How the Banff Mountain Film Festival Began

It goes way back to 1976!

I was born in October 1976, just a few days before the very first Banff Festival of Mountaineering Films (as it was then known) was screened. Because of this, the festival played a very big role in my childhood, especially since my Dad, John Amatt, was one of the founders.

He was working at The Banff Centre, an educational institution in Banff National Park, at the time. Part of his role there was to establish a new Banff School of the Environment, which was to bring focus to the Centre’s location in Banff, Canada’s First National Park. At the time, he was also Chairman of the Banff Section of The Alpine Club of Canada. Having his foot in the door of both of these organizations, helped him to bring the resources together to inevitably bring the event to fruition.

The idea for this new festival came from his experience assisting in the making of the film “The Magnificent Mountain.” In 1966, he had been a member of the British Andean Expedition, which climbed Nevada Alpamayo (the Matterhorn of the Peruvian Andes), and the film that they made, won the Best Film on Mountaineering Award at the Trento (Italy) Mountaineering and Adventure Film Festival the following year.

Because he had had this experience 10 years prior, he felt that a similar event could be created in North America. He also figured that the timing of it, at the end of October, would fill in the gap between the summer climbing season and the winter skiing season for the Canadian Rockies community.

After assembling six climbing films that he knew of from France, America, Germany, and England, he booked a theatre with 250 seats at The Banff Centre and put out advertising throughout the region. One hour before the doors were to open, there were over 500 enthusiasts lined up to get in! Luckily there was a larger theatre available nearby and the heavy 16 mm film cans were carried across to the other theatre and the event unfolded without a hitch. Thus, on October 31st, 1976, the inaugural Banff Festival of Mountaineering Films began.

With no entrance fee, a hat was passed around and the magnificent sum of $250.00 was collected! I’m told that my Grandfather from England was visiting, and since he was a banker, they trusted him to count the money.

Jon Whyte, a journalist at the time for the local Banff Crag and Canyon newspaper later commented;

“If John Amatt is able to assemble a similar program next year, he will have to hire security guards to handle the crowds”.

One of the principal goals of the first festival was to encourage filmmakers to produce films focused on mountain sports, mountain environment, and mountain culture around the world, which would make this a yearly event.

Of course, the goal was achieved in spades! After 10 years running, the festival changed its name to the Banff Mountain Film Festival, to synchronize with the companion Banff Mountain Book Festival, which was created because of the film festival's success. The name has now been changed again to Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, to reflect its home location.

Each year, literally hundreds of films are entered into the competition from all over the world. From the films selected for the main 9-day festival that is held in Banff every year in the fall, a handful is also chosen to go around the world with the annual World Tour.

The World Tour now entertains thousands of outdoor enthusiasts, screening in over 100 venues, on all 7 continents, including at the scientific station of the South Pole.

Asked for his reflections on how the event unfolded back in 1976, and its subsequent success, Dad simply states ;

“Right place at the right time!

The location being in Banff National Park was a perfect place to start an event that began at the cusp of the expansion of interest in outdoor recreation around the world.”

Of course, as a kid, I had no concept of how cool it was to be surrounded by climbing greats each year as we attended the festival. Now, though, I can see just how privileged I was, and I will always be proud of my Dad for creating an event that has brought so much joy and happiness to many outdoor enthusiasts around the world.

While living on the West Coast of Canada in Powell River, I attended the yearly edition of the World Tour that would visit our small town. And in 2019, when Chris and I visited my parents in Canmore, Dad gifted us his festival passes, so that we could go and enjoy the films on-site in Banff. Being at the main event brought back many great memories from my childhood, and it was a thrill to be part of the fun again.

If you haven’t attended one of the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour screenings, you really should check it out. The films are not just for die-hard outdoor people, they are for anybody who wants to get a look at the fun, exciting, and often adrenalin-pumping films that are produced by some of the best filmmakers in the world!

Nobody can leave the event feeling disappointed, I will promise you that!

In a quick search here on Medium, I uncovered a few articles that were inspired by the festival. Check them out if you are interested.

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Hi there, we are 2 Canadians, Jill and Chris from Artistic Voyages. We have been nomadic since 2017 living in numerous different countries, and experiencing the life and diversity of our planet on the ground and firsthand. We have now been on the African continent for 2 years! Join our adventure by hitting the links below!

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