A NATIONAL tour featuring two different collections of inspirational films from the world’s top adventure film-makers will be showing at two North East venues.

The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour tour features extreme expeditions, fearless characters and astounding cinematography from the wildest corners of the planet.

The Northern Echo: It’s one of the greatest mysteries in exploration: who made the first ascent of Everest? National Geographic photographer Renan Ozturk joins an expedition up the mountain on a quest to find outIt’s one of the greatest mysteries in exploration: who made the first ascent of Everest? National Geographic photographer Renan Ozturk joins an expedition up the mountain on a quest to find out

The tour will be visiting the Princess Alexandra Auditorium, in Yarm, on October 21 and the Whitley Bay Playhouse on November 9 and 10.

“We can’t wait to get these epic adventure films back where they belong – up on the big screen,” said tour director Nell Teasdale.

“With mind-blowing stories of human endeavour from rarely-seen parts of the world, Banff events have a thrilling atmosphere – and we guarantee audiences will leave inspired to have an adventure of their own.”

Starring a coveted mountaineering first on K2, a raucous running expedition in Tajikistan and more, the films are chosen from hundreds of entries into the annual Banff Mountain Film Festival in Canada. None of the films were shown in Banff UK & Ireland’s virtual events over lockdown.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming audiences back into theatres to celebrate the spirit of adventure and the great outdoors through these award-winning films.

The tour starts on September 1 in Edinburgh and finishes on November 27 in Nottingham, with more than 80 shows in between.

Each event features a free prize draw for exciting outdoorsy goodies from tour partners.

For more information and to book tickets, see www.banff-uk.com.

FILM HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

Running the Roof

The Northern Echo:

Bonded by a love of running, three friends from the UK and Canada are desperate to ditch their desks and go on an adventure.

One night, after a few too many drinks, they make a bet. They spin a globe and wherever their finger lands, they will run.

The answer is Tajikistan – one of the last truly wild landscapes on earth, with remote, highaltitude terrain and extreme temperature swings. This is not a story about finish lines or medals, but about what happens when you trust in nothing but your own two feet on an intoxicating adventure.

An award-winning debut film from London filmmakers Ben Crocker and Alexis Tymon.

K2: The Impossible Descent

The Northern Echo:

K2, the Savage Mountain, holds a mythical place in the hearts of climbers – one in four do not return from it.

In 2018, Polish ski-mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel makes ‘the impossible descent’ from its summit. He does it solo, and without supplemental oxygen.

The mountaineering community is stunned and mainstream press takes notice. Join Andrzej across knife-edge ridges, above 1,000m cliffs and down 75-degree slopes in a nail-biting accomplishment of one of mountaineering’s most coveted firsts.

Ocean to Asgard

The Northern Echo: Bronwyn cooking at a hanging bivy, Picture: Jacob Cook (1)Bronwyn cooking at a hanging bivy, Picture: Jacob Cook (1)

Baffin Island is the fifth-largest island in the world, with a population of just over 13,000 people.

On a wild, selfpropelled expedition, four friends venture deep into this adventure paradise, tackling big wall first ascents, whitewater paddle descents and the legendary Thor Peak, which boasts the world’s tallest vertical drop.

Travelling on foot and by packraft on a staggering 40-day expedition, the team pioneer a new climb on the infamous Mount Asgard, capsize in glacial waters and more capsize in glacial waters and more.

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated Teesside Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054