Kayak films, trailers & interviews
3rd Feb 2011
Event organiser, Matt Heason says: "There's a fabulous line-up of films for kayakers and canoeists at ShAFF this year. There's a dedicated screening of kayak films on the Sunday. But sprinkled across the whole weekend there's a host of films that paddlers will love. Everything from jaw-dropping (and bone-breaking!) waterfall drops to a charming tale of a father and son's first river run, plus plenty of white-water action. If you can't wait til March, there's a great selection of trailers and a podcast interview with ex Marine Phil Harwood who canoed unsupported 3000 miles from the source of the Congo to the sea."
And because variety's the spice of life (or your friends and family aren't kayak-a-holics) there's a whole host of other adventure films on show at ShAFF from solo-exploring the Congo river to skate-boarding in Afghanistan plus a hefty fix for the adrenaline junkies with mountain biking, parkour running; base-jumping, wing-suit flying; caving; plus wind and board-surfing.
With live music, art, expert lectures, and even the chance to win big cash prizes entering your own photos or short film to be shown at the festival, ShAFF really does have something for everyone. And it's all on your doorstep on the big screen in the comfort of Sheffield's art-deco Showroom cinema.
SPECIAL KAYAKING SCREENING - 1.30PM SUN 6 MARCH (click here to book tickets)
The HALO EFFECT follows a group of friends and pro-kayakers exploring the breathtakingly beautiful Scandinavian paddling meccas of Iceland and Norway on a 2 month mission to find new rivers. As the narrator says: "Sometimes in the blink of an eye things go horribly wrong" and they certainly do! A broken down car, broken bones and broken laws are just the half of it. Contains a small amount of strong language. EUROPEAN PREMIERE (45 mins)
DOUGIE DOWN THE PET is an endearing feel-good tale of a father and son bonding on a classic whitewater canoe trip down Canada's Petawawa River. Guided by Dad, four year old Dougie runs challenging rapids, climbs cliffs, fishes for his supper and camps in sub-zero temperatures. A touching but also thought-provoking look at the benefits of exposing children to risk from an early age. (18 mins). (Also part of Young Adventurers' screening on Sat and Sun at 11am.)
DREAM RESULT is the story of a group of friends who have undertaken a journey to explore the limits of kayking possibility. The film includes the World Record Waterfall Descent of 186 ft Palouse Falls, expeditions into the wilderness of Northern Canada, big air freestyle on the flooded rivers of Quebec, and a quest for waterfalls throughout Chile and Scandinavia. Driven through the passions of nine of the sports top athletes and lifelong colleagues, they experience a year in the life of chasing their Dream Result. (45 mins). Awards: PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD FOR RADICAL REELS - Banff
OTHER CANOE / KAYAK FILMS:
(for dates & times see www.shaff.co.uk)
CROSSING THE DITCH: Spanning 2200 kilometers between Australia and New Zealand, the Tasman Sea is one of the world's deadliest and most treacherous oceans. No one had ever successfully navigated the Tasman by kayak, although many had tried. This is the story of two young Australians, James Castrission and Justin Jones, who battled ten-meter towering waves, massive storms, shark-filled seas, and strong currents in their epic attempt. Features a small amount of strong language. (54 mins). Awards: Best Film On Exploration & Adventure - Banff
MAZUNGU follows solo canoeist, ex Royal Marine, Phil Harwood's 5 month-long descent of the mighty Congo River in Central Africa - 2992 miles from source to sea. Years of civil war and corruption, not to mention crocs, hippos, cannibals and huge white-water mean all but the most adventurous have given the Congo a wide berth. Unsupported, Phil sets out alone on a unique adventure in his trusty canoe. He captures breath-taking footage of previously unseen landscapes while trying to avoid the hair-raising dangers posed by nature and man. EUROPEAN PREMIERE. (20 mins)
Listen to Phil's interview about his trip and his future plans: http://www.heason.net/Podcasts/2011_Images/01/17/Podcast_Interview_with_Phil_Harwood_on_his_Solo_Congo_Canoe_Trip/
WILD WATER is a love-letter to the sport of kayaking: "It's like the world just picks you up and carries you along."; "What could be more natural than following the mountains to the sea?"; "It's a beautiful place for a tight, tight friendship."; "It gives you a sense of humility and timelessness."; "It's just fun!". Using the latest Hollywood techniques WILD WATER's visually stunning cinematography and interviews with those who love to paddle give a fascinating insight into the minds and souls of river-runners. (30 mins) Awards Best Mountain Adventure Film - Kendal
FILMS WATER-LOVERS MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
Mongolia - In the Shadow of Genghis Khan. A magic country, searching for its present face in the heritage of the 13th century, once became the largest empire that the world has ever seen, known as Pax Mongolica. Feared, cursed and also admired, the same as its founder, in his life never defeated, the chieftain Genghis Khan. On their adventurous quest overland and down river through inhospitable nature, away from the usual routes, they discovered the other, unknown and surprisingly open-minded side of the aggressive conqueror, whose innovative efforts left a much deeper footprint in the thinking and development of the whole of human society than we are willing to admit. Contains scenes of animals being butchered. (61 mins)
In WILD SWIM: WORDSWORTH COUNTRY journalist & founder of the Outdoor Swimming Society, Kate Rew, swims Rydal Water in the Lake District. His home for 37 years, Wordsworth described the lake as "The most loveliest spot that man hath found". Immersing herself, Kate discovers a different perspective on a landscape often taken for granted from the shore. (6 mins). Awards Best Mountain Environment Film - Kendal
EASTERN RISES: The Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East may as well be the end of the earth. Its enormously wild landscape is swarming with bugs and bears and threaded with rivers full of massive mouse-eating trout. In the stunning film Eastern Rises, fishing is poetry, Bigfoot lurks in the fog, and fishermen risk life and limb in decommissioned Cold War helicopters to explore rivers that have never been fished before. (38 mins) EUROPEAN PREMIERE. BEST FILM ON MOUNTAIN SPORTS - Banff
