ShAFF CLIMB programme announced
18th Jan 2012
The 2012 Sheffield Adventure Film Festival programme has just been released and there are more films than ever with 75 of the best adventure, travel and extreme sports films hand-picked for you from around the world. That’s 1,550 minutes of film screened over one weekend at Sheffield’s art deco Showroom Cinema - the UK’s biggest independent cinema outside London. We’re over the moon that award-winning climbing film-maker Al Lee’s trailer’s proving such a hit with nearly 60,000+ views on You Tube in it’s first week.
For climbers there’s a cracking line up of films and lectures, kicking off with an Expert Climbing Night on Thursday 23rd February - the Wideboyz Pete Whittaker and Tom Randall will give an illustrated lecture and practical guide to offwidth climbing, sponsored by Wild Country.
The main festival weekend (9-11 March) is packed with two special climbing film screenings (Climbing Films 1 and Climbing Films 2) including the premiere of Life on Hold, the eagerly anticipated UK bouldering film from Sheffield based Outcrop Films, plus the Mountain Films screening including Al Lee’s Moonflower and Banff winner Cold.
Simon Yates will give his first talk on his new book The Wild Within and we’re proud to host a series of great illustrated lectures by Ed Hamer and Andy Turner (followed by the Petzl Shaff video shorts competition), and a talk by John Porter on The Alex MacIntyre Years followed by a live auction of mountaineering memorabilia in aid of Community Action Nepal. Not forgetting that the Climbing Works International Bouldering Festival will be on just down the road.
Sheffield Adventure Film Festival Director Matt Heason said: “ShAFF’s climbing films are always strong and this year is no exception. Once again we’re able to put on two separate climbing film screenings as well as a Mountain Films screening. We hope that our films and lectures will excite experienced climbers and maybe inspire others to try the sport for the first time.”
And because variety’s the spice of life (and perhaps not all your family and friends are climbers!) there’s a whole host of other adventure sports films, talks and lectures as well as family-friendly Young Adventurer Showings. Don’t forget the Showroom Cinema has a comfy bar/cafe with live music where you can relax in between screenings. We’ll also have a photo and video competitions, exhibitions, a charity auction, 2nd hand kit sale, massage by Global Therapies and much, much more.
ALSO NEW FOR 2012:
- New awards category ‘Best Viral’ to reflect the surging popularity and quality of shorts posted on You Tube and Vimeo.
- New ‘Adventure Bites Loop’ - an hour long repeat screening of the festival’s best shorts.
- Extra ski/board films screening to accommodate the strong field of ski/board entries.
- Extra Young Adventurers showing - afternoon matinee in addition to the Saturday and Sunday morning showings which sold out last year.
- Feature length movies - 3 feature length film screenings including big budget ski hits All.I.Can and The Art of Flight.
- New charity auction on behalf of Community Action Nepal.
Can’t wait for your adventure film fix? check out the Heason Events Facebook page for a Daily Adventure Dose www.facebook.com/heason.events. Follow us on twitter at @HeasonEvents and @Heason_Lissa #dailyadventuredose #shaff
ENDS
FULL CLIMBING PROGRAMME DETAILS:
Expert Night - Climbing
Thu 23 Feb - 20.15 - Screen 5 (tickets: standard prices) Duration 90mins
An illustrated lecture and practical guide to offwidth climbing with Pete Whittaker and Tom Randall – the Wideboyz.
Climbing Films 1 (104mins)
Sat 10 Mar - 17.00 - Screen 1 (tickets: standard prices)
Sun 11 Mar - 15.30 - Screen 2 (tickets: standard prices)
On Assignment - 6 minutes
Photographer Jimmy Chin on assignment to shoot a feature story for National Geographic about the cutting edge climbing culture in Yosemite, California - what does it take to tell the story of people living constantly on the edge?
Wall - 2 minutes
Sheffield Hallam University Animation student Ian Anderson produced this excellent animated short for his 3rd year project.
The Long Hope Route - 57 minutes
The Long Hope is the story of Britain's hardest sea cliff route, St. John's Head, Hoy. Interweaves Ed Drummonds' recollections of his original 1970s ascent with gripping footage of Dave MacLeoad's full free ascent of the direct line last year.
Life On Hold - 30 minutes
We're proud to host the premiere of this UK bouldering film from Sheffield based Outcrop Films. Follow the new emerging scene of Britain's top climbers and visiting stars around the UK, tackling some of the highest and hardest problems around from the tough, mentally challenging highballs on the gritstone edges, to the short, powerful, esoteric testpieces of the limestone and everything in between.
Climbing Films 2 (102mins)
Sat 10 Mar - 19.30 - Screen 1 (tickets: standard prices)
Sun 11 Mar - 20.15 - Screen 1 (tickets: standard prices)
Reel Rock: Ice Revolution - 13 minutes
British climber Tim Emmett and Canadian 'ice ninja' Will Gadd tackle the hardest ice climb in the world - the radically overhanging, fiendishly difficult ice at Helmcken Falls in British Columbia.
Grand Libre Au Grand Cap - 18 minutes
Arnaud Petit and Stephanie Bodet attempt what might be the toughest route in the Alps, a majestic 3,900m pinnacle that juts out from the Mont Blanc Massif - Grand Capuchin. Close camera work against breathtaking backdrops with lively discussions along the route give intimate access to a refreshing and effective climbing partnership.
Reel Rock: Obe & Ashima - 23 minutes
A nine year old girl from New York is taking the bouldering world by storm and her name is Ashima. Under the tutelage of her ex champion coach Obe she's cracking problems and crushing her competition. Through her he rediscovers his passion for climbing but can she cope with the pressure and avoid the danger of burnout?
Towers Of The Ennedi - 14 minutes
The Ennedi desert of Chad is a hot, sand-scoured and unfriendly place, yet its heart is filled with clusters of breathtaking spires, rock fingers and delicate arches. Veteran climber Mark Synott brings young climbing stars Alex Honnold and James Pearson to explore this untouched wilderness.
Reel Rock: Race For The Nose - 24 minutes
For 50 years the world's best climbers have been one-upping each other on this massive granite monolith in California's Yosemite national park, racing up 3000ft of vertical rock in less than 3 hours, risking life and limb to shave seconds off the record time to claim this hotly contested prize.
Mountain Films (99mins)
Sat 10 Mar - 14.30 - Screen 1 (tickets: standard prices)
As It Happens - 16 minutes
Telling the story of an adventure is never an easy task - films are often produced in far away and long after an expedition diluting its intensity. Alpinists Renan Ozturk and Cory Richards use cutting edge technology tell the story of their new climb in the Everest Region of Nepal 'as it happens' from the field.
Fifty Years In The Mountains - 19 minutes
British outdoor gear manufacturer Mountain Equipment have participated in every British first ascent of an 8000m peak and been part of more than 175 Everest summits. To celebrate their 50th anniversary they've filmed the personal reflections of some of the world's most significant mountaineers together with rare archive footage charting the past 50 years of mountaineering history.
Moonflower - 35 minutes
British alpinists Jon Bracey and Matt Helliker film their own attempt to honor their late friend Jules Cartwright by following his original vision of making a stunning and formidable new line on Mt Hunter's (Alaska) incredible north buttress, The Moonflower.
Cold - 20 minutes
"What am I doing here? We have to get down." Climber Cory Richards films himself and 2 colleagues attempting to bag a first winter ascent of the 8000m+ Gasherbrum II. Cold is a representation of what goes on in a climber's head - thoughts about their family, their life and their doubts and fears.
Also check out Adventure Medley 1 (99mins)
Sat 10 Mar - 12.00 - Screen 1 (tickets: standard prices)
Sun 11 Mar - 15.00 - Screen 1 (tickets: standard prices)
which includes the British Premiere of Treeverse - 27 minutes
Arborists Brian French and Will Koomjian set out on a unique attempt to cross a kilometre of natural grove in Oregan without touching the ground. Their 5 day canopy trek is a genuine delight.
and Adventure Medley 2
11 March 12pm and 17.30, Creative Lounge
including the Premiere of Blue Obsession
Alaska's major glaciers are losing 24 cubic miles of ice each year. Alan Gordon has spent a year climbing, exploring and documenting the ever-changing glaciers of the Juneau Icefield, capturing stunning images of a landscape that's constantly evolving and melting away.
Simon Yates Book Launch & Lecture
9th Mar 2012 @ 19:00. Venue Creative Lounge (90mins)
Simon will give his very first Wild Within talk at ShAFF, entertaining the audience with stories of first ascents and unique mountaineering adventures in the Cordillera Darwin, Wrangell St Elias Ranges on the Alaska-Yukon Border, and Eastern Greenland. Simon will read from the book and signed copies will be available. With kind support from Vertebrate Publishing
Andy Turner Lecture & Petzl ShAFF Shorts Video Awards
9 March 21.15 Venue - Creative Lounge
An illustrated lecture by Andy Turner which will include a short award ceremony for the 2012 Petz ShAFF Shorts Video Competition. Andy will be talking about: climbing the hardest mixed routes in Scotland, new routing in Lofoten (Norway) in the winter, and hopefully about a trip to Canada that he'll be arriving back from 4 days before SHAFF! Andy is sponsored by Petzl, Mountain Equipment, La Sportiva and Beal.
Ed Hamer Lecture
Sat 10 Mar - 21.15 - Creative Lounge (tickets: standard prices)
Duration 90 mins
An illustrated lecture by climber Ed Hamer. Also, a chance to see a selection of the 2011 Petzl ShAFF Shorts video entries as well as the handing out of awards for the best three.
John Porter Lecture / Auction
Sat 10 Mar - 12.00 - Creative Lounge (tickets: half prices)
Duration 120mins
Doing More With Less - The Alex MacIntyre Years – An illustrated lecture by John Porter, followed by a live auction of mountaineering memorabilia in aid of Community Action Nepal.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS:
HIGH RESOLUTION PRESS IMAGES: http://www.shaff.co.uk/press-filmakers-volunteers/press-images/2012-images/
- ShAFF is the weekend of 9-11 March 2012 (www.shaff.co.uk) at the art deco Sheffield Showroom cinema - the UK’s biggest independent cinema outside London. (15 Paternoster Row, Sheffield, S1 2BX / tel 0114 275 7727 or book online at www.showroomworkstation.org.uk/)
- Film screenings are mixed in with talks and lectures on epic climbs, runs and rides by world-class adventurers.
- It’s great value - one ticket buys you a multi-film screening so you can see several films in one hit. Passionate about your sport? Then try our specialist selections. Want a high energy hit? Then book our Adrenaline showing. Fancy inspiration and escapism? Try the Adventure Medley. - For a family friendly weekend try our morning Young Adventurer showings were both sell outs last year so this year we’ll also have afternoon matinees with urban orienteering afterwards.
- Chill out in the bar/cafe between screenings with live music, comfy-seating and free wifi. During the day grab a light lunch and coffee with friends and in the evenings, book dinner made by experienced chefs with fresh, local produce. Why not try the great selection of on tap or bottled beers, wines and ciders - not forgetting the awesome cake cabinet!
- Getting there’s easy - We’re just across the road from the mainline train station with regular services to the Peak District, Manchester and the UK, there are also local buses, trams and a plenty of nearby car- parks.
- We’re growing in the face of a global recession. Now in its 7th year, for the past six years 100% of the audience said they’d come back again and recommend it to a friend. ShAFF 2011 was our best ever year with a 77% increase in ticket sales, an amazing film programme and a packed series of lectures including the legendary Steve Peat.
Contacts:
Festival Director, Matt Heason, Heason Events - [email protected] or 1433 639378 / 07966 529219
Lissa Cook, PR & Media consultant, Heason Events - [email protected] / or 01663 751 126 / 07818 411 791
Follow us on facebook and twitter at @Heason_Lissa and @HeasonEvents
