it. The filmmaker will be at the festival to answer any questions you have about
the place! He's over with a mate to sample some gritstone cracks...
First Ascent - Brothers Wild (24 mins) USA
In BROTHERS WILD pro-climber Timmy O'Neill and his brother Sean - who is paralysed
from the waist down - push the limits of adaptive climbing. Together they conquer
the 3,000 foot face of California's El Capitan, then face the challenge of the
treacherous glacier and remote rock wall of Alaska's storm-stricken Ruth Gorge.
This short film includes interviews with the O'Neill family about how they and
Sean have come to terms with disability since a bridge-jumping accident aged
18.
Showing as part of Climbing Films 1 (Sat 5 Mar - 17.00 - Screen 1 , Sun 6 Mar
- 15.30 - Screen 2).
Matt's comments: A really well made short film about the O'Neill
family. Funny, engaging, heart warming. It has the lot.
First Ascent - Fly Or Die (24 mins) USA
Cutting-edge climber Dean Potter is creating a new climbing frontier: the Base
Free Solo. By combining free-solo climbing and base jumping, Dean is on a quest
to master disciplines that will lead to a bold evolution of the sport. Is this
the same as first ascent?
Showing as part of Adrenaline Films (Sat 5 Mar - 18.30 - Screen 2 , Sun 5 Mar
- 18.00 - Screen 2). SPECIAL JURY MENTION - Banff
Matt's comments: A few years ago when Tim Emmett and Leo Houlding
started BASE jumping it was clear what their goal was – to climb big walls
with nothing but a chalk bag, a pair of boots and a parachute. Dean Potter has
taken this incredibly pure 'sport' further than anybody else.
First Ascent - Point Of No Return (24 mins) USA
POINT OF NO RETURN charts the story of Jonny Copp and Micah Dash's attempt to
make a first ascent of China's Mt Edgar via the east side during warm weather
that makes the route prone to avalanches. "It's scary," Jonny tells
cameraman Wade Johnson. "I've been on a lot of expeditions with Jonny,"
says Micah, "and that's the first time I've ever heard him refer to something
as 'scary.'" They were right to be unnerved.
Showing as part of Mountain Films (Sat 5 Mar - 13.30 - Screen 2 , Sun 6 Mar
- 13.00 - Screen 2). Judges Special Prize - Kendal
Matt's comments: This film really highlights the camaraderie that
exists within the climbing community, their friends quite literally dropping
everything to fly out to China when help is needed. It made me glad that I chose
to be a climber.
The Swiss Machine (19 mins) USA
Stunning aerial footage of Ueli Steck's record-breaking speed ascents in the
Alps. THE SWISS MACHINE charts the amazing feats of perhaps the greatest speed
alpinist the world has ever seen. Ueli literally races up 8,000 foot mountains
doing in hours what other mountaineers take days to achieve. He even pushes
renowned climber Alex Honnold to his limits on the big rock faces of Yosemite.
Showing as part of Climbing Films 2 (Sat 5 Mar - 21.00 - Screen 2 , Sun 6 Mar
- 20.30 - Creative Lounge). Best Mountaineering Film - Kendal
Matt's comments: The final few minutes of this short film is probably
the finest and most hair raising bit of adventure-sport footage I have ever
seen. The rest of the film is pretty good too! Definitely one of my favourites
and also features my favourite music track of 2010 (Welcome Home Son by Radical
Face)
Nouvelle Vague (31 mins) Switzerland / (British Premiere)
NOUVELLE VAGUE is an energetic and unusual film entirely dedicated to urban
Street Climbing. Filmed in Geneva, top climbers scale buildings and bridges
showing that with a bit of imagination adventure can be found on the corner
of your street. Featuring Spiderman aka Alain Robert. BRITISH PREMIERE.
Showing as part of Climbing Films 1 (Sat 5 Mar - 17.00 - Screen 1 , Sun 6 Mar
- 15.30 - Screen 2).
Matt's comments: Probably the best film to date on urban climbing.
Filmed exclusively in Geneva it shows the city off incredibly well via a series
of well filmed climbing japes on amazing architecture. Perhaps the local tourist
board should use it as a promotional video!
The Architect (16 mins) UK
A tribute to Robin Smith and Jimmy Marshall's famous week on Ben Nevis in 1960.
Showing as part of Climbing Films 2 (Sat 5 Mar - 21.00 - Screen 2 , Sun 6 Mar
- 20.30 - Creative Lounge). People's Choice at Kendal, Edinburgh & Dundee
Matt's comments: Paul Diffley's award winning documentary about
an amazing week of Scottish mountaineering. This is a short edit of the full
feature and works very nicely on its own.
The Hardest Move (17 mins) USA
Daniel Woods and Paul Robinson compete to climb the hardest boulders ever scaled.
An inside look at what it takes to push the difficulty envelope of this intense
sport.
Showing as part of Climbing Films 2 (Sat 5 Mar - 21.00 - Screen 2 , Sun 6 Mar
- 20.30 - Creative Lounge).
Matt's comments: It's hard to go a few days at the moment without
hearing something about these two young men. Josh Lowell has put together as
competent a character study as I've seen yet in climbing films.
The Prophet (41 mins) UK
Following the UK's top big wall climber Leo Houlding as he revisits his 10 year
project; 'The Prophet', an exceptionally steep, loose and difficult route on
the east face of Yosemite's El Cap. Leo describes the route as 'the wildest
climb I've ever been on'. This has to be seen to be believed, crazy climbing.
Showing as part of Climbing Films 2 (Sat 5 Mar - 21.00 - Screen 2 , Sun 6 Mar
- 20.30 - Creative Lounge). Best Film & Best Climbnig Film - Kendal
Matt's comments: Hardly needs any comment. Leo Houlding is an amazing
climber. El Capitan is an amazing cliff. Alastair Lee is an amazing filmmaker.
If you haven't seen it yet then it's well worth a watch.
Tuzgle (21 mins) France / (British Premiere)
Featuring Nina Caprez, Michael Fuselier and their friends actually discovering
and exploring the fantastic climbing possibilities around the Tuzgle volcano
in the wild deserts of Argentina.
Showing as part of Climbing Films 1 (Sat 5 Mar - 17.00 - Screen 1 , Sun 6 Mar
- 15.30 - Screen 2).
Matt's comments: What I love about this film, apart from the fact
that the protagonists are clearly having a lot of fun, is that they found the
place using Google Earth. An inspiration to us all and something any of us can
do if we have the inclination.
ShAFF is supported by: Jagged Globe,
UKClimbing, Hammer
Design, Edinburgh
Bicycle Cooperative, Sheffield
Telegraph, Petzl, Arc'teryx and Mammut
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