For three evenings this weekend, the screen at the Rio Theatre will be filled with breathtaking, gravity-denying, death-defying footage of skiers, climbers, cyclists, hikers and other outdoor adventurers captured in 21 award-winning examples of outdoor storytelling.
It’s all unspooling as part of the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour. Now in its 34th year, the festival started in Banff, Alberta, but now stops in 40 countries across the globe. Its stop in Santa Cruz is presented by UC Santa Cruz Adventure Rec, with funds going to make adventure sports more accessible to students.
And while the festival is known for “adrenaline-packed action sports”—and you will get your dose—there’s a gentle gem of a documentary being shown on Saturday night, March 1, that may not have “jaw-dropping” moments, but it provides just short of 17 minutes of smiles, tears, inspiration, hope and a truly incredible outdoorsman, Mikah Meyer.
Meyer is the star of Canyon Chorus (although the ensemble of this rollicking river trip is essential to the story), and he also played a big role behind the scenes. “So, Eddie Bauer came to me,” says Meyer, talking as he drives to yet another film festival, “and said they wanted to make a film about me, and asked me what ideas I had, and I suggested this one. I’m not officially the director, but I kind of directed the director.”
For three years, Meyer traveled to all of the more than 400 national parks in America. While others have come before him, Meyer was the first person to do it as a gay man.
It’s such a sweet film that spelling out the details seems like a disservice. Canyon Chorus recently won the Jury Award at the Wild and Scenic Film Festival, held in Nevada County. “That was our 16th film festival for this film. And we’ve probably been in like 60 Banff World Tour stops so far, since it started in December,” Meyer says. (Those stops don’t include one in Santa Cruz.)
The film explores Meyer’s personal journey as an LGBTQ advocate, and the son of a famous pastor, but mostly focuses on his reunion with the other men whom he met while singing in a choir. The scenic journey takes place on a rafting trip through the extremely remote Desolation Canyon in Utah. A choir of gay friends, singing to the canyon, being genuinely authentic.
“I was a professional singer and so I have two degrees in voice performance,” Meyer explains, “so I’m kind of used to being on stage. What I love the most about this is I think it’s really cool for audiences to get to see somebody on screen, and then see them in real life, and they’re not just like a pretend fictional character.”
Meyer understands that when a film is labeled “a gay film,” the people who don’t love and support gay people will not show up. “The whole motivation with Canyon Chorus was how do we make a film, and essentially trick the audience into watching a film, about people who are different than themselves? Because a lot of people think Banffwill be full of great dudes hitting powdery snow and shredding and sick trips, which it does. And then, in the middle of that, they are confronted with other people, and will hopefully have empathy for people who are different from them, which is the whole point of arts and film—to educate us and inspire us. So I really appreciate that the Banff tourallows us to get a gay story in front of an audience that would probably not seek it out.”
Meyer is working on a feature film that embraces all of the qualities of Canyon Chorus, with a more filled-out narrative. Not surprisingly, due to the political climate of today, where national parks are being gutted of employees and being teed up for exploitation, “it’s really hard right now to get funding,” Meyer says.
“Even with all my qualifications with the national parks, and an award-winning film about my national park journey, all the brands are afraid to touch it because they worry that they’ll be accused of being involved because I’m gay. They don’t want to be seen as companies that do DEI hires,” Meyer testifies.
The film explores, and lands, the themes of intergenerational friendships, different types of male bonding, and the struggle of coming out in America in 2025, which rivals any summit climbed in the Banffcollection. “There’s no experience like seeing it in a theater. Even if you watch it on YouTube (search Canyon Chorus to watch now), seeing it with the crowd, and hearing how they laugh and what they react to, is the best.
“I would really encourage your readers to go to all three nights because these really are the best outdoor films in the world. You’re not going to be disappointed,” Meyer says.
Chorus Canyon plays on Saturday night at the Rio Theatre as part of the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour. Each night has different films; screenings begin at 7pm on Feb. 28, and March 1–2 at the Rio Theater. Tickets are available at riotheatre.com and are $22.50. To see a trailer of the festival, visit vimeo.com/1032546896.
