The 2019 Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF) has just hit South African shores, brought here by RAM Mountaineering.
The films focus on outdoor adventure, mountaineering, the environment and mountain cultures. The best of this collection of unique and inspiring short films tours internationally and is coming to South Africa.
VIMFF will be run from Monday 29 July to 2 August. Tickets are R85 per person. Visit vimff.co.za for more info on venues and screenings.
Here are six VIMFF short films you don’t want to miss:
1. Notes from the Wall
Join three quirky Belgian free-climbers who attempt a 1,200-metre granite vertical wall in Chile’s exquisite and at times formidable Torres del Paine National Park.
4. RJ Ripper
Kids and bikes go together, no matter where you are in the world. The chaotic streets of Kathmandu may not seem like a typical breeding ground for world-class mountain bikers, but then again nothing is typical about Rajesh (RJ) Magar. Since learning to ride on a beat-up clunker, to becoming the four-time National Champion at age 21, RJ’s story is one of boundless childhood dreaming and unstoppable determination, forged from junkyard scraps and tested on the rugged trails of the mighty Himalaya.
2. For the Love of Mary
The first time 97-year-old runner George Etzweiler completed the race up Mount Washington, he was 69 years old. In addition to his ancient, lucky, green running shorts, Etzweiler carries something else special with him: the memory of his late wife of 68 years, Mary.
3. Grizzly Country
After serving in the Vietnam War, author and eco-warrior Doug Peacock spent years alone in the Wyoming and Montana wilderness observing grizzly bears. This time in the wild changed the course of his life. With Yellowstone grizzlies under threat, Peacock reflects on the importance of habitat and why he continues to fight for wild causes.
5. A Social Backcountry
As the population booms in Southwest BC, and interest in backcountry travel is at an all-time high, tensions in the outdoor community are inevitable. Information spreads like rapid-fire through social media, leading to a host of difficult issues, while at the same time raising deeper questions: What kind of a community do we want this to be? And amongst all the internet trolling and the crowding at trailheads, how can we still find real adventure? 
6.In the Shadows of Everest
Phortse. Home to more Everest summitters than anywhere else on earth. Sherpas who live in this region of Nepal are the backbone of nearly every expedition to the summit of the world. To give back to Nepal, and to make the Himalayas a safer place for guides and porters, Conrad Anker and Jenni Lowe-Anker founded the Khumbu Climbing Centre here. Pemba Sherpa and Tenzing Gyalzen Sherpa are KCC-trained climbers, and they’re becoming leaders in their community, each giving back in his own way.
Images: Supplied/VIMFF
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