Hannah Abebe
A few weeks ago, The Mountaineers continued its annual tradition of hosting the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour in Seattle. With nearly 4,000 people in attendance at Benaroya Hall over two nights, this year’s screenings made for a memorable experience.
PRE-SHOW
Prior to showtime, doors opened early for folks to visit with our nonprofit partners and local sponsors in the lobby of Benaroya Hall. Each evening, the energy in the room was lively and high-spirited as connections were being made and anticipation for the show was building. The Mountaineers is grateful to the following organizations for supporting this event through generous donations, tabling, and more.
The lobby before showtime on January 15, 2025 (Basalt Playlist)
Local Sponsors
Nonprofit Partners
- Kevin Kunston (Producer of “Canyon Chorus”) of Wondercamp
AUDIENCE PICKS
The first evening showcased films from the Basalt playlist. Audience favorites included Wild Days, The Bird in My Backyard, Canyon Chorus, and Dropping Molly. We were lucky to have one of the producers of Canyon Chorus, Kevin Knuston, in attendance on behalf of the film’s subject Mikah Myer and the production company behind the film, Wondercamp. On the second evening, the Sandstone playlist also received a lot of love from those in attendance, especially the films Welcome to the Pit, Dolomites, Undammed, and 109 Below.
Both nights had raffle drawings that took place after intermission. Audience members were on the edge of their seats as they waited for each ticket to be drawn in hopes that they would take home one of our amazing prizes. The Mountaineers is grateful for our local raffle sponsors who generously donated such highly desired prizes.
PERKS FOR PEAK SOCIETY
The Mountaineers was also proud to recognize and celebrate our Peak Society donors at this year’s screening with a special reception and comped tickets on the first night. Our Peak Society members bolster our ability to serve a growing outdoor community in ways we could not do with earned revenue alone. Their significant financial gifts directly support mission-enhancing priorities such as scholarships, leadership development, youth programs, and our conservation & advocacy efforts to protect public lands and waters. As a benefit of becoming a Peak Society member, The Mountaineers hosts several donor appreciation events and provides complimentary tickets to special events.
To learn more about our Peak Society community, visit our Peak Society page or reach out to development@mountaineers.org.
About Banff
Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour began over 30 years ago as an outreach program and now reaches more than 40 countries, bringing films to 550 theaters and over 550,000 people worldwide. We are honored to be part of this long tradition. Every year, Banff is one of our most highly anticipated community events.
Interested in attending a Banff screening? Get tickets for Banff Mountain Film Festival in Olympia on February 28 through March 2 at the Capitol Theater. And stay tuned for updates on Mountaineers-hosted 2026 World Tour dates.
To learn more about the festival and see the full World Tour line up, visit The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.
