Cape Union Mart BANFF film festival

A few weeks back I was invited by the super kind folks at Traffic Integrated and Cape Union Mart to come and check out the VIP and Media only premiere of the BANFF film festival… At first I was admittedly worried that no extreme outdoor films would ever be able to compare to the likes of the Redbull or ESPN movies I’d seen in the past. These films made me want to do something more extreme than sit behind a keyboard all day. Considering that the VIP premiere was at the ridiculously cool Grand Daddy Penthouse Trailer Park, I thought that I’d go check it out… my am I glad I did.

The festival consists of 9 seperate short films that are some of the most epic that I’ve ever seen… Seriously, I wanted to go and jump off a tall buliding dressed like in what can only be described as a squirrel flying suit- I was in the mood to be extreeemmee!

Each one of the films (shot in absolutely delicious full HD) were incredible in their own right but the three that stood out the most for me HAD to be the likes of Project Megaswoosh , First Ascent: Alone on the Wall and  Kranked: Revolve .

Project Megaswoosh deserves a mention because of the science behind it. This cracker basically comes up with a formula to make a super awesome slippy slide thats HUUUGE and decides to take it for a spin… As part of his calculations for the most awesome of slippy slides ever, he factors in mad things like wind to ensure that he lands in a tiny blow up splash pool acres away! I was just amazed at the fact that he didnt DIE!

First Ascent: Alone on the Wall is about a rather unassuming looking but ridiculously talented free rock climber who shatters all conceptions about what was possible. He climbs up a sheer rock face that used to take almost a day to summit by rope, in around 5 hours ”free climbing” without ropes… This dude is nuts, the fall would take forever… you’d have plenty of time to flash over your life a couple of times. What makes the story extra cool is the fact that this guy is quite a lag and a bit geeky, weird for an extreme nut.

Kranked: Revolve was about these dudes that built the sickest downhill bmx track I have ever seen… IN A FOREST. They proceed to tear the course up, totally synchronised with a blinder of a funky house/ prog treffer pumping through the speakers in the cinema as a backing track. MY FAVOURITE!!!!!

Once the festival had concluded I felt inspired to do more exciting things and immediately- took a dash down the corridor with my shoes untied… This must be what those guys on kilamanjaro felt like….

You can check out the Cape Union Mart BANFF film festival for yourself at selected Ster Kinekors nationwide from 17th until the 23rd of September… It really really is a MUST!

Bookings can be made through Ticketline on 08216789 or www.sterkinekor.com.

For more information visit http://www.banff.co.za/ or call 021 464 5800.

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