Those who decide to head to the Algonquin Theatre to check out the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour will undoubtedly leave feeling truly inspired.

The festival, which has been put on by Algonquin Outfitters for the last 12 years, will be held on Jan. 20 and 21 starting at 7:30 p.m. on both nights. Although each evening will feature a different selection of films, both nights promise a collection of the most inspiring and thought-provoking action, environmental, and adventure mountain films. The first night leans more towards the action sport/adventure category, but this year’s film selection contains films with many layers of themes. Many of the action sport films have underlying themes of culture, travel and human interest that will give them a broad appeal. The second night features a wider range of film subjects, leaning more towards nature, mountain culture, humour, creative film-making and adventurous travel.

Travelling from remote landscapes and cultures to up close and personal with adrenaline-packed action sports, the world tour is an exhilarating and captivating exploration of the mountain world.

“The festival has been happening for over 25 years, but how Algonquin Outfitters came to be involved was after being approached by staff at Summit College, which was operated by the Muskoka Baptist Conference Centre,” said Gord Baker, assistant general manager of Algonquin Outfitters. “Summit College was interested in bringing (the Banff Film Festival) to Huntsville and we agreed. For the first three years, it was shown at the chapel, but we outgrew that venue and moved to Grandview.”

He said the reason Algonquin Outfitters originally agreed to help organize the film festival was because organizers knew “this was the kind of high-quality adventure film the people of Huntsville would appreciate.”

Once the Algonquin Theatre was built, Algonquin Outfitters recognized the building as an “ideal venue” to show such high-quality films.

“My personal opinion about the film festival is that there’s something for everyone,” said Baker. “It’s for people who are interested in the outdoors, outdoor sports or just high-quality non-mainstream filmmaking. It features National Geography-quality, homemade films by young people that just happen to be very compelling and well done. It covers a wide range of breathtaking scenery, humour and controversy. Even if you’re not an outdoor person, you’ll probably still enjoy it.”

Baker indicated that a few years ago, an individual who represented the Banff Film Festival had attended one of the viewings and said the Huntsville audience was among the most diverse they had ever seen.

“There will be young kids, people who are in their 20s, 30s and 40s and retired people,” said Baker of the demographic generally attending film festivals. “I think that speaks to the population of Huntsville…. People are interested in outdoor adventure as well as supporting local events. To me, that demonstrates that (the film festival) offers something for everyone.”

The Banff Mountain Film Festival, which is produced by the Mountain Culture department at The Banff Centre, is an international film competition featuring the world’s best footage on mountain subjects. The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour features award-winning films and audience favourites with approximately 300 films entered in the annual festival. The host organization in each tour location chooses a program that reflects the interests of their community. Each community creates a unique celebration of local adventure and adventurers.

The world tour spans the globe, making its way from Ausria to Argentina and from Iceland to India and even Antarctica. More than 170,000 people attend approximately 460 screenings in about 285 communities and 30 countries across the globe.

Tickets to the film festival are $15 for adults and $12 for students and are available online at www.algonquintheatre.ca or by calling the theatre box office at 705-789-4975.