The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour is back after a two-year absence from Syracuse University. Where’d it go? Well, in short, everywhere.

The Banff Mountain Festival is a weeklong film, book and international photography festival in the mountainous regions of Canada. More than 1,000 film submissions are made each year, and those that pass a number of rigorous judging panels receive the honor of touring North America in the festival’s world tour.

Sponsored by Syracuse University’s Outing Club, the festival has returned to campus as part of its world tour since its last appearance in 2008. From students and professors to outside community members, many were excited to see the 10 films that were shown.

The turnout was better than expected, and Grant Auditorium was nearly sold out, said Allie Burhans, a junior environmental science major in the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and an active member of the Outing Club. She was honored and ecstatic to organize the festival’s return.

After talking to Harry Berking and Matt Worstell, former presidents of the Outing Club, their motives to increase club exposure became clear.

‘There are many students who participate in the very types of activities we sponsor and don’t even realize that we exist,’ Worstell said. ‘We want them to attend the festival and in turn get outdoors, have a good time, join the club and of course spread the word.’

However, it wasn’t just students who reached out and provided insight on the festival’s activities. Bryan Schoeffler, the leader of a Christian ministry outdoor adventure group of Bath, N.Y., and a veteran of the Banff Festival, explained the following always seemed to appeal to a select group of outdoor enthusiasts and that he would love to see a larger audience.

Larry Cook, an outdoor enthusiast from Bath, said the films were breathtaking. From the meticulously edited mountain bike feature ‘Life Cycles’ to the stimulating story of the professional speed climber in ‘The Swiss Machine,’ all the films captured adventure, mountain culture and the environment in just a few short hours, he said.

‘They’re a selection of unusual independent films that you can’t see anywhere else,’ said Nancy Hanser, who described herself as the ‘road warrior’ representative from the Banff Centre.

A particular favorite of the films was ‘Eastern Rises,’ an intuitive look into the excursions of American fly fishermen in the never-before-explored rivers of Russia. Though this was the favorite, every film had viewers on the edge of their seats.

The films received standing ovations, and those in attendance said they were speechless and in awe.

Said Schoeffler: ‘In watching the films, one gets the impression that a human being can do anything when motivated — an enlightening experience that brings back my youth.’

[email protected]

Published on February 15, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Ian: [email protected]