Skiers and snowboarders are oftentimes huge movie buffs.
They’re not necessarily the kinds of people who will pack a theatre in anticipation of the year’s biggest Hollywood blockbusters (though some may be). Instead, they’re the kinds of people who are subscribed to Outside TV, who get up at weird hours to watch the Freeride World Tour (FWT), and who love to make their own films while they’re out on a powder day.
For such a crowd, the International Freesports Film Festival (iF3) is a can’t-miss event.
“It is the place where you can get an idea of what the ski and snowboard industry really is,” said iF3 Whistler coordinator Mark Warner. “It’s the most comprehensive ski and snowboard film festival there is. We’ve got everything from urban to big mountain to backcountry and everything in between.”
A hub on the wheel
Since its beginning some 16 years ago, iF3 has become a nexus of creative expression for world-class athletes and small-time filmmakers alike. All are welcome to submit their material for consideration by event organizers, who take pride in their dedicated amateur section.
Warner and his associates don’t care who you are. If you’ve made something that needs to be seen, they’re interested. It’s not just about raw athletic ability, either: storytellers and artists within the snowsports industry make up an integral part of iF3, where immaculate production work is celebrated just as much as immaculate off-axis rotations are.
“You’re only as good as the people that you reach, right?” said Warner. “So if we selected only the biggest and brightest names, well, how are we supposed to inspire the next generation? We want these up-and-coming filmmakers to have an opportunity to be seen. This is that opportunity, where they don’t have to struggle for sponsors and for notoriety if they’re going to be putting their energy into a project.”
Originally based in Montreal, COVID-19 forced iF3 to temporarily adopt a virtual format hosted by Warner and Leanne Pelosi from Whistler. That opened a door for the festival to plant roots out west as Warner—recognizing that travel restrictions precluded many from travelling to Quebec in 2021—spearheaded the launch of an in-person event in the Sea to Sky. iF3 is now in the midst of its third full iteration in Whistler while maintaining satellite shows in Montreal, Chamonix, France and Santiago, Chile.
Unsurprisingly, it’s been a harmonious fit so far.
“Whistler’s been great—it’s one of the hubs of the wheel, one of the go-to spots in North America,” said Warner. “You can go to an average person who maybe skis or snowboards a couple of times a day, or just knows about it, and they’re going to know what Whistler is. It’s synonymous with skiing and snowboarding.”
Elevating the sport
iF3 has had its share of ebbs and flows. COVID was an obvious roadblock, and Warner thinks the advent of social media caused the festival’s energy to wane for a time as eye-catching reels became more accessible than ever before.
He also feels the post-COVID era has bred a generation that increasingly values communal experiences over the individual convenience of a smartphone. The trend, in turn, brings new energy to the iF3 community.
With all sorts of premieres happening throughout the week, this year’s event will culminate with a grand weekend finale on Oct. 21 at the Maury Young Arts Centre. Fans can look forward to a full pull of content courtesy of names like Blank Collective, Sammy Carlson, and the father-son duo of Paul and Ian Morrison, as well as Revelstoke’s notorious Blondes. It’s all about gathering with like-minded snowsports enthusiasts and having a good time.
So why is it that skiers and snowboarders tend to identify so strongly with filmmaking?
“If you do something because you love it, it’s because you love it, and a lot of the time you want to find like-minded people and you want to share it with them,” Warner opined. “If I’m going to go out shredding pow by myself, it’s fun, but if I’m going out and shredding pow with a bunch of my friends, it’s the best day of my life. I’ve had countless best days of my life.
“Not only does [filmmaking] help elevate the excitement and level of stoke amongst everybody, but it also helps advance the sport. If you’re somebody that’s at the top of the level in your sport, and you can do something that not many people can do, absolutely show it. Everyone’s going to see that and they’re going to start saying: ‘hey, how did he do that? How do I do that? Can this be done again?’”
More information is available on the iF3 website at festivalif3.com.
