Jasperites will have a chance to celebrate one of their favourite outdoor pastimes with a screening of the Trail Running Film Festival.
The screening will take place at the Jasper Royal Canadian Legion on May 17, starting at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m.
“It’s a very rare occasion to get everyone together who does trail run in the same room where no one’s actually running,” said Adam Lee, who is hosting six screenings of the worldwide film festival in Western Canada.
Organizers started hosting screenings in Vancouver in 2023 and added four Alberta shows last year. This year, a Jasper stop has been added to the schedule, with proceeds being donated to the Jasper Legion, Habitat for the Arts and the Volunteer Fire Brigade.
Lee emphasized they wanted to support Jasper following the 2024 wildfire that destroyed a third of the townsite.
“It’s a really important outdoor space in Canada, and trail running is obviously something where we want to celebrate all the outdoor spaces, too,” he said.
This year, the festival is showing six short films ranging from five to 33 minutes, collectively clocking in at just under two hours. Lee noted there was a wide range of films that covered all backgrounds.
“The film festival does a great job of selecting them, too,” he said. “It’s not just some guy running really fast. They have really great stories, really trying to promote inclusivity and diversity in the sport.”
His personal favourite was The Pointe Pessey, a French film about a female runner preparing to set a record climb on the mountain she has cherished since childhood. Narrated by her twin brother, the film dives into her backstory and features the natural beauty of the Alps.
Lee encouraged anyone who wanted to celebrate trail running or connect with members of their own community to attend the screening.
“I know community is a real buzzword right now, but it’s just great community building, and everyone kind of gets to come together and just chill out and celebrate the sport through the film,” he said. “For people that are interested in the sport, I think it’s definitely fun to come out and see and get an idea [from] the films.”
To purchase tickets and find a listing of screenings, Lee also has a newsletter/podcast called .
