Banff Film Tour Premiere in Munich

MUNICH, 13 JANUARY 2026:

BANFF CENTRE MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL WORLD TOUR 2026

Banff is Back: THE BEST ADVENTURE AND MOUNTAIN FILMS OF THE YEAR ON THE BIG SCREEN

In 2026, the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour once again brings the best outdoor, adventure, and mountain films of the year to the big screen. The European premiere will take place on 26 January 2026 at the Alte Kongresshalle in Munich. The new program brings together diverse perspectives, strong personalities, and compelling stories from the international mountain and outdoor community.

This year’s lineup spans a wide range of experiences—from an extraordinary climbing adventure in Patagonia and an Arctic expedition on Baffin Island to personal stories about friendship, family, creativity, and athletic passion. The films portray people who take on challenges, forge new paths, and reflect on their relationship with nature, sport, and themselves.

Reel Rock: Riders on the Storm features an exceptional chapter in modern climbing history. A Baffin Vacation—Love on Ice follows an expedition duo through the rugged vastness of the Canadian Arctic. Emil & Karl—Small Wheels, Big Mountains conveys the ups and downs of a family cycling adventure in the Alps. My Grandmother’s Sketchbook—Under Mont Blanc connects art with a changing landscape. Freeriding and friendship take center stage in That One Friend and Cold Calls—Japan, and Rogatkin portrays an extraordinary MTB athlete.

After the European premiere in Munich, the BANFF CENTRE MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL WORLD TOUR 2026 will be shown at about 100 events in eight countries. The program features seven films. Including moderation and an intermission, each event runs approximately 2.5 to 3 hours.

THE PROGRAM

Reel Rock: Riders on the Storm

With the first free ascent of the route Riders on the Storm in Patagonia, Siebe Vanhee, Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll, Nicolas Favresse, and Drew Smith made climbing history in February 2024. They succeeded where multiple climbing teams had failed for 33 years. Determined to send all 41 pitches to the summit in a single push, the four climbers had prepared for Patagonia’s notoriously bad weather, but not for the turbulence within the team. It turns out the true crux isn’t a 7c+ pitch at the edge of the world; it’s navigating a generational clash.

A Baffin Vacation – Love on Ice

Kayaking, climbing, kiting—Baffin Island provides limitless adventure for Sarah McNair-Landry and Erik Boomer. On their latest expedition to Canada’s fifth-largest island, the two aim to combine as many outdoor sports as possible. Long distances, steep elevation gains, or demanding 24-hour stages don’t intimidate them. Will this expedition bring them closer together, or put their relationship to the ultimate test? Only Baffin Island knows the answer.

My Grandmother’s Sketchbook

A 30-year-old sketchbook leads Max Romey to the Mont Blanc region. The Alaska-based watercolor artist and environmental activist follows in the footsteps of his grandmother who visited the area in the late 1980s and captured it in numerous drawings. Max wants to find out exactly where her sketches were made and sets out on the journey with mountain guide Hillary Gerardi. With her help, many images and locations around Mont Blanc can be clearly identified—except for the Mer de Glace. Over the past 30 years, the glacier has changed dramatically.

Cold Calls – Japan

Phone calls might seem a bit outdated these days, but if you’re a freeride pro and your phone rings, you should probably pick up. It might be someone offering you a segment in their next ski film—someone like Alexi Godbout. Canadian freerider Alex Armstrong made the right choice: she answered the call. The result? An unforgettable ski trip to Japan—complete with sushi, parties, and bottomless powder.

That One Friend

For some freeriders, the saying “no friends on a powder day” is practically a creed. Sierra Schlag and Waverly “Waves” Chin just laugh at that. When the two friends head into the backcountry together, there’s no competing for first tracks or the best line. Quite the opposite: Waves and Schlag just want to have a good time—on the mountain, cooking together, chatting, and knitting. The priority on the runout back to the valley? Gummy bears. And the vibe? It never sours—not even if the snowmobile tips over or the skis ice over outside the hut.

Rogatkin

At only five years old, he didn’t just want to ride a bike—he wanted to send big jumps. Today, Nicholi Rogatkin is considered an extraordinary talent in freeride and slopestyle mountain biking. In Rogatkin, he reflects on the defining moments of his 20-year career so far: hard-fought wins, tough losses, time off to recover from injuries, and the constant pressure to perform at the highest level—driven not only by others’ expectations, but above all by his own. Yet his motivation and creativity remain undiminished. Rogatkin loves his sport and has no intention of hanging up his bike anytime soon.