The Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival (EMFF) returns in February after a two year break.
Edinburgh’s longest-running adventure film festival will show some inspiring stories on the big screen
The 16th Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival is at Gordon Aikman Lecture Theatre in George Square on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 February 2020. Tickets for the festival start at £5 and are on sale now at www.emff.co.uk
Of course, there are also athletes in the ‘expected age bracket’ doing incredible things. Skiers drop fearsome-looking lines in Alaska, and sketchy gullies in the West Highlands. A female climber scales apparently blank rock faces using holds the size of a pinhead, without ropes! Mountain bikers scream down impossible routes. Then there are the parkour athletes, on a stomach-lurching rooftop race in Paris. And then there is the blind man attempting to lead-climb the Old Man of Hoy sea stack on Orkney.
As well as the films, the festival welcomes three speakers to the stage to share tales of their incredible journeys. Jenny Graham, from Inverness, tops the bill as she recounts her world-record breaking unsupported cycle around the world. Navigating tornados, bears and Russian traffic, Jenny offers a humorous take on the highs and lows of her 18,000 mile adventure.
Anna McNuff, fresh and blister-free after her 2,620 mile barefoot run through Britain. As well as setting her feet free, she used to walk to
inspire young women to have their own adventures. All of which might make Leon McCarron’s 1,000 mile walk seem a bit … pedestrian? But it took him through the heart of the Holy Land at a pace which allowed him to truly meet the people and understand the challenges of that region. With global tensions rising, his insights will seem all the more relevant today.
Stevie Christie, Festival Director, is excited by the personal nature of the films chosen for EMFF 2020, as well as the sheer spectacle of the action.
He said : “We have some very special films this year. The ones which stand out from the programme are awesome … but they won’t necessarily be your favourites.
“We’re privileged to watch the protagonists share personal insights, the highs and lows of doing what they love, and how that impacts them – as well as lots of incredibly skilled and daring antics! Meanwhile the speakers will each bring something different and are guaranteed to leave you entertained, enlightened and inspired.”
The festival, staged in association with Tiso and Mountain Equipment,
expects big numbers from the climbing, cycling, snowsports, running, kayaking,
adventure sports, outdoor photography and filmmaking communities; as well as
those who love the outdoors, travel and mountain adventure. From small
beginnings in 2003, it has grown to be one of the most popular and dynamic
events in Scotland’s outdoor adventure calendar, attracting in excess of 2,000
outdoor enthusiasts annually.
For full details of the festival and how to buy tickets go to: https://emff.co.uk/
Follow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TheEMFF
Follow us on Twitter – https://twitter.com/The_EMFF
Official EMFF hashtag – #TheEMFF
The 16th Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival takes place from 15-16 February 2020. The festival is staged in the Gordon Aikman Lecture Theatre at Edinburgh University.
Tickets cost from £5 – £17 and are available now from www.emff.co.uk or on the door, subject to availability. The festival aims to promote mountain culture and provide a platform for adventure film-makers to showcase their work. In short, to entertain, enlighten and inspire. It also acts as a social gathering for Scotland’s vibrant outdoor scene. Finally, it raises funds for Mountain Rescue and the John Muir Trust, with over £20,000 raised since the EMFF began.
The festival features lectures by leading mountaineers, adventurers and explorers, many short films and various exhibitions.
