Paddling Film Festival at LPCA

The 13th Annual Paddling Film Festival will make an appearance at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts on Friday.

The Paddling Film Festival is an international adventure film tour presenting the world’s best paddling films of the year – whitewater, sea kayaking, canoeing, action and lifestyle – in more than 120 cities and towns across Canada, United States and around the world.

The Lake Placid show is organized by Adirondack Lakes and Trails and the Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT), a 740-mile paddling trail from the Adirondacks to Maine. Proceeds from this event benefit the trail.

The Paddling Film Festival will feature sea kayakers exploring remote coastlines, northern river canoe expeditions, inspiring short films about topics such as canoe-building, and more.

Films this year include, Beauty of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, a four-minute film that showcases footage of the NFCT. Following traditional travel routes used by Native Americans, settlers and guides, the NFCT connects 22 rivers and streams, 58 lakes and ponds and 45 communities. It is the largest inland water trail in America. Footage for this film was captured during a 2017 thru-paddle by the team from Adventureitus Productions.

Another movie, Ziyou/Freedom, features a woman who is an avid kayaker who has always lived life to the fullest, but when she faces the biggest challenge of her life, she must face this chapter as if it may be her last. By way of her inspirational journey, she shows us how one can live a life without regrets.

Doors at the LPCA open at 6 pm. and the films start at 7 p.m. People are encouraged to come early and social. NFCT volunteers and staff will be on hand to answer questions about trail programs, including the Northern Forest Explorers, a five-day canoe-camping trip for children aged 10-14 years old. Refreshments will be served and there will be raffles for paddling gear. People can also enter one of the two NFCT boat raffles this year, including one that features a Placid Boatworks RapidFire.

For tickets and information about the Film Festival visit the NFCT website. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door.

Photo: Adventureitus Productions filmmakers Austin Graham and Brad Tallent paddled the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail and made a film about it, by Mike Lynch.