Kendal Mountain Festival begins this Thursday evening and there's still time to book tickets! As always, we thought we would let you know about some of the films we're most excited about. From huge big walls to challenges in the Scottish hills and squats in Sheffield - there's something for everybody in this years' festival.

Liv Along The Way - 22 minutes, Directed by Mike Douglas

Since she first summited Mont Blanc as a teen, Liv Sansoz knew she would make her life in the mountains. She was twice crowned World Champion in sport climbing, and eventually expanded her professional horizons to mixed climbing, ski mountaineering, and base jumping. In 2017, at 40 years old, Liv set out from her base in Chamonix, France to attempt to climb all 82 4000m peaks in the European Alps in a single year. As she's learned several times throughout her life, things don't always go as planned.

Read our recent interview with Liv and get tickets here

Free Solo – Directed by E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin

The film that everyone is talking about. The first screening at Kendal sold out so quickly that they added another on Sunday. Filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin's multi-award-winning documentary follows Alex Honnold's quest to free solo El Capitan. The film explores Alex's motivations and attempts to contextualise how impressive Alex's achievement is. A must watch film about one of the greatest feats in rock climbing.

Get tickets here

Dawn Wall – Directed by Josh Lowell and Peter Mortimer

Another film about El Capitan… It's been three years since the first ascent of the Dawn Wall by Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson and many more since Big Up Productions/Sender Films began filming on the route. The hyperbole surrounding the climb was extraordinary and the ascent transcended traditional climbing media, with even Barack Obama chipping in. The question is: will the film live up to the hype surrounding it?

The piece covers Caldwell and Jorgeson's 20-day push on the wall, but also delves into Caldwell's backstory; the events in his life that shaped him and eventually led him to the Dawn Wall. Essential viewing about the hardest big wall in the world.

Get tickets here

Blood Moon – 30 minutes, Directed by Alastair Lee

The film follows Robbie Phillips, Calum Cunningham and Alan Carne as they attempt a new climb on a 700m big wall in Madagascar. Once the free climbing begins disaster strikes, Alan takes a bad fall shattering his lower right leg, an epic ordeal unfolds to get Alan from the remote big wall to safety. From here the mood changes, Robbie and Calum are left with some big questions and bigger fears as they must decide whether to continue with their push or give in to their emotions as they learn the hardest way possible what it takes to open a Big Wall on one of the sheerest vertical faces in Africa.

Alastair Lee blends his trademark stunning cinematography with a proper adventure.

Get tickets here

The 24/8 – 16 minutes, Directed by Kevin Woods

Established by Dave MacLeod on the 19th March 2018, the '24/8' might be one of the hardest all-round climbing challenges around; an 8A boulder, 8a sport route, E8 trad route, VIII, 8 winter route and 8 Munros, all in under 24 hours.

Get tickets here

Statement of Youth – 60 minutes, Directed by Nick Brown

UKC's new feature-length documentary following the highs and lows of the UK climbing scene in the 80s. The 1980s saw climbing standards rise exponentially. At the start of the decade, 7b+ was cutting edge, but by the end of the decade 9a was the new world standard.

A small group of climbers would do anything to allow themselves to climb full-time; sleeping in sheds underneath crags, shoplifting for food and clothes, and living off the dole.

Statement of Youth features those climbers who went on to become some of the most influential figures in the history of British climbing, including Jerry Moffatt, Ben Moon, Andy Pollitt, Martin 'Basher' Atkinson, Chris Gore, Zippy, Craig Smith, Steve the Pro, Mark Leach, Quentin Fisher and Ed Douglas.

Get tickets here