Banff Film Festival screens in new venue

The Banff Film Festival will be held in a new venue — the Wachholz College Center at FVCC — Dec. 6 and 7 (Tuesday and Wednesday) at 7 p.m. Different films will be shown each night and doors open 60 minutes prior. Tickets are available at wachholzcollegecenter.org

The Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour was born from the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, which began in Banff, Alberta. In 1976 a tight-knit group of climbers and outdoor enthusiasts conceived the Banff Festival of Mountaineering Films. This one-day gathering became the renowned international festival it is today. Over 30 years ago, Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival began an outreach program to bring the festival to other communities. This has become known as Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour and now reaches over 40 countries and brings mountain films to an audience of over 550,000 worldwide in approximately 550 locations.

The festival is a fundraiser for the Flathead Nordic Backcountry Patrol (FNBP), a nonprofit group of volunteers trained and prepared to respond to any type of winter back-country emergency. FNBP maintains national certification through the National Ski Patrol and partners with the Flathead National Forest and Flathead Avalanche Center to promote avalanche education and awareness in the Flathead Valley. Members act as an integral part of the Montana Search and Rescue community by joining local Search & Rescue organizations to respond to emergencies in and around the Flathead Valley. Members are experienced in a wide variety of back-country specialties: avalanche rescue and education, mountain travel and education, outdoor emergency care and transport.

For more information, email nordic-communications@flatheadnordic.org