Celebrate the great outdoors at this month’s film festival

A fantastic line-up of speakers, adventure films and outdoor sessions feature in the schedule for the 2019 Peebles Outdoor Film Festival.

Now in its fifth year, the festival – held at the town’s Eastgate Theatre over the weekend of 25-27 January – has become a major annual event in the Scottish Borders, with more than 1,200 people attending in 2018.

This year, special appearances by mountain bike legend Hans Rey, outdoor swimmer and TV star Calum Maclean, adventurer and Paddle Against Plastic founder Cal Major, plus Peter Cairns from SCOTLAND: The Big Picture will be among the highlights

The festival offers a celebration of outdoor and mountain culture in all its forms, from inspiring speakers and award-winning adventure films to outdoor sessions led by local activity providers.

In addition to a stunning programme of more than 30 short films (many of which feature in the 2019 festival trailer just launched), this year’s event also features Scottish Festival Premieres of two feature films: Time Trial – an immersive ride through cyclist David Millar’s
last season in the saddle – and Free Solo, an unflinching portrait of superstar climber Alex Honnold as he prepares to climb Yosemite’s El Capitan without a rope.

As well as films, the exciting appearance by Hans ‘No Way’ Rey as part of his UK stage tour will be a major draw – particularly in the bike-mad Tweed Valley. The former World Champion, Mountain Bike Hall of Famer and adventurer will take audiences on a journey through an incredible career – from his early riding days and extreme biking feats to more recent biking adventures, including an attempt to scale the summits of Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya together with Danny Macaskill.

Audiences will also be treated to an evening with Calum Maclean, the hugely entertaining star of the BBC’s online channel The Social and BBC Alba.

As those who have seen the film of him breaking thick layers of ice to swim in Scotland’s highest loch, Calum is a filmmaker and outdoor swimmer whose love of exploring Scotland’s wild lochs and rivers sees scant regard for personal comfort.

Cal Major will speak in Making Waves

The watery theme continues with an appearance by Cal Major, a remarkable young woman whose passion for preserving and protecting our coastline sees her use epic stand-up paddleboard adventures – including a world first, 1,000-mile paddle from Land’s End to John
O’ Groats in 2018 – to highlight the issue of plastic pollution and promote positive change.

The festival also features appearances by a host of inspiring local figures, including European 24hr Mountain Bike Champion Naomi Freireich, plus BAFTA-nominated filmmaker, climber and inveterate adventurer Jen Crook (both from Edinburgh); and Jack Harland, Peebles-based author of the highly-acclaimed Highland Journal – an illustrated memoir of his journey from wide-eyed hill walking novice to proficient mountaineer.

For the first time, the 2019 festival steps outside the theatre building with local adventurer Ed Shoote from We Love Mountains leading a bikepacking workshop at nearby BSpoke Cycles, and an outdoor injury session – led by Phil Mack from Peebles Physiotherapy – at the
Mountain Bike Centre of Scotland, Glentress.

A still from Surfer Dan, one of the films being screened at this year’s event

Rich Rowe from the Eastgate Theatre said: ‘We’re delighted with this year’s line-up of speakers, films and outdoor sessions.

‘It’s a selection that will entertain audiences of all ages – making them laugh, cry, gasp and, hopefully, start planning their own
adventures for the year ahead!’

The 2019 Peebles Outdoor Film Festival runs from 25-27 January, and is kindly sponsored by the John Muir Trust, Tontine Hotel, Go Ape, Peebles Hydro/The Park and Adrenalin Uplift, with additional support from Out & About, Macdonald Cardrona Hotel, Golf & Spa, No 1 Peebles Road, Pocket Mountains, Glede Knowe Guest House, FINDRA, Ridelines and Cleikum Mill Lodge.

View the full programme at https://issuu.com/eastgatearts/docs/poff_pages.

For tickets, call Box Office on 01721 725777, or go online at www.eastgatearts.com.