Banff Mountain Film Festival Festival Theatre Edinburgh 7th February 2026 Review
Banff Mountain Film Festival (UK & Ireland Tour), part of the larger film festival world tour, made its annual stop-over at the Festival Theatre Edinburgh today with a matinee (Blue Programme) and evening (Red Programme) screening of films. This review is from the evening (Red) films.
This year, the evening film programme was, as usual, a mixture of film running lengths, with fewer short films than previous years have had, but still the diverse nature of them gave this audience an insight into just how many different wonders of nature and potential adventures there are out in this world waiting to be explored and experienced. As always, the cinematography on many of these films was outstanding.
The 2026 RED film programme consisted of those below
Riders on the Storm (27 minutes)
Riders on the Storm is the name given to what can only be described as a 1,300 metre high wall of rock reaching into the clouds above in Patagonia. Over the years, countless teams of climbers have been drawn to this rock-face, but none have completed their goal of claiming the coveted alpine first ascent of the elusive route. Until now - enter three Belgian big-wall climbers.
This film is not only one of enduring 18 days in snowstorms and often sub-zero temperatures, but having the will and determination not only to overcome the physical demands that a climb like this makes upon a human body, but also the sheer mental focus required to just keep going to reach that, at times, elusive goal.
Gabon Uncharted (27 minutes)
Gabon in Central Africa is vast, remote and, for large areas, devoid of any humans, yet this is exactly what attracted four elite kayakers to take on a 12-day descent of the remote Ivindo River. The cinematic photography here is awesome, opening a window into a world of natural beauty and power, a world as yet not contaminated by human habitation (and let's hope it stays that way for a long time).
This is also a story of working as a team, taking everyone’s opinion into account, and fully assessing risk dangers before attempting to run any of the enormous water-falls on this river. It is also an insight into how drone technology has changed how a group like this approach their planning of an adventure like this,
The Finisher (47 minutes)
The Barkley Marathons is an ultramarathon trail race held each year in Frozen Head State Park in Morgan County, Tennessee, United States. Described as "The Race That Eats Its Young", it is known for its extreme difficulty, purposefully difficult application process, and many strange traditions, having been completed only 26 times by 20 runners since 1995 (Thank you, Wikipedia). Officially the varying course is, for a total of its five different courses, 100 miles long, but some put that distance at closer to 120-130 miles. The race has a combined time limit of 60 hours, and is run through night and daytime.
In its history no woman has ever completed this marathon, but that has driven many women to try and prove everyone wrong about their perceptions of just what they are capable of. Sadly, all have until now failed. Enter British runner Jasmin Paris and her triumph at overcoming all the statistical odds, all the male presumptions, and mostly her body and mind, to prove every doubter wrong by becoming the first woman to complete all five courses of "The Barkley".
Mandala (6 minutes)
Set amidst the natural splendours of Nepal, French mountain biker Kilian Bron, takes us with him on an at times jaw-dropping mountain bike descent along, at times, unbelievable ridgelines and through remote villages where time appears to have stood still. The skill level required to navigate the course of this film is outstanding, but still I wonder at the damage that a high speed mountain bike can do to some of these paths, that look at times so fragile.
Emil & Karl: Little Wheels, Big Mountains (22 minutes)
There is always a lighter note taken with a film or two at the Banff Mountain Film Festival, and this is this year’s. Here two fathers take their two-and-a-half-year-old sons as co-pilots on a heartwarming journey in the Swiss backcountry looking for climbs, croissants and cows.
Without any doubt though, the highlight of this year’s RED film programme in Edinburgh was the personal appearance on stage, and later available just to talk to, of the first woman to complete the full Barkley Marathon course, runner Jasmin Paris who deserved every moment of her long applause from this audience.
Review by Tom King (c) 2026
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
This year, the evening film programme was, as usual, a mixture of film running lengths, with fewer short films than previous years have had, but still the diverse nature of them gave this audience an insight into just how many different wonders of nature and potential adventures there are out in this world waiting to be explored and experienced. As always, the cinematography on many of these films was outstanding.
The 2026 RED film programme consisted of those below
Riders on the Storm (27 minutes)
Riders on the Storm is the name given to what can only be described as a 1,300 metre high wall of rock reaching into the clouds above in Patagonia. Over the years, countless teams of climbers have been drawn to this rock-face, but none have completed their goal of claiming the coveted alpine first ascent of the elusive route. Until now - enter three Belgian big-wall climbers.
This film is not only one of enduring 18 days in snowstorms and often sub-zero temperatures, but having the will and determination not only to overcome the physical demands that a climb like this makes upon a human body, but also the sheer mental focus required to just keep going to reach that, at times, elusive goal.
Gabon Uncharted (27 minutes)
Gabon in Central Africa is vast, remote and, for large areas, devoid of any humans, yet this is exactly what attracted four elite kayakers to take on a 12-day descent of the remote Ivindo River. The cinematic photography here is awesome, opening a window into a world of natural beauty and power, a world as yet not contaminated by human habitation (and let's hope it stays that way for a long time).
This is also a story of working as a team, taking everyone’s opinion into account, and fully assessing risk dangers before attempting to run any of the enormous water-falls on this river. It is also an insight into how drone technology has changed how a group like this approach their planning of an adventure like this,
The Finisher (47 minutes)
The Barkley Marathons is an ultramarathon trail race held each year in Frozen Head State Park in Morgan County, Tennessee, United States. Described as "The Race That Eats Its Young", it is known for its extreme difficulty, purposefully difficult application process, and many strange traditions, having been completed only 26 times by 20 runners since 1995 (Thank you, Wikipedia). Officially the varying course is, for a total of its five different courses, 100 miles long, but some put that distance at closer to 120-130 miles. The race has a combined time limit of 60 hours, and is run through night and daytime.
In its history no woman has ever completed this marathon, but that has driven many women to try and prove everyone wrong about their perceptions of just what they are capable of. Sadly, all have until now failed. Enter British runner Jasmin Paris and her triumph at overcoming all the statistical odds, all the male presumptions, and mostly her body and mind, to prove every doubter wrong by becoming the first woman to complete all five courses of "The Barkley".
Mandala (6 minutes)
Set amidst the natural splendours of Nepal, French mountain biker Kilian Bron, takes us with him on an at times jaw-dropping mountain bike descent along, at times, unbelievable ridgelines and through remote villages where time appears to have stood still. The skill level required to navigate the course of this film is outstanding, but still I wonder at the damage that a high speed mountain bike can do to some of these paths, that look at times so fragile.
Emil & Karl: Little Wheels, Big Mountains (22 minutes)
There is always a lighter note taken with a film or two at the Banff Mountain Film Festival, and this is this year’s. Here two fathers take their two-and-a-half-year-old sons as co-pilots on a heartwarming journey in the Swiss backcountry looking for climbs, croissants and cows.
Without any doubt though, the highlight of this year’s RED film programme in Edinburgh was the personal appearance on stage, and later available just to talk to, of the first woman to complete the full Barkley Marathon course, runner Jasmin Paris who deserved every moment of her long applause from this audience.
Review by Tom King (c) 2026
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
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