As the end of Feb. approaches, Mavs and members of Mesa County have begun anticipating the annual arrival of the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour.
Meanwhile, members of the Rotary Club’s Grand Junction chapter, a community-based service organization, work to ensure the festival goes off without a hitch.
“Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour was born from Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival which began in Banff, Alberta. In 1976, a tight-knit group of climbers and outdoor enthusiasts conceived The Banff Festival of Mountaineering Films,” the Grand Junction Rotary Club said in a press release.
30 years later, this film festival has become well-renowned, and despite receiving over 400 submissions, only a few are selected to play in theaters around the world.
“Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is a learning organization built upon an extraordinary legacy of excellence in artistic and creative development. What started as a single course in drama has grown to become the global organization leading in arts, culture and creativity across dozens of disciplines,” the Grand Junction Rotary Club said in a press release.
Although this festival began with only playing three theaters in Canada, the festival’s grasp has spread over the years, and now goes on a coveted world tour, including over 40 countries and 550 locations.
Among this expansive list of locations, the Grand Junction Rotary Club sponsors two showings on Main Street, and for the first time ever, a showing in Delta.
The Delta showing will take place at the Egyptian Theater on Thursday, Feb. 23. Tickets will go for $15 each. Showings in Grand Junction take place downtown on Feb. 24 and 25 at the Avalon Theatre for $25, plus fees. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the films begin at 7 p.m. in both Delta and Grand Junction.
All proceeds from ticket purchases go to support local nonprofits, including the Colorado Canyons Association, Colorado Mesa University’s International Student Program, the Colorado National Monument Association and the Western Colorado Conservation Corps.
The Grand Junction Rotary Club has just released a new website dedicated to the film festival, in order to make buying tickets and finding information as easy as possible.
Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.banffgj.com/.
