Travel News

Film Festival Set to Launch

The New Zealand Mountain films is set to go this Friday.

The festival's five day-and-night programme is packed with talented international and New Zealand made films, passionate adventure speakers, ice sculpturing display, outdoor gear trade show and a massive art and photo exhibition.

Festival goers can view a diverse mix of over 50 films featuring the most daring, the most exhilarating, to adrenaline fuelled escapades, taming nature and discovering new worlds. With multiple three to four hour sessions daily, with some including a speaker, the festival will inspire and entertain all age groups, friends and families and there are still lots of tickets available.
 
The festival will kick off mid-day Friday with an ice sculpting display; spectators are welcome to watch the ice artists at work throughout the afternoon at the Lake Wanaka Centre. The Opening Night also includes the Film Awards, live music from local musician Gordy Smith and the screening of films including the wining film on Adventurous Sports and Lifestyles; No Need for Parking – An African Rock Adventure.
 
On Saturday night a free social session will be held at 7pm where visitors can look at the numerous art and photo displays while browsing the latest outdoor gear in the Trade Show.
 
A highlight for the festival is a presentation from Australia’s most accomplished high altitude mountaineer Andrew Lock on Saturday evening at 8pm. Andrew is currently attempting to become Australia’s first mountaineer to climb all 14 of the world’s 8000m peaks. He has climbed 13 of these already including Everest twice. Known as the 'death zone', climbing above 8000 metres places an extraordinary demands on the human body. With an atmospheric pressure approximately one third of that at sea level, the body is literally starved of oxygen. Other speakers Craig Stewart and Rosalind Wood from Wellington who will talk on their adventure following the Mekong river by foot, bicycle and raft from its source in Tibet, through China, Burma, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia to its mouth in the steamy south of Vietnam. There is Wanaka ski guide Hugh Barnard’s talk on Tuesday evening on skiing the world’s best powder in a talk titled “What Could Possible Go Wrong?” and Penny Goddard on Monday night who will have just hopped of the plane after her expedition to climb remote mountains in China with local Lydia Bradey.
 
The interactive workshops will educate the mind and relax the body: Featuring an avalanche awareness course, a yoga session and a photography course.
 
“The full to the brim programme features some truly spectacular films this year, the entrants seem to have stepped up a level which made the judging that much harder,” said festival director Mark Sedon. “Tickets will remain on sale throughout the festival and we expect to be able to get everyone in who turns up” he added.
 
The New Zealand Mountain Film Festival runs from 3 rd to 7 th July. Prior tickets can be purchased via the website or from 4pm Friday 3 July at the Lake Wanaka Centre (ph 443-4173. Tickets will cost between $10 and $20.
 
For the full programme, film descriptions and further details see www.mountainfilm.net.nz

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