Festival Will Bring Everest, Antarctica to Phoenixville

Parka-clad Sherpas don’t typically walk the red carpet at a movie premier, but that just might be the case on Oct. 1 when The Colonial Theatre’s Adventure Film Day features the U.S. premier of “Call of the White” among its line-up of documentaries.

Presenter for the event and Everest mountaineer Paul Deegan will be joined via video link by Felicity Aston, who led the expedition of eight women documented in the film.

“This is the first documentary premier at The ,” said assistant director Kirsten Van Vlandren.

“Call of the White” tells the story of eight women from seven countries who, in 2009, attempted to ski to the South Pole. Many of the women on the trip had never seen snow before, adding to the challenge of the expedition. The other three films being screened at the festival include:

• “South,” the 1920 documentary that tells the survival story of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ill-fated expedition to cross Antarctica. This film includes footage of the destruction of Shackleton’s ship, Endurance, by pack ice.
• “The Conquest of Everest,” an Oscar-nominated documentary that shows the first ascent of Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Norgay Tenzing in 1953.
• “The Fatal Game,” which tells the story of a mountain guide who has to choose between remaining with his client and saving himself near the summit of Everest in the 1990s.

“The films that were selected for this festival will hopefully enhance the adventure experience,” Deegan said. “They show these expeditions from a wider perspective. With a wide range of movies you can see how this type of exploration has evolved over the years. It’s truly a journey for the audience.”

The day’s events are divided into two sessions. The films “The Conquest of Everest” and “The Fatal Game” will be shown during the 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. session, called “Everest.” Deegan will close this portion of the festival by taking questions from the audience. The remaining two films will be shown during the second session, called “Antarctica,” which runs from 1:55 p.m. to 5 p.m. and concludes with questions and answers with Aston.

“All four documentaries were made from footage filmed by the participants in those expeditions,” Deegan said. “These are not re-enactments or dramatizations. This is the closest the audience can get to these adventures without being there.”

Deegan has a wealth of adventure knowledge to share with festival attendees, starting with his experiences as an 18-year-old co-leader of an environmental expedition to Everest. After two unsuccessful attempts at climbing the mountain, including an expedition during the infamous “Into Thin Air” tragedy in 1996, he reached the top of Everest 15 years after his first visit to the site.

Co-speaker Aston, who will be participating in the festival from the UK, is no stranger to first-time milestones. In addition to leading the Commonwealth Women’s Antarctic Expedition documented in “Call of the White,” she led the first British women’s crossing of Greenland and was a member of the first all-female team to complete the Polar Challenge, a 360-mile race to the Magnetic North Pole. She hopes to add to that list in November as she plans to make a 1,700 kilometer, 70-day ski journey to become the first woman to cross Antarctica alone.

For a separate price of $120, an exclusive number of guests can share dinner and conversation with Deegan at Majolica, located at 258 Bridge St. Proceeds from this portion of the festival benefit the Kopila Valley Children’s Home and School, an orphanage in Nepal founded by Maggie Doyne for children whose parents were killed during the country’s civil war. Doyne, a friend of Deegan’s, has personally adopted 40 children and built a school for 250 students.

The film festival and dinner are intended for adults and older teens, but the kids shouldn’t feel left out. Deegan, who lives in West Chester, will also host a virtual ascent of Mount Everest event for children ages 8-12 at the Colonial Theatre on Oct. 8. During this interactive presentation, scheduled to begin at 2 p.m., children will decide how to travel from Phoenixville to Everest Base Camp, learn about the Sherpas who inhabit the valleys surrounding the mountain and devise ways to reduce the expedition’s environmental footprint.

Seeds for the festival were planted when Van Vlandren heard Deegan speak at last year’s TEDx event. The two discussed the idea of an adventure film festival to be held every year, similar to the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival held annually in Alberta, Canada. She hopes to make this an annual event for Phoenixville as well, with each year focused on a different type of outdoor adventure.

In addition to Majolica, Adventure Film Day supporters include Chaddsford Winery and The Wooden Spoon Bakery Café.

Ticket Information:

• Full Day Pass - $20 for adults, $15 for students
• Everest Only - $15 for adults, $10 for students
• Antarctica Only - $15 for adults, $10 for students
• Dine with an Everest Climber - $120
• Kids Event on Oct. 8 - $8.50 per child

For more information on the festival, visit http://www.phoenixvilleadventure.com.