World Tour FAQ

Check our tour schedule pages (Canada, USA, or International) for screenings dates and locations.  Please contact the local host organization listed for details about the tickets, times, and venues.

The film programs vary, so please check with your local host organizer for information on which films will be shown at your location (contact info on our tour schedule pages - Canada, USA, or International).  

Every year, the Banff World Tour team licenses about 30 films that feature a range of styles and themes, including climbing, skiing, kayaking, biking, adventure, culture and the environment. When making this selection many factors are considered: comments made by our pre-screening committee, audience reaction to the films shown in Banff, and feedback we've received from the tour audience. 

Most screenings include about 6 to 8 films. In locations with multiple screenings, the local host organization may choose to show the same program each night or feature different selections. Check with them for details.

Each local host organization sets their ticket prices according to their local situation (theatre costs, sponsor support, etc). Please check with the host for details — check your local host information on our tour schedule pages (Canada, USA, or International). 

The local tour host handles all arrangements for volunteers and staff at each screening. Please check the contact information on the tour schedule pages (Canada, USA, or International)  and contact them to see if any opportunities are available.

We’re always pleased to hear from people interested in bringing the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour to new locations. Note that most of our scheduling for shows in Canada and the USA takes place 1 to 2 years in advance, and we have a very full schedule. Only a few applications will be accepted to join the tour annually. If you would like more information on how to apply to host a screening, please contact newhost@banffcentre.ca  for more information. 
 

The film programs vary, so please check with your local host organizer for information on which films will be shown at your location (contact info on our tour schedule pages - Canada, USA, or International).  

Every year, the Banff World Tour team licenses about 30 films that feature a range of styles and themes, including climbing, skiing, kayaking, biking, adventure, culture and the environment. When making this selection many factors are considered: comments made by our pre-screening committee, audience reaction to the films shown in Banff, and feedback we've received from the tour audience. 

Most screenings include about 6 to 8 films. In locations with multiple screenings, the local host organization may choose to show the same program each night or feature different selections. Check with them for details.

We do not own the home video rights to any of the films you see on tour or at the Festival in Banff, so we cannot sell you a copy for home viewing or produce a compilation DVD. We've recently made many World Tour programs available for rental online, check Banff on Demand for more information. You can also find information on films from previous festivals and tour in our archives.

This is an ongoing interest for both audiences and our team, so we pro-actively look for films that feature women. Regrettably, the number of suitable high quality films produced and entered in a given year is often quite low. We encourage filmmakers and female athletes to create and submit films that include women, and we hope to be able to present more in the future.

The tour aims to provide a concentrated presentation of the diversity of the multi-day Banff festival in just a couple of hours. The tour film list always includes some award winners, but many of the jury selections are not suitable for the tour. Shorter films are very important to tour audiences, and juries frequently pick longer, often feature-length, films for awards. It’s also common for audiences to prefer other films to some of the award winners. The opinions of the 5 people on the jury are always considered, but tour host and audience reactions also play a big role in the tour film selection.

The tour selection often includes some films that are only shown on our tour, but others may also be available on other tours or online. Our goal is to present the best films available, and not to restrict the opportunity for audiences and filmmakers to connect. Each year, many films that are also available through other channels turn out to be audience favourites on tour. We encourage local host organizations to be aware of other screenings in their area so that any film overlap can be managed.

Experience has shown that most audience members prefer programs that include a mix of film styles, from intense action films to longer documentary films. However, some people have strong preferences for particular styles. Let your local organizers know what films you enjoyed from past shows, or tell them the film topics and styles that you most enjoy.

We try to select a range of films that show the diversity of views, interests, and activities found in the mountains. We do not make the films, control their content, or endorse their viewpoints, but our selections do sometimes include political perspectives. Not everyone in the audience will agree with the actions and attitudes shown in every film, nor should they. However, these films can serve as a catalyst for discussion, including criticism and disagreement, on relevant mountain issues.

The content of the films is determined by the filmmakers, and can include coarse language and frightening events. Not all films are suitable for family audiences. If you have concerns about the films to be shown at your local event, please check with the local organizer or our office for details and advice.

We aim to present the diversity of views, interests, and activities found in the mountains. While we do not make the films, control their content, or specifically endorse their viewpoints, we do know that our audience has expectations about appropriate themes and approaches. 

Different people have different concerns, so we may hear comments about climbers bolting new routes, skiers using chairlifts or helicopters, kayakers who are insensitive to local cultures, bikers skidding on trails, BASE jumpers leaping from closed cliffs, explorers crossing borders illegally, etc. The "infractions" may be real or perceived, and what troubles one person may thrill another.

The World Tour sponsors play a key role in making the festival and tour possible through their financial and prize support, so they are always acknowledged as part of our program. Some filmmakers and athletes receive independent support from their own sponsors, and recognition of these sponsors may be included in the films that they enter in the festival. This is most common in action sports films.

The music you hear in our Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival Trailer was composed by Jacques Blackstone. He was commissioned in the late '90s from Banff Centre to write a theme for the festival – a piece that continues to captivate, energize, and inspire audiences worldwide. In October 2022, Jacques passed away. He is remembered fondly through his music.

The "voice" of our trailer (which we commonly refer to as our "Intro Video") is provided by Richard Armstrong, a New York-based teacher and performer who conducts International Voice Workshops at Banff Centre. More details are at www.richardarmstrong.info. 

The Intro Video is produced at Banff Centre by our production team with excerpts of a selection of the films submitted to us each year. 

In 1986, Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival began an outreach program to bring the festival to other communities. Banff’s Festival organizers wanted to share the efforts and talents of the world’s finest mountain filmmakers with a larger audience. Like the first festival in Banff, the tour began small: three cities across Canada. The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour brings mountain films to thousands of people who cannot make the annual trek to the Canadian Rockies. We hope you will join us when the tour visits your town or city!

Banff Centre is the world's largest arts and creativity incubator. Our mission is Inspiring Creativity. Each year we host thousands of artists, explorers, mathematicians, and business leaders on our campus. These leaders across disciplines develop new approaches to solving some of the world's most complex challenges and new works that exemplify the best of what human beings can do. We also host thousands of conference guests on campus each year.