Fans of the ever-popular Banff Mountain Film Festival will want to check out an upcoming film tour raising money for Powell River’s new climbing gym.
Reel Rock Film Tour will hit town just one day after its annual world premier as a fundraiser for Powell River Climbing Co-operative climbing gym, currently under construction at Townsite’s The Warehouse building on Ash Street.
“The tour is big-budget, exciting adventure films and mostly climbing films,” said Tracy Raftl, one of Powell River Climbing Co-operative’s board directors. “If people like the climbing films in the Banff film festival, they are going to like this.”
The annual documentary film tour, now in its 11th year, was founded by Colorado-based filmmakers Josh Lowell and Peter Mortimer in 2006 to collect the world’s best climbing and adventure films. Raftl said the film tour was a perfect fit for a climbing gym fundraiser.
Raftl points to a variety of films in the tour, including Rad Dad, about renowned climber Mike Libecki balancing his career in the sport with fatherhood, and Young Guns, about two teen climbers who are among the best in the world.
“The films make you want to get out and climb. It’s very exciting and inspiring to watch them,” said Raftl. “These films often feature stuff way beyond what most of us are ever going to do, but it might inspire you to try the gym, or develop an interest in climbing in general.”
Mortimer said the Powell River screening will be a fun, festive event and this year’s films are incredible.
“It’s one of our best programs ever,” said one of film tour’s founders, “and it’s going to be a great way for everybody to get together and have a good time.”
Mortimer added that Reel Rock is proud to partner with the Powell River Climbing Co-operative.
“The new gym is going to be an amazing connector of the whole climbing community and is such a cool example of climbers making it happen,” said Mortimer.
Films will be preceded by a short presentation about the climbing co-op’s progress and future operations of the climbing gym, said Raftl.
According to Raftl, the climbing wall inside the former Townsite mall is now finished, but the co-op is waiting for building owner Steven Brooks to secure an occupancy permit from the city.
Brooks has previously said the climbing gym could have a “soft opening” by November, but Raftl said early 2017 is more realistic.
The indoor facility has received community support, including a $164,000 Powell River Community Forest grant, but so far the co-op has less than 30 members, according to Raftl.
While the grant money paid for the wall to be built, funds are still needed to pay for utilities, office equipment, security cameras and more. Raftl estimates the co-op still requires an additional $25,000 before opening its doors.
Raftl is also hoping the Reel Rock Film Tour and other fundraising events being planned will help to drive membership and interest in the sport of rock climbing.
“It is slow growth here. There’s definitely a core group of climbers, but we need more to keep the momentum going,” said Raftl. “That’s a big part of why we want to do this climbing wall, to get more people into the gym as a transition to outdoor climbing.”
Along with event sponsor Townsite Brewing, School District 47 has also pitched in on the efforts and donated the cost of rentals for Max Cameron Theatre.
School superintendent Jay Yule said the school district has supported the concept of a climbing wall for years and even purchased its own portable climbing wall to educate students on the sport.
“A climbing wall fits into the district’s educational vision of students being exposed to experiences in their own outdoor environment,” said Yule, “and a climbing wall is an opportunity to expose young students to climbing in a safe way before they venture out.”
Reel Rock Film Tour screens at Max Cameron Theatre at 7 pm on Friday, September 16. For more information, go to prclimbinggym.com.
