SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – On January 10, Bally’s Lake Tahoe is hosting the 24th annual Tahoe Adventure Film Festival (TAFF), showcasing some of the best adventure and action films of the year while celebrating the Lake Tahoe community.
Creator Todd Offenbacher, an adventurous outdoorsman known for his skiing, snowboarding, climbing and guiding, became injured in the early 2000’s. While he was laid up and stir crazy, he came up with the idea for the film festival.
“I went to a whole bunch of different film festivals and saw how they did it, and a lot of them were very serious and judging the films, critiquing the films and that sort of thing. I thought, ‘Well, I don’t want to do that. I just want to celebrate, bring the community together, celebrate how these sports connect us in such a unique way,” said Offenbacher.
Fast forward 24 years, and the event has become a community jewel.
“The festival started with pushing the limits of sports and taking high risk, and to be able to see what people wanted and what seemed to resonate, I let the audience and the years of doing it morph it into this.”
With ever-expanding social media platforms and short-form content, methods of capturing people’s attention are also evolving.
“The contents really changed over the years of how filmmakers want to share information. Now, they want to just get as many eyeballs on [their film] as possible.”
With submissions coming in from all over the world, films are specially selected to cater to the spirited and energetic atmosphere of the event. Some are about pushing the limits of a sport, others are a testament to the human spirit. This year, Offenbacher says there will be a little bit of everything, from skiing in the mountains to adaptive athletes breaking barriers.
Films aren’t the only form of entertainment at TAFF, and to further captivate the audience, guests will enjoy go-go dancers, music and comedic commentary, as well as their highly-anticipated Golden Camelot Award, an accolade given every year.
“When it started out, it was more for athletes doing amazing things in their sport, pushing the limits, that sort of thing, and now it’s tied in with people who are also big contributors to the community,” Offenbacher said.
From rock climber Alex Honnold, Tahoe local John Rice, to last year’s winner, Stein Retzlaff, an expedition cameraman and extreme sports enthusiast, the Golden Camelot Award shines a spotlight on those who lead with passion in whatever it is they choose to do.
Offenbacher teases this year’s Golden Camelot Award winner, saying, “It goes to a person who is considered to have done the most historic ski descent in history.”
This year, you can witness who takes home the 20th Golden Camelot Award, and enjoy the nail-biting, high-stakes films at Bally’s Lake Tahoe on Saturday, January 10. Doors open at 6 p.m. and films begin at 7 p.m.
To purchase tickets to the Tahoe Adventure Film Festival, visit https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/17006319EA8E5550.
To learn more about TAFF, go to laketahoefilmfestival.com
