Film & video arts

The Adventure Filmmakers Workshop is an exceptional chance for independent and emerging filmmakers to advance their skills under the guidance of two of the world’s premier and proven adventure filmmakers. During a jam-packed ten days in the fall, participants will hone their craft, strengthen their skills, and network and mingle with fellow filmmakers, industry insiders, and decision-makers. 

This all takes place within the core of the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, where epic stories are told through the eyes of adventurers, authors, photographers, and filmmakers from around the globe.

Program days will be filled with hands-on practice, lively discussion, and brainstorming. Teaching sessions with experienced faculty and guest speakers will help participants sharpen their narrative and vision, organize their workflow, develop audio and editing techniques, and perfect their pitches. Participants will also have access to potential mentors, collaborators, sponsors, and backers. 

In addition to meals and accommodation, participants will have access to production spaces where they can work on their projects, share ideas and foster a creative community.

The program is designed to cater to filmmakers with a strong desire to take the next step in all aspects of their filmmaking, including pre-production, pitching, location skills, editing, and distribution. A strong knowledge of technical sound, camera, and editing is essential. 

Past participants have included

• elite athletes transitioning to filmmaking.
• adventurers wanting to expand to different media platforms.
• established filmmakers wanting to break into the adventure genre.

Participants will benefit most if they are committed to filmmaking and have a strong desire to take the next step in all aspects of their filmmaking, including

• pre-production, pitching.
• location skills.
• editing.
• distribution.

Application Deadline: May 28, 2025
Program Dates: Oct 31, 2025 - Nov 9, 2025

For more information and to apply: bit.ly/41nf13K 

This research was conducted in six waves over the course of 2020 and 2021. This is a community resource that is FREE to access and results from the sixth wave of research are now available.

Findings for Alberta organizations from Wave 6 results include:

• Comfort has developed into a very predictable pattern that follows case numbers and now vaccine rates.
• Albertans will return at their own pace; participation hinges on personal comfort but also personal risk tolerance.
• There is a consensus that there will be less of a return to “normal” but rather a new way of doing things moving forward.
• Because Albertans have spent the past year and half discovering new things to do, the selection of what they can choose from now is quite vast.
• Spending habits are in flux, and at this point it is difficult to predict where Albertans will direct their money in the short term.

What are the implications for Alberta organizations?

• Even as restrictions have been removed, organizations still need to deal with comfort. As it stands, there is clear hesitancy in the audience and it will be important to communicate safety measures to make audiences comfortable when re-engaging.
• Organizations should keep in mind that public sentiment is a more useful barometer over government announcements. Gauging expectations for increased participation to occur will be based on a combination of comfort and risk tolerance.
• Organizations should expect more permanent (structural) changes to stick around – specifically related to organizational transparency, flexibility with refunds, new payment options, etc. These should be things that organizations consider keeping even if they are no longer required by the government.
• The main consideration for organizations remains flexibility – in terms of payment options, participation options, etc. This will allow for consideration on different levels as Albertans suss out how they want to direct their spending.

Download the reports:

• Alberta Report
• Calgary Report
• Edmonton Report

About the project

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts is pleased to be a funding partner in this collaboration with Stone-Olafson and other community leaders to develop a long-term research investigation and evaluate how current conditions will reshape Albertans’ attitudes and behaviours towards social and group activities, across a variety of sectors. The purpose of this work is to give leaders of community sports, recreation, arts and culture, professional sports, active living, heritage, tourism or hospitality sectors relevant facts about local audiences that they will need to bring life back to our communities.

The initiative was funded by:

• ActiveCITY Collective
• Alberta Foundation for the Arts
• Angus Reid
• ATB
• Calgary Arts Development
• Calgary Foundation
• Edmonton Arts Council
• Edmonton Community Foundation
• Rozsa Foundation
• Stone-Olafson
• Travel Alberta