By Abigale Kreinheder
Celebrate Earth Day in proper fashion this year and embrace the beauty of our planet at the annual Banff Center Mountain Film Festival. Nurture your adventurous souls and curiosity of the natural world through film. This year’s world tour of the film festival features some of the most creative and anecdotal films the centre has ever seen. The two-day event will feature two different programs of the world’s best mountain sport, culture, and environmental films. Holiday Valley is a proud sponsor of the 2023 festival held at the The Reg Lenna Center for the Arts, 116 E. 3rd St., Jamestown, NY over Earth Day weekend April 21-22 from 7-10pm The world has dramatically changed in the few past years. The pandemic reshaped the world and our minds, and the filmmakers have as well. “They are spending more time with their craft, dealing with challenging subject matter differently, and they have decided that the voices of underrepresented communities need to be heard. 
This year’s program amplifies a new world, rich with alternate narratives and viewpoints,” Joanna Croston the festival and world tour director. After two years of isolation people have been eager to get back to the good old times. But many adventures never stopped; extraordinary solo journeys by climbers, skiers, and adventurers are documented in the films. Life is short and goes by faster than anyone would like to admit. The pandemic amplified peoples’ will to make the most of everyday and live life to the fullest. These films inspire the audience to seize the day and appreciate the world. Like every year prior, the films keep you on the edge of your seat as you look at the beautiful landscapes around the world. The films capture those that were called by mother nature to fulfill inspiring quests and experience what the world has to offer. The film festival provides a taste of travel and adventure that almost makes you want to try to jump into the screen and join in. It’s such an invigorating experience watching people on their world explorations. “Whatever the past two years have taught us we know one thing for sure, it’s good to be back and it’s great to have new stories to tell,” Joanna Croston, festival and world tour director. The films are shown across the US and Canada and in 40 countries around the world to share what humans are capable of and how beautiful Earth really is. The Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival is an arm of the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, a renowned learning organization with a rich history of artistic and creative excellence since 1933. The organization began in the Canadian Rockies and has since expanded to become a global leader in arts, culture, and creativity. The festival has not failed their mission as an organization. Each year the films inspire progressive conversations and creative thinking among audiences across the globe.
Tickets for the Jamestown screening in April can be purchased online through the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts.