Seven adventure films are coming to the silver screen Friday, March 7, when the Mountain Film Festival returns to Harriett Hall.
The annual event runs from 6 to 9 p.m. It is sponsored by the Southeast Alaska State Fair and the Takshanuk Watershed Council.
Fair director Jessica Edwards said she was so taken with the 45-minute “North of the Sun” film when viewing the potential selections for the event that she decided to run a feature-length film for the first time.
“The adventure genre is really well-suited to short films. You’re doing an activity, and you’re showing people the thrill of it. But the interest for a feature-length film takes something else; you need a story line,” Edwards said.
“North of the Sun” tells the story of two young men who decide to live for nine months on a beach in Norway, “testing a hypothesis that they could live happily, and even comfortably, off the waste of others.”
Edwards called the film’s protagonists “really likeable,” because they aren’t trying to go out and prove how extreme or rugged they can be. “They’re trying to go out and see if they can live for a winter in this beautiful place and really connect with it.”
Another of Edwards’ favorites is the 20-minute “Keeper of the Mountains,” about legendary Mount Everest historian Elizabeth Hawley, now in her 80s.
Other films include “The Joy of Air,” “Split of a Second,” “Killian Martin: Altered Route” and “Cascada,” which range in subject matter from wingsuit flying to skiing in Japan.
“They’re lighthearted, fun, go-outside-and-get-some-thrills kind of films,” Edwards said.
Pizza by the slice, salads, beer and wine will be available for purchase. Gluten-free and vegetarian options will also be available.
Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door, or $35 for families. Tickets can be purchased at the Babbling Book and the fair office.
Call 766-2476 for more information.