Fans of movies and the outdoors will be able to merge their two interests together in a four hour viewing of this year’s best outdoor films.
The annual screening of the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF) is coming to Hope Cinema Cafe on Wednesday evening (March 15), allowing visitors to see the “best of the best” films, from around the world, about the great outdoors. Hosted annually by the Hope Mountain Centre for Outdoor Learning, the fundraiser event will include vendors, a silent auction, and movies about hiking, rock and ice climbing, skiing, paddling, and mountain biking.
“[The festival] is a really great fit with the Hope Mountain Centre’s goal of connecting people with nature,” said Kristine Pérez de León, the Mountain Centre’s executive director. “And this was just a really natural fit to bring awareness to our region about various athletes, and mountain adventures, and different aspects of mountain culture to the big screen.”
According to Pérez de León, the event will provide an avenue for “lovers of mountain sports to have an opportunity to connect over their shared passion for the outdoors.” This includes showcasing various vendors — such as Baker’s Books and Hope Search and Rescue — that provide items or services about the outdoors.
“We really like the aspect of people being able to come and connect. So, it’s not just about coming to a movie theater and watching films,” said Pérez de León.
“We actually make it more of an interactive event for various people, the people of Hope especially, to come together. To meet and check out all the different community organizations that are also focused on mountain culture.”
First hosted in 2009, the Mountain Centre has been bringing the VIMFF to Hope for over 15 years now and they have no plans of stopping anytime soon. The annual fundraiser, says Pérez de León, is a great way to get people motivated for the upcoming summer season and all the summer sports and activities available to them.
The event is also a way for people to support the Hope Mountain Centre, who is a registered Canadian charity that provides services, programs, and events to “people of all ages and abilities [in order to increase] knowledge about and access to the outdoors.”
It is the Mountain Centre’s goal to help people create a stronger connection to nature which they hope will empower them “to make better choices that lead society toward environmental sustainability, improved physical and mental health, and enhanced sense of community.” As such, fundraising events such as the VIMFF coming to Hope allows the centre to continue provide free programming.
In addition to the films and vendors, a silent auction will be held during the event with the following prizes available: A $200 gift certificate to High Hopes Construction, $200 gift certificate to Mt. Waddington’s Outdoors, $200 gift certificate to Ascent Fraser Valley, 10 punch pass from Project Climb Chilliwack, 10 punch pass from Project Climb Abbotsford, 10 punch pass to HMI Skate Park, $125 gift certificate to Hope Brewing Co., books from Baker’s Books, an item from Vedder Mtn Bike Co., a gift card from Owl Street Café, a wooden bowl handmade by Mike Millar, a gift basket from Hope Pharmasave, two registrations for the Manning Park Bird Blitz from Hope Mountain Centre, $25 worth of fudge from Artisan’s Attic & Fudgery, $20 gift certificate to Rolling Pin Bakery, and a gift Basket from Hope Visitor Info Centre.
For more information on the films being shown, people can visit hopemountain.org.
The event starts at 6 p.m and ends at 10 p.m. Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased either online at hopemountain.org (in their programs/events section) or in-person at Baker’s Books and the Blue Moose Coffee House.
READ MORE: Hope Mountain Centre for Outdoor Learning thanks Trans Mountain for their donation
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