Sheffield Adventure Film Festival goes viral

After the success of last year’s Sheffield Adventure Film Festival, which featured a restrospective look at the legendary Sprung mountain biking video series with filmmaker Alex Rankin and racer Steve Peat, the event organisers have come back bigger and better than ever for 2012, taking place on the 9-10th March. As well as films from the world of biking, running and climbing, they’re decided to introduce a new category for viral videos this year – the release is below…

“With entries already coming in thick and fast for ShAFF 2012, Festival Director Matt Heason has announced a new judging category specifically for viral videos. And every day in the run up to the festival weekend Mattʼs picking his top viral in the new Daily Adventure Dose on facebook and twitter.

Last yearʼs Sheffield Adventure Film Festival was the most popular ever with a 77% increase in ticket sales, sell-out screenings and packed lectures including a Q&A with the legendary mountain-biker Steve Peat. For 6 years in a row 100% of the audience have said theyʼd come again and recommend it to a friend.

ShAFF 2012 promises to be even bigger and better with a series of headline lecture evenings in January and February from the worlds of running, biking and climbing. Over the 3 day festival weekend (9-11 March) thereʼll be another great line-up of high definition films and top- notch speakers plus an amazing kit-sale, competitions, a cracking live music line-up in the bar, more kids screenings and plenty more besides.

Festival Director Matt Heason said: “There are so many good virals out there that at ShAFF this year we are introducing a brand new judging category specifically for them. You might wonder why itʼs be worth paying to go to the cinema to watch what is essentially available online. The answer? Big Picture, Big Sound System, Big Crowd. And with the best of the best, you get more from them the more you watch them, especially on the big screen.”

He added: “I suppose thereʼs an argument that by doing this I am simply promoting adverts, which is what they are at the end of the day. Well I donʼt have a problem with this. Weʼre subjected to adverts in so much of our daily lives that I look on this as a service to sort out the good from the bad. Of course, I wonʼt be posting anything advertising the arms trade or Jeremy Clarkson! Iʼm aware that a lot of folk donʼt care for Red Bull, but if you put aside your loathing for the actual drink, it has to be said that they are doing great things for the world of sport. So, if you havenʼt got the time or inclination to search the net for the best adventure / extreme sports clips then let me do it for you. Even better, come along to ShAFF and watch the best of them on a big screen.”

To read more of Mattʼs thoughts on viral videos check out his recent blog post Video Viral Boom and his article on the relevance of Film Festivals in the You Tube Age.

If you canʼt wait til March, then why not subscribe to Mattʼs new Daily Adventure Dose on the Heason Events Facebook page and Twitter (@HeasonEvents #dailyadventuredose)

Three of Mattʼs top virals are: Night Surfing, Cranberry Wake Boarding and mountain bike Bag Jumping.

And one of his all time favourites is Huge Bike Jump Into a Pond 35 Feet in the Air