Banff Mountain Film Festival hits Beijing

The Banff Mountain Film Festival, which features short films and documentaries about mountain culture, sports and the alpine environment, is preparing to return to China for its third time. Four documentaries will be screened in Beijing this Friday, ahead of the festival's nationwide tour in September.

The four documentaries to be screened at the China National Convention Center are the most popular short films selected from last year's China tour. Films span from five to 20 minutes, and depict people participating in outdoor sports such as mountain climbing, hiking and kayaking, according to Tina Qian, the festival's organizer and president for the China leg of its tour.

The Longest Way documents German traveler Christoph Rehage's 369-day journey on foot across China from Beijing to Urumqi in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Fly or Die follows the exploits of Dean Potter, an American solo climbing and base jumping enthusiast. Dream Result records the adventures of American kayaking duo Rush Sturges and Tyler Bradt, while The Swiss Machine is a 20-minute documentary detailing Ueli Steck's record-breaking ascents in the Alps.

"The charm of such documentaries partly lies in the fascination of shooting rugged sceneries, and the grand exploration carried out by the world's elite sportsmen and women," said Qian. "But the most fascinating aspect of the movies is their spirit. It's uplifting, active and has a positive energy to pass on to viewers."

So far, there is only one Chinese entry in the festival titled Kekexili: Mountain Patrol. The 2004 film by Chinese director Lu Chuan follows the struggles between vigilante rangers and poachers in the remote Tibetan region of Hoh Xil. It was among the few films from the Chinese mainland to win a Golden Horse Award at Taiwan's Golden Horse Film Festival in 2004.

Approximately 300 films are expected to enter the festival this year, which will tour more than 30 countries. Chinese films have yet to make their mark in the competition, partly because outdoor activities lag behind in popularity compared to the West, said Qian.