The 7th annual Reel Paddling Film Festival (RPFF) will be making its way through the Adirondacks this spring and summer with showings in Lake Placid, Old Forge and Tupper Lake. The Reel Paddling Film Festival highlights the best paddling films for the year in ten categories: Instructional Paddling, Environmental Paddling, Kayak Fishing, Sea Kayaking, Stand-up Paddling, Short Paddling, Canoeing, Whitewater, Documentary Paddling, and Adventure Travel Paddling.

According to RPFF Founder and Director Scott MacGregor, the judges received over 50 festival film entries this year, which were then shortlisted to the remaining 20 films. After much deliberation, the final 10 films were chosen. Each world tour destination host choses a selection from the shortlisted films for the RPFF.

“Over the past seven years we’ve discovered that people like to see a variety of films. The people hosting the [Reel Paddling Film] Festival like to show more films as well so we’ve edited and created shorter festival version of the winning and shortlisted entries,” says MacGregor. “Since the audience comes in with a variety of experience and interest, the hosts want to appeal to as many of those interests as possible.”

Owned and organized by Rapid Media along with its four leading paddlesport magazines, Rapid, Adventure Kayak, Canoeroots and Kayak Angler, RPFF’s focus is to strength and foster an interest in paddle sports. The films range in length to a “short” which are a couple minutes in length to a “feature,” between 20-40 minutes.

MacGregor says, “I remember going to the Banff Film Festival and leaving it being in awe of the mountain culture. The Reel Paddling Film Festival is to paddling, as Banff is to mountain films. Some people may go to learn something, but most just go to be inspired and see the exciting places paddlers have filmed around the world.”

Each ticket holder receives a program with descriptions of all film entries, not just the ones picked for each individual tour. MacGregor knew when setting up the film festival format, that showing all the films wasn’t possible, so the program allows the individual to contact the film maker directly for DVDs or more information on each individual entry.

“Anyone attending has the opportunity to vote for the People’s Choice Award, their favorite film, by completing the ballot on the back cover the RPFF program,” says MacGregor. “The People’s Choice Award gives the audience a way to interact and be part of the voting process.”

The Reel Paddling Film Festival will be shown at three different Adirondack locations: April 27 at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts and hosted by Adirondack Lakes and Trails Outfitters; May 18 at The View in Old Forge and hosted by Mountainman Outdoor Supply Company; and July 27 at The Wild Center in Tupper Lake and hosted by Raquette River Outfitters.

“This festival is definitely family-friendly,” says MacGregor. “Paddling is a family-friendly sport and this festival highlights people that are enthusiastic about the sport. In addition, the festival has shown in British Columbia and passed its family ratings level. It is as exciting for kids to see these films as it is for adults.”

photo used with permission of the Reel Paddling Film Festival

Diane Chase is the author of Adirondack Family Time: Lake Placid and the High Peaks: Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities. Her second family activity book will cover the Champlain Valley and be in stores summer 2012.