The Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF) returns to the Rio Theatre from February 26 – March 3.

Mixed Mountain Stories: Enjoy five films of adventure and adversity. Featuring adventures in climbing, hiking, skiing, and even paragliding skiers. Includes a world premiere from the 2023 Film Grant recipient.

AIGUILLE DU MIDI OPERATION: ELECTRIC AVENUE (Bulgaria / 17 min / English): Right next to the Aiguille du Midi peak, situated in a sea of mountains at an altitude of 3842m, stands proudly the legendary 50m high granite monolith Gendarme des Cosmiques. For the past 30 years it hosted only 2 climbing routes, Digital Crack (8a) and Arête des Cosmiques (8a), but this changed on the 10th of August, 2022!

FIND ME OUTSIDE – World Premiere (Canada / 20 min / English): Ever since filmmaker Ching Yu became a mother, she has developed a deep appreciation for observing the wonder in children’s eyes as they explore nature. “”Find Me Outside”” is a family outdoor documentary in which Ching follows four families in western Canada to capture the joy of children engaged in various outdoor activities related to their niche sports. Diudiu and Leo, both Mandarin-speaking immigrants’ children, navigate the slopes of the Canadian Rockies as they ski. Celeste, deeply rooted in her Indigenous horse culture, showcases the beauty of riding Indian Horse Relay in the Alberta Prairie. Anika, born into a family of Indian and Austrian climbers, climbs the rocks in her neighbourhood of Squamish, BC. Jade and Ryan, adventurous coldwater surfing girls from Ucluelet, Vancouver Island, ride the waves with enthusiasm. Ching Yu was the recipient of the VIMFF x Arc’teryx Adventure Film grant in 2023 that supports the development of Canadian adventure filmmakers.

LA ROCHE (Switzerland / 28 min / French with English subtitles): His career was not meant to be a walk in the park, quite the opposite. Yet, Marc Rochat forged a determination to confront any challenges in his path to compete among the world’s best athletes in the sport of Slalom Skiing. Marc gives us a taste of what it means to strive at the highest level in the world of skiing and, most importantly, to never give up.

THE GREAT DIVIDE (Canada / 20 min / English): A father wants to take his kids on one last big adventure, to witness the glaciers before they cease to exist. But, his children’s lives are changing, global warming is escalating at an alarming rate, he himself is getting older. Then, accidents happened to him. The window of opportunity is closing.
After 2 years of planning and recovering from injuries, this family finally begins their ‘now or never’ journey, crossing the Great Divide.

THE MAGIC OF FREEDOM (UK / 36 min / English): Join five paragliding pilots as they venture into Pakistan’s Karakoram mountains. By using their paragliders and the almost mystical uplifts found in the air, they’re able to ski and climb in some of the world’s most breathtaking landscapes.

Friday, March 1
Doors 6:00 pm | First movie at 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Complete details and ticketing info can be found at www.vimff.org Please direct any questions or concerns about events or tickets to them.

This year’s festival is sharing over 70 curated mountain and adventure stories with the VIMFF community February 23 – March 3. The festival features special guest speakers, filmmaker intros, and expert-led workshops on photography, storytelling, and mountain safety skills.

*Minors permitted. Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service.
*All seating is General Admission. Please arrive early to ensure time for great seats, and to purchase treats at concession.
*Unless noted otherwise, tickets will be available for purchase at the Rio Theatre’s box office at showtime. Please direct all queries regarding ticketing to www.vimff.org
*Sorry, Rio Theatre Groupons and passes are n/a for this event.