Events news: Peebles Outdoor Film Festival returns this January

Acclaimed adventure film festival returns to Peebles
Eastgate Theatre, 26-28 January 2018
The Peebles Outdoor Film Festival, a high-energy celebration of outdoor and mountain culture, returns at the end of January with a selection of outdoor films, exciting speakers and hands-on sessions.

Programme highlights

Benedict Allen recently added to his portfolio of high-risk, solo expeditions when he attempted to regain contact with a remote tribe in Papua New Guinea, having first visited them while in his twenties. His subsequent extraction from the country made headlines around the world.
Another headline speaker, ocean adventurer Olly Hicks, will share awe-inspiring tales from the high seas. Since becoming the youngest person to row solo across the Atlantic at the age of 23, his passion for the sea has seen Hicks undertake a range of daunting expeditions, including kayaking from Greenland to Scotland. His greatest challenge is yet to come as he prepares for the first ever solo row around the world later this year.
Jasmin Paris, Lucy Colquhoun and Susan Ridley – a trio of elite running stars who have broken records across the age groups – will reveal all about their running lives. Adventure filmmaker Paul Diffley will talk about his acclaimed Hot Aches label, and explain why his latest film, a caving epic set in Spain’s Picos de Europa mountains, is perhaps his most difficult undertaking yet. Festival audiences will be among the first to hear about adventurer Jenny Tough’s latest world first: a solo, unsupported run along the length of Morocco’s Atlas Mountains.

The festival also features appearances by a host of inspiring figures from in and around the Borders, all with amazing stories to tell. Between them, Lynne Armstrong (mountain biking), Greg Boswell (winter climbing), David Winton (long-distance cycling) and Geoff Allan (author of The Scottish Bothy Bible) are set to entertain audiencesof all ages with tales of their adventures.
The 2017 event attracted more than 1,200 people over the course of the weekend – a figure that organisers expect to be exceeded in January. “We’re delighted that the festival continues to grow year on year, with the quality of speakers and films pulling in audiences from far and wide,” said Rich Rowe, a member of the festival team. “We can’t wait for another huge weekend of outdoor adventure later this month.”
The 2018 Peebles Outdoor Film Festival runs from 26-28 January, and is sponsored by the John Muir Trust, Peebles Hydro and The Park, Findra, Tontine Hotel and Out & About. Hard copies of the programme are available from the Eastgate Theatre Box Office, or can be viewed online at www.eastgatearts.com