Buttressed up against the Beaufort Range and teeming with outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes, Cumberland seemed like an appropriate place to hold a fledgling amateur mountain film festival.
Since its inception last year, the annual Cumberland Mountain Film Fest has garnered more interest as the quality (and quantity) of films entered has only elevated.
The upstairs level of the Riding Fool Hostel bustled with activity Jan. 12 as viewers and filmmakers grabbed their seats and held on for two full hours of incredible filmmaking.
The dramatic start featured End of the Dragon by Paul Elphick and current North American trials champion Aran Cook, proving that the road to success is indeed paved with pain. While the format is fairly open, this year saw a number of first-person GoPro viewpoints from bombing down hills on a wheelchair and a longboard (Squamish Bombish), as well as local photographer David Prothero's hair-raising ode to wild water kayaking (Island Times).
From surfing the windswell of eastern Vancouver Island to standup paddle boarding down the Yukon River, watersports were well represented. The Waters brothers and C-Lyon entertained the enthusiastic audience with the first known ski descent of Strathcona Park's Mount Colonel Foster.
JumpCamp did not disappoint with powdery descents and overall high-quality jackassery. Some film projects are ongoing, such as FoxandBee's Week 16 (of 52) which had a clever little twist in a four-minute short called Quiet Desperation.
This film can be found on YouTube, along with MEATSAW's unique, hilarious, and occasionally frightening tribute to ski bum culture.
While this is only a partial sample of the many films out there, our professional panel of judges could not arrive at a consensus of the best film.
Ultimately, organizers Genevieve Burdett and Neil Borecky as well as their crack team of volunteers and sponsors were able to raise $2,119 for the Cumberland Community Forest Society.
Special thanks to Blue Toque, the Riding Fool Hostel, fogandswell.com, Island Mountain Rides, Phillips Brewing Company, Valhalla Pure Outfitters, Rider's Pizza, ABC Printing and Signs, West Coast Home Theatre, Seeds Food Market, Trail Bicycles, Splinters Surfboards, Ski Tak Hut, Mountain City Cycles, Currently Cumberland, Alley Cuts and Cumberland Recreation for making this possible.
For more information or to send in a film for next year, contact cumberlandmountainfilmfest@gmail.com.
鈥� Cumberland Mountain Film Fest
