UKC

UKC's Top Kendal Films for 2017

© Ola Stepien

Kendal Mountain Festival is a week away and we thought we'd let you know the films that we're most excited about. As always, there's an eclectic mix of different styles, stories and visuals, capturing some of the best stories and ascents in climbing.

Psychovertical – Jen Randall

Jen Randall's biopic based on Andy Kirkpatrick's 'Psycho Vertical' just picked up the Best Climbing Film award at BANFF, meaning it's not to be missed. Jen tackles the often outrageous and difficult topic of Andy by looking at his motivations, humour and emotions, all woven into an 18 day solo ascent of El Capitan.

Solo – Pete Whittaker and Adam Bailes

Last year Pete Whittaker rope soloed Freerider on El Capitan, climbing all the pitches free in just over 20 hours. Pete teamed up with Director Adam Bailes to document the ascent, and he filmed himself on a GoPro whilst alone on the wall – giving the film a very authentic feel. Here's a short preview to give you an idea of the suffering ahead...

Bonington: Mountaineer – Brian Hall and Keith Partridge

Stories of friendship, love, risk and devastating loss run deep through this intimate journey of one man's dream. the film looks retrospectively, from his rock climbing days in the UK through to visionary ascents on the high peaks of the Himalaya and shares the remarkable and poignant life of one of the world's best-known mountaineers – Sir Chris Bonington.

Break On Through/Margo – Reel Rock

Margo Hayes, a little known 19-year-old from Boulder, Colorado, is determined to climb 9a+. To be closer to the world's hardest routes, she has moved to Europe, where she trains and climbs with the goal of succeeding on two of the most iconic 5.15s in France and Spain. But pushing her body and mind to the absolute limit, she risks injury and failure in her quest to be the first.

Beyond the Wall – Ray Wood and Ed Douglas

The creation of Wadi Climbing and Palestine's first climbing gym in Ramallah has been key to developing a community of rock climbers in the West Bank. This short film looks at what it means to be a climber living here, through spending time with two local climbers Anas and Urwah Askar, and talking to one of the founders of the Wadi Climbing project, Tim Bruns.

Beyond the Wall

The Ario Dream – Paul Diffley

Not strictly a climbing film, but Paul Diffley has been making movies for our screens for over a decade now and he's turned his hand to caving. The film follows the latest 2016/17 expeditions as they try to make the last few connections that could result in the deepest cave system in Europe. This is a gripping account of 'expedition-style' cave exploration involving underground camps and complex logistics, and where the penalties for unforeseen emergencies or problems are severe. At the apex of the operation are the cave divers, pushing into the unknown in deep sumps where rescue is not an option. The tension, as each diver disappears into the blackness, is genuine…

Kendal Mountain Festival 2017

Kendal Mountain Festival is by far the largest and most varied event of its type in the world - it is also the main social event for outdoor enthusiasts in the UK.

'Kendal' is one of the leading festivals of its kind in the world. It is an internationally-known event, attracting film premieres from around the globe. Film makers, TV producers, adventurers, climbers and world-class lecturers gather to take part in four packed days of the very best films, speakers, books and exhibitions covering all aspects of mountain and adventure sports culture. It is also the main social event for outdoor enthusiasts in the UK and 2016 will be our 17th straight year.

- Book tickets on the KENDAL MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL SITE

- Grab a Film Pass here: FILM PASS


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