We're excited to announce the film lineup for the sold-out 2016 Banff Mountain Film Festival in Chico! Thanks to our hosting partner Chico Performances and to our Summit Level Sponsors: Mountain Sports, CSU, Chico Recreational Sports, Klean Kanteen and the Chico News & Review.


55 Hours in Mexico

(2015, USA, 9 min)

Filmmakers: Joey Schusler, Karl Thompson, Thomas Woodson
Website: www.joeyschusler.com
Classification: Parental Guidance; coarse language
Film Synopsis: Fly to Veracruz on a Friday, rent a car, climb the third-highest peak in North America, ski down and return to your desk Monday. How hard could it be?

The Important Places
Best Short Mountain Film – sponsored by The North Face
(2015, USA, 9 min) Filmmaker: Gnarly Bay, Forest Woodward
Website: www.gnarlybay.com
Classification: General; coarse language Film
Synopsis: Using a mix of old 16mm footage and new visuals, a son rediscovers the necessity of returning to and protecting “the important places” in our lives.

Builder
(2015, Canada, 9 min)
Filmmakers: Julian Coffey, Scott Secco
Website: www.pinkbike.com/builder
Classification: General; coarse language
Film Synopsis: Some people grow up and leave childish things behind. Others just take their childhood dreams and turn them up to 11 as they age. Building trails and tricks for your mountain bike never gets old, no matter your age.

Living Rivers: Surf
(2015, USA, 3 min)
Filmmaker: Max Lowe
Website: www.maxlowemedia.com
Classification: General; no advisory
Film Synopsis: There is a new and emerging river surfing scene in Montana.

Unbranded
People’s Choice Award – sponsored by Osprey
(2015, USA, 46 min)
Filmmakers: Dennis Aig, Phillip Baribeau
Website: www.unbrandedthefilm.com
Classification: Parental Guidance; coarse language
Film Synopsis: Four men and 16 wild mustangs set off on a 5000 kilometre journey across the American West from Mexico to Canada. In the spirit of true adventure, whiskey is drunk, tempers fly, tragedy strikes, and the bonds of friendship hold fast. But can the journey help save the plight of the wild horses roaming on public lands? Only time will tell.

intermission

Paddle for the North
(2015, New Zealand, 27 min)
Filmmaker: Alexander Behse, Simon Lucas
Website: www.paddleforthenorth.org
Classification: Parental Guidance; coarse language
Film Synopsis: On an adventure of a lifetime, six young guys paddle to some of the most remote rivers in North America. It's a 1,500 km, 63- day mission to truly discover the secrets of the north and to show the world why some places are worth preserving before they are changed forever.

UnReal
(2015, USA, 12min)
Filmmaker: Teton Gravity Research
Website: www.tetongravity.com
Classification: General; no advisory
Film Synopsis: Imagine a world where you ride the perfect trail perfectly, and sometime snow isn’t the only stuff that falls from the sky. When you spend all of your time at work dreaming about mountain biking, which life is real?

Denali
(2015, USA, 8 min)
Filmmakers: Ben Moon, Ben Knight
Website: www.benmoon.com
Classification: General, no advisory
Film Synopsis: There's no easy way to say goodbye to a friend, especially when they've supported you through your darkest times. A collaboration between Ben Knight, Skip Armstrong and Ben Moon.

The Last Dragons
(2014, USA, 10 min)
Filmmakers: Jeremy Monroe, David Herasimtschuk
Website: www.freshwatersillustrated.org
Classification: General; no advisory
Film Synopsis: An intimate glimpse at North America's Eastern Hellbender, an ancient salamander as mythical as it is real. And in many waters, myths are all that remain of these sentinel stream-dwellers.

Paradise Waits
(2015, USA, 7 min)
Filmmakers: Teton Gravity Research
Website: www.tetongravity.com
Classification: General; no advisory
Film Synopsis: How do you celebrate winter when snow finally falls? Freeskier Tim Durtschi takes tram laps at Jackson Hole and big mountain skier Angel Collinson rips up some Alaskan lines.

Nature RX
(2015, USA, 1 min)
Filmmaker: Justin Bogardus
Website: www.nature-rx.org
Classification: General; no Advisory
Film Synopsis: Is life a little too mundane or overwhelming ? Feeling tired, irritable or stressed out? Maybe Nature Rx is just the ticket.