For three nights, Feb. 27, 28 and March 1, the Rio Theatre will become a portal to the far edges of the planet as we watch people climb frozen waterfalls, paddle through remote rivers, outrun exhaustion, and redefine what it means to be human. The Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour returns for its 50th anniversary of the original festival in Banff, Canada, and the 35th year that UCSC Adventure Recreation has brought the tour to Santa Cruz.
From the Canadian Rockies to the Central Coast
The festival begins each year in Banff, where more than 400 films are submitted from around the world. Over the course of a week, audiences screen the films and vote on their favorites. From that pool, a few dozen are selected for the world tour, which travels to hundreds of communities across multiple continents.
It brings snowbound summits, desert crossings, deep-water descents, climate questions, human courage, and the kind of stunning cinematography that makes you forget you’re not hanging from a rope thousands of feet above a glacier. But what unites the films is not simply adrenaline.
Dustin Smucker, program manager for UCSC’s Adventure Rec, who is bringing the festival to town says, “The films feature human-powered adventure in beautiful places, with themes of accomplishment, grappling with the human spirit, what drives us to challenge ourselves, to discover ourselves, to protect what we love, both in our natural world and within each other.”
Yes, there are daredevils, but it is a festival about possibility.
Why Santa Cruz Shows Up
For a town that measures time in swells and trail conditions, it has become less an event than an annual migration.
“Santa Cruz is a place that appreciates environment, outdoor adventure, mountain travel, the ocean, and appreciates being transported into spaces where you get to see the human spirit alive,” Smucker says. These films might be comedic, dramatic, about mountaineering or even building a canoe. Each one presents a sense of humanity and the potential for humanity to live at its best.
“We see humans behaving boldly, behaving kindly, exhibiting the best qualities of what it means to be on this Earth,” Smucker says. “They are motivational stories for who we want to be.”
Films That Challenge Assumptions
Each night features an entirely different lineup. One of this year’s selections is “Old Man Lightning,” promised to be pee-your-pants funny. It’s a 45-minute feature Smucker describes as “one of the most profound examples of a human performing beyond expectation.” It’s about legendary senior citizen rock climber John Verm Sherman still chasing vertical challenges. “I love how films challenge our assumptions about who we can be,” Smucker says. “Instead of seeing limitations, they challenge us to see possibilities.”
Another anticipated film, “The Finisher,” follows Jasmine Paris, attempting the notoriously brutal Barkley Marathons, considered one of the most difficult ultrarunning events in the world. In the race’s 38-year history, finishing itself is rare; her goal is to become the first woman ever to do so.
Smucker laughs. “I’m not saying we’re all going to run 100 miles afterward, but we might go home wondering who we are and what we’re capable of.”
A Fundraiser with a Purpose
We may come for cinematic inspiration, but the Rio Theatre event also serves as a major fundraiser for Adventure Rec, a program within UCSC’s Department of Athletics and Recreation that trains students to lead backpacking, kayaking, surfing, and camping trips across California and the western mountains. Adventure Rec’s mission, Smucker says, helps students reconnect with who they are. “Through sponsorships and ticket sales, the festival raises more than $20,000 annually, that is funneled directly back into reducing the cost of outdoor trips for students.”
Smucker explains that over half of UCSC students receive some sort of financial aid. “Cost is often the biggest barrier to trying these new adventures. We’re proud that our trips are relatively inexpensive because of what we raise here. For example, an eight-day spring break expedition to Utah is priced at roughly $300.” Revenue from the Banff Festival tour helps make those journeys possible.
The Rio as a Gathering Place
For Santa Cruz, the festival has become less about spectacle than about reflection: Who are we when we push beyond comfort? What landscapes shape us? What risks are worth taking? Rio Theatre owner and operator Laurence Bedford, who has been presenting the festival for over 20 years, says the festival will sell out all three nights.
Seeing natural majesty on the big screen adds to our immersion, but there is also something about experiencing these stories collectively. Streaming has made solitary viewing the norm, yet the Banff tour remains communal. Gasps ripple through the crowd during precarious ascents. Laughter erupts during moments of levity. By the time the credits roll, strangers feel allied. The Rio Theatre, with its vintage charm and deep local roots, amplifies that shared experience.
Choosing Your Night
Each night has a completely different lineup of films. Tickets are $23.50 for Friday and Sunday, $25.50 for Saturday, plus Eventbrite fees. For students, Sunday tickets are available for $10. To read about the film descriptions and each evening’s program in detail, go to goslugs.com/sports/2025/7/21/banff
Beyond the Screen
What ultimately distinguishes Banff is not simply the feats captured onscreen but the aftereffect that inspires us to see our own town differently. The Monterey Bay marine layer becomes atmosphere rather than an inconvenience. Plans begin forming, maybe a hike. Boots are laced up and people head outside. Half a century after its founding, the Banff Mountain Film Festival continues to ask a deceptively simple question, “What does it mean to live fully?” As Smucker puts it, the films offer “motivational stories for who we want to be.”
Sponsors for the film festival include Allterra Solar, Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, Pacific Edge Climbing Gym, KZSC 88.1, Good Times Weekly, and Woodstock’s Pizza.
[1]AP style is Feb. 27, 28
[2]UC Santa Cruz on first reference
[3]our style is to eliminate all but the necessary. So: goslugs.com/sports/2025/7/21/banff
