High-flying flicks featured at Tahoe Adventure Film Festival

When it comes to adventure sports films, there's the edge of insanity and then there's the abyss. For 10 years the Tahoe Adventure Film Festival has taken its viewers on a celluloid and digital tour filled with rapid-succession footage and no-holds-bar outdoor drama played out across continents, continental shelves and all points in between.
The film festival returns to Lake Tahoe, Saturday, Dec. 8, at MontBleu Resort Casino and Spa, and promises plenty of mountaintops, cliffhangers and enough high-energy entertainment between showings to ignite fervor for the New Year and its spectrum of outdoor adventure sports. The night includes guest speakers, action photo displays, break-dancers, DJs and a handful of surprises.

Rooted as the nerve center for elite skiers, boarders, climbers and year-round adventurers, Lake Tahoe is festival base camp, where founder Todd Offenbacher kicks-off a nine stop western winter tour.

Organizers spent hundreds of hours reviewing dozens of submissions, narrowing to the 10 that best represent outdoor sports action from every corner of the world. Of those, filmmakers were then tasked to produce special 10-12 minute segments to be premiered at the festival.

“These high-caliber films offer the best adrenaline-fueled footage of the year,” said Offenbacher. “The spectrum of adventure runs from skiing to biking, climbing, kayaking and soaring above cliff bands – gnarly footage that presents a ‘jaw-drop’ effect.”

Noted for being the "anti-stuffy film festival" with its share of beverage swilling, costumed entourages, go-go dancers and beat-box breakers, the festival has has partnered with Lake Tahoe ski resorts, the Sierra Avalanche Center and area outfitters to provide free outdoor gear to stock any adventurer's garage. Raffles feature giveaway season passes, heli-ski outings and cat-skiing trips.

Festival-goers can follow the latest on Facebook including details on the western states tour. All films shown at the festival are available for purchase in their full format from the filmmakers.

Advance ticket purchase is encouraged as the event annually sells out. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Reserved seating through Ticketmaster can found by going to the MontBleu website or by calling (775) 588-3515. The cost is $20-$25.

For more information on the festival go to www.LakeTahoeFilmFestival.com.