NZ Mountain Film Festival – Making adventure lemonade

NZ Mountain Film Festival – Making adventure lemonade

The films and books submitted in the NZ Mountain Film Festival are the evidence of epic expeditions, years of planning, fundraising, physical preparation and hours of filming, writing, editing and production work. The fun of the adventure itself is often clear but behind the scenes the source of inspiration and motivations often tells a different story. For two of this year’s speakers, when life handed them lemons, they made adventure lemonade. Brando ‘Wildboy’ Yelavich and Nick Allen will speak about how adventure has provided them the antidote to some of life’s hardships.

Brando Yelavich grew up on the North Shore of Auckland and as a young teenager was heading down a path he was not proud of. Diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia the 19 year old was on the dole and smoking drugs every day. He says, “I had a dream to join the Army, but after attending a military prep school I was told because of my learning difficulties I would not be able to pass the entry exam.” Motivated to make his family proud and inspired by the movie ‘Into the Wild’, Brando conjured the goal to complete the first full circumnavigation of the New Zealand coastline, claiming, “This was my Everest”.

It took 600 days to travel 8,000km, by whatever means necessary: walking, swimming, scrambling, rafting or climbing. Determined to live off the land and armed with a copy of ‘A Field Guide to the Native Edible Plants of New Zealand’ he caught and ate fish, wild birds, wild rabbits, pigs, deer and “whatever else I could get my hands on”. With a selfie stick, a solar recharge panel and a Go Pro, Brando checked in to civilisation via social media, called his Mum and documented the epic tale with blog posts uploaded when Wi-Fi allowed. The updates enabled Brando to use his expedition to raise over $30,000 for the Ronald McDonald House along the way. Brando is a keynote speaker at the NZ Mountain Film Festival on Sunday July 3. He will be sharing stories about the people he met along the way, the transformative effect of adventure and the mental and physical challenges he faced.

Nick Allen (Palmerston North) will also inspire the festival audience members with his stories about living adventurously with multiple sclerosis. Nick was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis and became dependent on a motorised chair. He suffered poor balance and fatigue making mountain climbing seem like distant dream. However Nick decided this wasn’t the path he was going to take. He contacted a physical therapist and a specialist personal trainer and began working out, focusing on strength, balance, and flexibility. With a radical approach to diet he began to see miraculous results. Nicks road to recovery and new goal to climb a significant mountain every year emerged.

Nick has set up a charitable trust called Mastering Mountains to help tackle perceptions around MS and to fund and encourage individuals into the outdoors who are living with the disease. Through the charity, Nick has set up a scholarship fund, administered by Multiple Sclerosis NZ, to help others with MS get into the outdoors. Nick recently summited the 6,000m Island Peak in Nepal to raise awareness and money for Mastering Mountains Scholarship Fund. He will be speaking at the NZ Mountain Festival about his challenges and triumphs.

The NZ Mountain Film Festival Charitable Trust Grant Scheme is designed to offer youth or people with disabilities a helping hand to fund outdoor adventures, education and environmental projects. The Grant Scheme is financed from the proceeds of a Silent Auction run during the festival. 2015 contributions went towards native tree and shrub re-planting at the Hawea Whitewater Park, a Hamilton based charity Perry Outdoor Education Trust purchased tents for youth adventure camps and Mike Brown received assistance for designing an off-road bike for paraplegics. Mount Aspiring College received money for their kayaking programme, Mount Aspiring College received for funds to buy an adaptive trike and Hank Bilous, and a young Wanaka pro skier received funding to attend a mountain skills course. The community, sponsors and friends of the Festival generously donate items. Contributions are still being accepted by the Trust, to donate contact Festival Director Mark Sedon.

Sedon says, “Stories like Brando and Nick’s are a common theme amongst mountaineers, adventures, climbers and adrenalin seekers. Year after year we see films and speakers come through that have really interesting back-stories. The expeditions are often more than they seem at face value so we know the festival’s Grant Scheme is an awesome way to give people that helping hand into the outdoors. Adventure can be therapeutic and healing, as well as a hell of a lot of fun.”

The NZ Mountain Film Festival will run from the 1 to the 9 of July in Wanaka, Cromwell and Queenstown. The book and literature event will be held at the Rippon Hall in Wanaka July 2 and 3, and also at Memorial Hall in Queenstown July 9. Tickets are on sale now online at mountainfilm.net.nz and you can grab a programme at Paper Plus in Wanaka.

ENDS

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