CANMORE – Last year’s inaugural Women’s Adventure Film Tour was such a success – with two showings – that it is becoming an annual event.
And the 2020 event will again feature two nights of exciting, inspiring films at artsPlace, happening on March 6 and 7.
“Last year was humbling!” said Jenna Nodding, Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) hiking guide and event founder and organizer. “We had such a great turnout. We sold out in Canmore – two shows, plus Calgary and Halifax and brought hundreds of people together for an evening of sharing the stoke. It was awesome to be a part of it.”
The lineup of short documentary films for this week’s event includes films about strong, physically active women who inspire. One film features a nostalgic perspective through clips of women mountain biking while focussing on how activities pursued in the name of adventure are much better when surrounded by “awesome” friends.
“The film forces you to reflect on what is important to you and if you'll remember riding that rad line or sharing it with the rad person next to you,” Nodding said.
Anther film tells the story of two women setting off on a climb in Nepal.
“It’s a combination of making fun of the need to be ‘badass’ and also simply crushing at what they do,” Nodding said. “It features the difference of a male perspective on needing to be extreme in a film with the humbleness of women who quietly crush at what they do. And, it also has some punk rock thrown in.”
Overall the films were selected for their diversity, not only in the ethnic sense but also in their motivation and adventure styles, ranging from strong professional athletes pushing their performance levels to women who fight for the preservation of natural areas.
“We wanted a diverse set of films,” Nodding said. “We focused on picking films that represent various ethnic backgrounds, multiple types of sports, high action, and also more dialogue-based. We have a smattering of everything.”
Several local businesses will set up booths at a trade fair, including Get Outside, Modern Wellness, Crush Collective, Omina, CAMBA, Natural Mattress and the Alpine Club of Canada. Wild Life Distillery, Rebound, Jodi Toews Design and Ski UpHill also helped sponsor the event.
And while the evening will feature women adventurers, boys and men should not shy away from participating, she added.
“Where else where you have a collection of hundreds of rad women?” Nodding said with a laugh. “The events aim to promote diversity and inclusion in the outdoor industry, and everyone is welcome. Who doesn't enjoy getting a group of friends together and celebrating people being awesome!”
The Women’s Adventure Film Tour happens at artsPlace on March 6 and 7.
For tickets visit https://artsplacecanmore.com/buy-tickets
