Sheffield Adventure Film Festival is celebrating its 10th birthday this month (March 20-22).  The weekend long festival – presented by technical outdoor equipment specialists Rab and supporting Sheffield’s Helipad Appeal – now attracts more than three thousand visitors.  

With a record 116 of the best adventure, extreme sports and travel films handpicked from all over the world, organisers Heason Events reckon they now show more films than any other adventure festival anywhere in the world.  

BROWSE WHAT'S ON & BUY TICKETS (most sessions are £8.50 / £6)

This year’s festival video trailer is produced by award-winning Peak District filmmakers Polished Project with a voiceover by Sheffield climber and author Niall Grimes.  
 

There are four Climb Film sessions and a Mountain Film session including Kendal Mountain Festival Grand Prize Winner Valley Uprising as well as Kendal’s Best Climbing Film - Sufferfest II and Best Mountaineering Film – Metanoia plus Stone Free from Alastair Lee’s Brit Rock Tour which took the Best Adrenaline Film prize.

Dave McLeod's latest film Project Fear (The Coldhouse Collective) will premiere as part of a new, special Made in Sheffield film session.  

The Friday night BMC Climb Session with Steve McClure (Fri 21.00) features a screening of his latest film Verdon.

On Sunday ShAFF patron Andy Kirkpatrick will be premiering his latest film X Box To Ice as part of a Risky Play session on encouraging children to have adventures with Tim Meek from DoTryThisAtHome.com.  

New to ShAFF this year is the ShAFF Fringe which sees the return of Industry Hangout for filmmakers hosted by the Outdoor Industries Association as well as new invitation only events like the BMC ShAFF Ambassadors Hangout for local athletes and free, public events like the Viewranger Technology Forum with Matt Pycroft (Coldhouse Collective) and Ian Burton (Image Impossible) as well as the Hot Aches Filmmaking Masterclass with Paul Diffley and Chris Prescott.

WOMEN IN ADVENTURE

ShAFF organisers are making a big push this year to promote women in adventure following criticism of the lack of female representation in previous years.  

• There are twice as many films made by or featuring women and BMC TV are running a Women in Mountain Adventure short film competition with the winner being shown on the big screen at the festival.  
• You can also see the Lowepro and MyOutdoors Women in Adventure photography exhibition and competition.
• Mina Leslie-Wujastyk and climbing film maker Jen Randall will be on the panel of guests including Everest summiteer Squash Falconer at the launch of the Women In Adventure Network on Saturday 21st March.
• On Friday night Paralympic cyclist Karen Darke, paralysed in a climbing accident at the age of 21, will be presenting the premiere of her new film IMPossible (Polished Project) about her Ironman attempt.   Joining her will be former England rugby captain Catherine Spencer who has just made her first alpine climbs.
   

SUPPORTING THE SHEFFIELD HELIPAD APPEAL

A suggested £1 from every ticket sold will be given to the appeal to raise funds for a new helipad at the Northern General Hospital.  In addition, all proceeds ticket sales from a special 2 hour programme of the Best of ShAFF Classics from the last decade will go to the charity.     Climbing legend Johnny Dawes has also thrown his weight behind the campaign a year after his accident on Stanage. 

Dan Thompson, Marketing Manager for Rab, said: “Rab Carrington started Rab® in Sheffield in 1981 and the brand has been synonymous with the local climbing scene ever since.  Rab have supported ShAFF since its inception and we are proud to be involved with Heason Events making ShAFF one of the world’s leading adventure film festivals especially here, in our ‘home’ city.

“Since 1981 we have been making clothing and equipment to keep climbers, mountaineers and adventurers safe and comfortable in the most extreme conditions.  During that time we have worked closely with photographers and filmmakers to help them develop whilst documenting the achievements of our athlete team and of the wider climbing community.”

Matt Heason, Festival Director, said, “We’re immensely proud to be associated with a British company that was born in Sheffield and is now based in neighbouring Derbyshire.  Rab have supported ShAFF from the outset.  It seems particularly fitting that it is Rab that is enabling us to celebrate the depth and breadth of talent in the UK’s outdoor and adventure filmmaking industry on our 10th birthday.”

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Find out more at www.shaff.co.uk