Bringing the wild outdoors into the heart of the city, Sheffield Adventure Film Festival returns to the Showroom Cinema from 22-24 March. A carefully curated 3-day programme of the latest short-form and feature length outdoor adventure films, from around the world to the big screen.
Free Solo & The Dawn Wall
Free Solo and The Dawn Wall are the feature length films adventure films that everyone’s been talking about this year, and they’re two of the must-see films of ShAFF 2019. Free Solo, in which Alex Honnold completes the first free solo climb of El Cap’s 3,000-foot vertical rock face at Yosemite National Park, recently won a BAFTA for Best Documentary. The Dawn Wall is the story of Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson, who captivated the world with their effort to climb a seemingly impossible 3,000 foot rock face. Festival Director Matt Heason says: “With films like these bringing adventure to the attention of the world, ShAFF is more relevant than ever whether you’re a seasoned explorer or just discovering your first taste of outdoor adventure.”
This Mountain Life
If you’re new to the festival’s format, there are sessions dedicated to climbing, cycling, running and other mountain sports as well as those that celebrate a spirit of adventure often found in surprising people and places. This Mountain Life is a pick of the festival, a philosophical, emotional, heartbreaking and heartwarming collection bringing together six riveting portraits of human passion set high in the awe-inspiring peaks of British Columbia (https://shaff.co.uk/shaff19/mountain-films-3-this-mountain-life).
The Bikes of Wrath
Leaving the mountains for an adventure on wheels, The Bikes of Wrath tells the story of five Australian friends as they attempt to cycle 2600 kilometers from Sallisaw, Oklahoma, to Bakersfield, California in honor of the mighty westward migration undertaken by ‘The Grapes of Wrath’s’ Joad family (https://shaff.co.uk/shaff19/bike-films-3-the-bikes-of-wrath). Through chance encounters with everyday Americans along the way, the group explores whether America has progressed since the book was written, discussing the wealth gap, immigration, and the American Dream.
Running For Good
Without doubt, now is the time for taking action for our planet and our future. Increasingly, people are finding hope through that action, a feeling that’s reflected in many of this year’s films. We want to take our audiences on a journey and inspire them to take the next step to a better future. So we’re bringing people face-to-face with inspirational adventure activists, showing films which tell stories of powerful environmental action. Running for Good is an up-close-and-personal encounter with four times world record holder endurance runner and human dynamo Fiona Oakes (https://shaff.co.uk/shaff19/run-films-4-running-for-good). Hear Fiona’s incredible story of resilience and determination first hand, and find out more about why she pushes herself to run further and faster at this special screening of her new film.
