7; 1998 - North Shore News ~ 23

NEWS photo Mike Waketietd
AN Formanek has assembled a stellar line-up for this weekend's Vancouver Internationa! Mountain Film Festiva! at Centennial Theatre in North Vancouver.

ltitude-fest opens

Mountain Film Festival aspires to dizzying heights with weekend of shows at Centennial Theatre

WHERE better to hold the first annual Vancouver International Le The main event of the testival is, of course, the filnis. An international jury sill

Mountain Film Festival than the North Shore. judge the films tor the te Mowing awards: Best Film Overall, Rest Mountain Sports
Film. Best Film on the Mountain Culture, and Jary’s Award.

In addition toa host of screenings and speakers, festival sponsor The Edge
Chinbing Centre im North Vancouver is hosting a bouldering /climbing conquest
Lamerrow atQ aim. to comede with the festival
The festival kicks off tomyht with the Gala Openmy at 7 pan. Arctic explorer
John Donn will present his Baffin Traverse slide show, and three tilms ~The
fk Spirit, The Far Side of Antarctica and Rivers ef the Cuderworld -~ will be present
Andiew McCredi ed. Phe testival wraps with an awards ceremony Sunday at 6 pom.
a : A full festival pass is S45, a Hill day pass is S19) and single event hekets range from

So thought festival director Alan Formanek.

“The festival’s poal is to approach the vast outdoor communities of the Pacitic
NorthWest, and to offer them films dealing with mountain culture and mountain
sports in an environmentally respectful way.” Formanck said as he prepared for the
three-day te:

“The festival hopes to create a platform tor the exchange of ideas benwcen film
makers, outdoor enthusiasts and the public, while atthe save Gime enecountue the
most artistic and eftectee forms of communicating mountain related experiences.”

And Formanek knows of what he speaks. The Ceech native began chinbing at an carl age Stta $2
and in the P980s was one of the premicr climbers in Europe. Advance nekets are avaiable at Centennial Theatre Centre (884 4484. Visa, Mastercard) and

Judging from the festival's line-up of films and speakers, outdoor enthusiasts will not be dis at Mountann &: sipment Coop 130 W Broadway, Vancouver:

appointed in the mountain-related experiences (For a complete schedule af evcuts see pane 33 i

The forgotten genius of Tesla: 28
College celebrates womens’ day