Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour returns for autumn 2021!

THE Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour is back for 2021, bringing the latest action and adventure films to venues around the UK this autumn. The tour features 2 different collections of inspirational films from the world's top adventure film makers, with extreme expeditions, fearless characters and astounding cinematography from the wildest corners of the planet.

"We can't wait to get these epic adventure films back where they belong; up on the big screen! 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." says Tour Director Nell Teasdale.

Starring a coveted mountaineering 1st 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 and Ireland's virtual events over lockdown.

Nell added that:- "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 1 September 2021, in Edinburgh and finishes on 27 November 2021, in Nottingham, with more than 80 shows in between. As well as thrilling films, each event features a free prize draw for exciting outdoorsy goodies from tour partners. The thrilling adventure hits the big screen in Crosby's Plaza Cinema, on 9 September and on 23 October 2021.

Film highlights include:-

Running the Roof... Bonded by a love of running, 3 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; 1 of the last truly wild landscapes on earth, with remote, high altitude 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... K2, the Savage Mountain, holds a mythical place in the hearts of climbers; 1 in 4 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... Baffin Island is the 5th largest island in the world, with a population of just over 13,000 people. On a wild, self propelled expedition, 4 friends venture deep into this adventure paradise, tackling big wall 1st ascents, white water 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...

For more information and to book tickets, see:- BANFF-UK.Com.

Avid VHS movie buff travelling 600 miles to collect 20,000 tapes before they go into landfill

A man who runs the UK's last video shop is driving 600 miles, on Wednesday, to save 20,000 VHS tapes from being sent to landfill. The movie buff who followed his dream to open a video rental store has had to expand the store after being inundated with a mountain of tapes from well wishers across the country, including the new mammoth donation in Dundee. The 20,000 strong haul of VHS tapes was hovered up over decades from car boot sales and will be collected this Wednesday by VideOdyssey owner Andy Johnson from the donor George McInnes; ready to be reunited with new viewers. Based in Toxteth TV, Liverpool, VideOdyssey has now extended its retail space and opening hours to cope with the growing demand. With scores of youngsters in their 20's, renting out VCRs and tapes and wanting to experience the nostalgia 1st hand; the shop now boasts its very own time warp to the 80's and 90's already featuring an incredible 15,000 tapes. Not only that, but the VideOdyssey video shop has just been featured on a worldwide film fans' bucket list of must visit venues, by:- Time Out Magazine, alongside the famous movie American studios in LA, the Ghostbusters' firehouse, in NYC and the Hobbiton movie set in New Zealand!

Film fan Andy Johnson is applying for funding to create a national archive. Andy, 42, believes VHS tapes are beginning to enjoy a similar resurgence as vinyl, with film fans craving the same physical connection to their collection, as well as enjoying the artwork on the cover and the nostalgic feel of playing an analogue copy. He was inspired to follow his dream after a chance encounter with movie Director Quentin Tarantino years ago. He said:- "We're on a mission to save film. I hoped there would be a good reaction to opening a video shop, but the response has been phenomenal. I'm absolutely blown away by the love and support we have received. Especially during the various lockdowns, where we offered a Nostalgia SOS pack with a player and 10 tapes. VHS is starting to have a similar comeback seen with vinyl. People want that physical connection to their favourite films, rather than the cold experience of playing something from the cloud."

Andy, who used to work as a clerk in a video shop as a teenager, now finds himself travelling across the country on his days off to gather people's collections of old gems and save films, which never came out on a digital format; from oblivion. "It's taken over my life in a short space of time. Thankfully, I have a very understanding wife. As we have a 3 year old boy, and they've both travelled with me to pick up VHS hauls. But nothing like the size of this collection in Dundee. A lot of amazing movies were never brought out digitally and they're in danger of being lost forever. Not to mention the millions of hours of precious family memories that people only have on VHS tapes. I can see VideOdyssey becoming a national archive for tapes. It's important to protect them for future generations of film fans."