The 14th annual New Zealand Mountain Film Festival is just around the corner, set to bring together a group of inspirational mountaineers, climbers, authors and filmmakers for one week in Wanaka, Queenstown and Cromwell at the beginning of July.
One of the headlining speakers this year is Chris Davenport, an accomplished American big-mountain skier. Hailing from Colorado, he’s two-time winner of the World Extreme Skiing Championships, and bronze medal winner in the Winter X Games. He’ll be speaking in Wanaka on July 2, and Queenstown July 7.
Craig Potton – author, publisher, and one of New Zealand’s best-known landscape photographers – will take the stage in Wanaka on July 2, sharing his new book So Far, So Good which details his three-month traverse from Milford Sound to Nelson Lakes.
Brando Yelavich completed the first full circumnavigation of the New Zealand coastline. It took him 600 days to travel 8000km, which he did by walking, swimming, scrambling, rafting and climbing. He’ll be speaking about his epic walkabout on July 3 in Wanaka.
Nick Allen will be in Wanaka on July 3 to share his experience of overcoming the challenging symptoms of multiple sclerosis. A passionate tramper and climber, Allen set up Mastering Mountains, a foundation which supports spreading knowledge about MS and providing community for those living with the condition.
As part of the Mountain Book Festival, author Lydia Bradey will be headlining. In 1988, Bradey was the first woman to climb Everest without supplementary oxygen. She recently released a book about the experience, Going Up is Easy, in which she details the historic feat. Bradey will be speaking on July 9 in Queenstown.
In addition to the speakers, there will be a plethora of films and workshops to attend. The festival starts in Wanaka (July 1-5), then goes to Cromwell (July 6), ending in Queenstown (July 7-9).
To check out the complete list of speakers, films, and workshops and to buy tickets, click here.