Meet the filmmakers at ShAFF
14th Feb 2013
Ever dreamed of making an adventure film? Now's your chance to ask the pros.
Matt and i work really hard to put on a great festival but (without getting all oscar speech emotional on you) it would be nothing without the film-makers, so We're delighted so many film-makers* are making the trip to Sheffield this year to present their films.
*listed alphabetically!
SIMON AUGUST (2XS FILmS), TAMING THE BEAR
British snowboarder Julia Pickering is the first woman to climb and board down the 3 highest mountains in Arctic circle. A funny, down-to-earth, honest account of her first descent of Alaska's Mt Bear with her husband Warwick in support. (PS If you've ever wondered whether your relationship's strong enough to cope with being pinned in a basecamp tent in a snow storm, watch this!)
Website: 2xsfilms.com and http://www.juliapickering.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/berghaus
Twitter: @julespickering and @TheRealBerghaus
Ismar Badzic (Director, WhiteLine) & cameraman George Simpson - The White Line (PREMIERE)
The White Line eschews the helicam/big budget movie approach to get back to basics and focus on real riders juggling their passion for snow and adrenaline with the reality of working full time jobs and providing for their families. After having been caught in an avalanche snowboarder Jake Cornish is forced to face his fears and responsibilities.
(Note - a special mention for director Ismar Badzic who is a University of Sheffield philosophy student!
Website: thewhitelinemovie.com
Facebook: facebook.com/TheWhiteLine
Twitter: @WhiteLineMovie and @ismarbadzic
Scott Bass (Producer, Ampisound), Goodbye Cambridge
Cambridge based film maker Scott Bass has known Austin 'Ozzy' Phillips for more than ten years. Phillips, who recently moved to London, was the first person he got to practice Parkour with. The pair made this witty short video as a thank you to the city.
Website: ampisound.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ampisound
Twitter: @traceurelements
Ian Burton (Producer, Image Impossible) + Andy Cornfield (CLIMBER) - Driven to Despair
An idiot's guide to getting lost in the desert courtesy of Ian Burton, Andy Cornfield and Ben Talbot. When Ian's permit to film in Yosemite's refused the trio head for Namibia with almost no money and no guide book. The best film about some of the worst climbing and map reading you'll ever see. (Strong language warning!)
Website: imageimpossible.co.uk
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ImageImpossible & http://www.facebook.com/ianburtoncamera
Twitter: @ianburtoncamera and @AndyCornfield1
Paul Göransson (Exec Producer, Goovinn) - Split of a Second
“I feel bad because I know my mom and dad worry—that at some point, it will all go wrong…It’s a choice I’ve made, making people who care about me worry.” Norwegian BASE jumper Espen Fadness contemplates the risks and rewards of flying through the air in a squirrel suit at 100mph.
Website: goovinn.se
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goovinn
Rich Heap (Director), The Dragon's Back (Premiere)
The legendary Dragon’s Back Race™ follows the mountainous spine of Wales for 320 kilometres with 17,000 metres of ascent across wild, trackless, remote and mountainous terrain. The original Dragon’s Back Race™ happened just once before in 1992 and ever since, it has been whispered about with a mix of awe and trepidation. In September 2012 this truly epic event returned and proved once again that it is one the hardest mountain races in the World. Award winning camerman and filmmaker Rich Heap was on hand to capture the event and has produced a film which will premiere at ShAFF on Saturday March 2nd at 20.45. Join Steve Birkinshaw, Helene Whitaker and Shane Ohly for a Q&A session immediately after the film finishes. (Also showing on Sunday as part of Run Films).
Photo courtesy of Jon Brooke / www.rightplacerighttime.co.uk
ADAM HOCKING (DIRECTOR), MELTDOWN
James MacHaffie completes Johnny Dawes’ great unfinished 9a project at Dinorwig Quarry achieving a first ascent of Britain's hardest slab climb to date. Dawes' poetic descriptions accompany footage of Caff's gymnastic climbing.
James Newton (Producer) & Tom Allen (StAR!) - Janapar
Isn’t there more to life than this? 23-year-old Tom Allen escapes the rat race to search for the answer by cycling 12,000 miles round the world. His dream’s thrown into turmoil when he falls in love and has to choose between settling down or continuing his adventure. Will he choose romance or the road?
Website: janapar.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janapar.film
Twitter: @Janapar_Film and @TomsBikeTrip
Review/s: Huffington Post, Bike Soup and Northants Telegraph
Des Henderson (Director, Alleycats TV) - My Life, The Big Climb
13 year old Ella becomes the youngest ever girl to summit the big wall of Yosemite's El Capitan with her "smelly, snoring" dad, Sheffield climber Andy Kirkpatrick, in tow. Imagine doing 1,000 pull-ups a day for four days without enough food or sleep.
Website: AlleyCat Films
Jeremy Joyce, Rich Pearn; Rob Lockyear (Crayfish Films) - The Shaper
Crayfish Films take us into the shaping bay to meet 'Chief' - a former pro surfer burned-out from a clotted cream addiction. (His ultimate board is the Wave F*****!) We're promised the Chief will return as a character in a feature length film which promises to be ‘Spinal Tap’ for surfers. (Note: We're delighted producers Jeremy Joyce, Richard Pearn and Rob Lockyear from Crayfish Films are coming to ShAFF and will introduce their film).
Website: crayfishfilms.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrayfishFilms
Twitter: @crayfishfilms @jamesdhogg @richpearn
Stijn te Hennepe, Daniel Kuipers (Directors, Tundra Tree) - Snowkiting, Fulfilling My Dream
Passionate kite surfer Martijn van Hoek travels from the sandy dunes of the Dutch coastline to the freezing, desolate mountains of Åre, Sweden, to fulfil his ambition of snow kiting. His dream becomes a challenge in the winter blizzard conditions.
Website: tundratree.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/tundratree
Twitter: @tundratree
JEN RANDALL (LIGHTSHED), PUSH IT
Filmmaker Jen Randall and her new-found climbing partner Jackie Sequeira prepare for their first ever big wall on El Capitan in Yosemite, meeting some of their heroines along the way including Mina Leslie-Wujastyk and Natalie Berry. An inspirational story told with self-deprecating humour and a refreshing lack of egotism.
Website: lightshedpictures.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Light-Shed-Pictures/335107569921856
Twitter: @JenRandall2 and @lightshedjen
Lucasz Warzecha (PolishedProject), Dave & Echoes
Dave: What does it take to get to be a top climber? Scottish climber Dave McLeod reflects on lessons learned during a career built on making first ascents of the hardest possible routes. Top tips on embracing the fear of failure, dealing with the nerves and enjoying the hard work of training. A must-watch for aspiring climbers.
Echoes: "Climbing was tough at times but never as tough as working in a prison block". Nick Bullock discusses escaping his life as a prison officer in a high security jail, for life as a professional mountaineer. A thought-provoking reflection on freedom and risk filmed at the Outside Cafe by Peak District based film-makers 'Polished Project' during the launch of Nick's acclaimed book 'Echoes'
Website: polishedproject.com
Twitter: @LukaszWarzecha @polishedproject
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LWimages
The multi-talented, Peak District based Lucasz is also exhibiting his photography at ShAFF's MyOutdoors Exhibition and you can also hear him talk about living the life of a pro film-maker and photographer on Sunday 3rd March at 14.45
