Festival organiser Matt Heason
Now in its third year, the Sheffield Adventure Film Festival aims to bring together the best mountain and adventure films from festivals around the world. Between February 29 and March 2 it will show 90-minute compilations of short films, which will be presented and judged by Ian Parnell, Niall Grimes and acclaimed photographer and author Gordon Stainforth. Whether you are an adrenaline junkie or prefer your thrills from the safety of an armchair, there will be something here for you to enjoy.
At last night’s launch I met festival organiser Matt Heason, who introduced what looks like being the most exciting event yet. A preview of some of the upcoming short films covered climbing, snowboarding, mountain biking and even “extreme tubing”. This last, starring the wonderful Zoltan, proved that even among the most serious adventure sports there is room for offbeat humour. The audience clearly loved this one.
One of my favourites was the beautifully shot Trial And Error, an eight-minute short first screened last year at Banff, featuring mountain biker Ryan Leech riding what looks like an impossible trail in the coastal forest of British Columbia. His skill was breathtaking, but equally impressive was his dedication to this magnificent forest, sadly scheduled for logging.
The standout film (and the longest at 34 minutes) was Oil And Water, winner of the special jury award at last year’s Kendal festival. Seth and Tyler are two kayakers who decide to travel the Pan-American highway from Alaska to Argentina using only alternative energy. They convert a Japanese fire truck to run on everything from salmon oil in Canada to pig fat in Guatemala and travel for nine months, stopping off along the way for a spot of surfing, swimming with sharks, kayaking over waterfalls, that kind of thing. Despite being pulled over by the police 26 times in Colombia and carrying out what they refer to as “Third World car repairs” on an engine gunged up with solidified palm oil (think orange Playdoh), they not only reach their destination but become celebrities. From explaining their energy message to schoolchildren, they end up addressing large crowds in their recently acquired Spanish and are feted as they move from country to country. A truly engaging tale.
We'll be bringing you the latest news from the festival over the next few days, so watch this space.
