The sixth International Alpinist Film Festival in Bansko is taking place from November 27 to 30 2008.

Organise by the eponymous foundation, the International Alpinist Film Festival started in 1999 with the goal of showing mountains and views of them, and highlighting “100 per cent extreme, 100 per cent adventure, 100 per cent adrenaline”, while exposing the Bulgarian viewer in to the range of mountains that can be found around the world.

This year's programme includes Amazonian Vertigo, by Evrard Vendenbaum (France, 2006, 55’), which follows water's descent in reverse, being shown on November 27 at 10am; and A Legless Bird, by Rim Il Jin (South of Korea, 2008, 78’), about a man who does bouldering in Hindustan, at 11.20am on November 27.

On the 27th at 1pm, two photo exhibitions will be opened: 20 Years of Bulgarian Participation in Antarctica, by the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute, and Alpinisme – A Way of Life, by Tako Mladenov. Both are held at the Nikola Vapstarov Chitlalishte.

Other exhibitions are being opened throughout the days, and the film projections, like Reni Bakurdjieva's 2007 film People of the Future, which looks at the lives of people in forlorn Rhodope villages, continue on until 9.30pm every evening.

There are also meetings and discussions with key players and enthusiasts in the mountain-related world, like with renown cave adventurer Teodor Kissimov. All events are held at Nikola Vapstarov Chitlalishte (community centre) and at Villa Roka Hotel in Bansko.

The packed programme continues on for the four days of the festival. Entrance to all films, meetings, discussions, talks and such is free of charge. For the full schedule of events, visit the festival's website (in Bulgarian).

Otherwise, November 29 sees the traditional season opening of Bansko as a ski resort, with guests this year expected to include downhill skiing stars Hanni Wenzel and Harti Weirather, Andreas Wenzel, the Italian ski racing champion Gustav Thöni, and the five-time World Cup winner Marc Girardelli.