Rongqin Su, of the Canmore-based Bow Valley Film Institute, got on his phone yesterday when he found out the third stop of the Bow Valley Film Tour was another sold-out affair.
It made its first stop ever in Cochrane on Aug. 22 and the successful night opens the door to its return and possibly an extra night next year at the Cochrane Movie House.
Featured were eight short films, each varying in length, yet equal in intensity. The filmmakers and their subjects bared their souls on the screen of their lives and adventures in the breathtaking yet unyielding Rockies.
Only one strayed from that--Conviction. The Bruce Miller film portrays an Indigenous man, powerfully performed by Shane Ghostkeeper, facing his inner demons upon re-entering society after jail.
Robert Lemermeyer and his son were featured in the Ryan Campbell film "Peak Week" in which they climbed seven mountains in seven days in support of the Impact Society. Along the way, Lemermeyer strengths his relationship with his son.
Su reached out to him frantically just hours earlier to spread the word of the sold-out evening and to remind him to bring his tickets.
"We're super thrilled," says Lemermeyer. "We weren't sure what was going to happen here. It's fantastic."
"There's so much talent in the community, and it's more profound than we realize. I mean, there's folks everywhere kind of drinking the same kool-aid."
Peak Week is an initiative by Robert Lemermeyer to raise funds for the Impact Society’s Heroes youth programs. They are designed to assist youth in building their inner strengths, resilience, and decision-making skills, so they can feel more confident navigating life’s challenges and taking healthy risks.
"People were really supportive of what we did, and what we're trying to accomplish," says Lemermeyer. "I mean, we're not looking for credit, but it was just nice to get the support of the mountain folks, that they appreciate what we're doing."
Lemermeyer heads out tomorrow (Aug. 24) to once again conquer peaks for the Impact Society. And no matter how beat up he may be from the climbs, he intends to be at the next Bow Valley Film Tour showing in Calgary on Aug. 31.
Other films were The Great Divide, Spindrift -the Barry Blanchard story, Mountain of My Mind, Luna Ski, Old Mountain and A Blue Shangri-la.
You can learn more about the films here.
