Image: Ube Tokiwa Museum
The 51st Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival will open on October 31 with a screening of Chris Benchetler’s 'Mountains of the Moon', presented as a one-night-only immersive event with a live musical score. According to a Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity media release dated August 10, the opening-night program will take place in the Jenny Belzberg Theatre in Banff, Alberta, and will also include a pre-show costumed patio party.
The festival runs October 31 to November 8, 2026, and the organization says single tickets are now on sale. Banff Centre describes the nine-day event as a broad celebration of mountain art, music, film and literature, with more than 80 films on the schedule, including world and North American premieres. The lineup also includes the return of the festival marketplace, free talks on the Rab stage, outdoor patio parties with live music and exhibitions.
'Mountains of the Moon' is created and directed by Benchetler, who is identified in the release as a world-renowned artist, skier and filmmaker. The film is described as a visual exploration of imagination, creativity and the transformative power of the mountains, combining skiing, dreamlike cinematography and a soundtrack that the release calls evocative and timeless. The project was captured almost entirely at night and uses lasers, animation and projection mapping to move through ocean, river and mountain landscapes.
The film’s narration comes from mycologist Paul Stamets. The cast listed in the release includes surfer Rob Machado; skiers Sam Kuch and Michelle Parker; rock climbers Alannah Yip and Hamish McArthur; mountain bikers Carson Storch and Hannah Bergemann; freediver Kimi Werner; and Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart. The live score for the Banff presentation will be performed by Ross James of the Terrapin Family Band, described in the release as Denver-based and known as a Grateful Dead tribute bandleader.
Joanna Croston, Director of Mountain Culture at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, said in the release that 'Mountains of the Moon' with a live musical score is 'an extraordinary fusion of film, music, and mountain culture' that captures the adventurous spirit of the festival. The release says audiences attending the opening celebration can arrive in costume for the Halloween patio party and enjoy craft cocktails from Wild Life Distillery, identified as the festival’s 2026 Intermission Sponsor.
The opening-night program will also include a separate ticketed live performance by The Wardens in the Margaret Greenham Theatre. Banff Centre describes the Rocky Mountain-based band’s songs and stories as inspired by the landscapes they protected as Canadian national park wardens, and says the band’s performances have been dubbed 'the quintessential mountain-culture concert experience.' The 'Mountains of the Moon' opening event is included in the Chomolungma Festival Passes and Opening Weekend Passes, with single tickets priced from $48 to $56.
