Film Festival Takes Attendees on the Ride of Their Lives

More than 1,000 Lehigh Valley residents experienced the thrill and passion of the Banff Mountain Film Festival hosted by Wildlands Conservancy on March 8. More than $8,000 was raised by the event to support the programs and services offered by the Conservancy.

 

“Wildlands Conservancy hosts the Banff Mountain Film Festival because the films celebrate one of our core values - nature through outdoor experience,” says Christopher M. Kocher, president “The event also provides Wildlands Conservancy the opportunity to share our conservation mission and get the community involved in supporting our important work.”

 

Attendees enjoyed 10 award-winning films on kayaking, rock climbing, mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, environmental issues and films about the human spirit. Enhancing the outdoor spirit was Olympus which hosted interactive displays in the lobby of Parkland High School featuring Stylus-Tough series cameras, which are shockproof, waterproof, freezeproof and crushproof and the one-of-a-kind E-30 digital single lens reflex (DSLR) with in-camera Creative Features. Local outdoor organizations were also on hand providing attendees with materials on how they can get out and enjoy nature.

 

Also included in the night were two raffle drawings, one presented by The Banff Centre and one hosted by Wildlands Conservancy and Olympus. Lucky guests walked away with subscriptions to National Geographic, clothing gear from Patagonia, certificates to rafting trips with Jim Thorpe River Adventures, along with Olympus’ STYLUS TOUGH-6000 shockproof and waterproof and E-520 DSLR cameras.

 

Local sponsors of the event include: WDIY 88.1 FM radio, Bennett LandRover/Jaguar of Allentown; Keystone Consulting Engineers, Inc.; Nestor’s Sporting Goods, Inc. and Eberhardt Motors.