Hunters, trampers, climbers and even armchair explorers will get a buzz out of the New Zealand Mountain Film Festival National Tour when it hits Ashburton next month.

New Zealand’s wild places can be intimidating and rewarding at the same time and film-goers will have a close-up view of adventure in the Southern Alps, glaciers, wild bush and beaches.

Six Kiwi-made short films, with a total of 123 minutes screen time, make up this year’s festival at the Ashburton Trust Event Centre on August 7. The event is a fundraiser for the Ashburton Youth Council’s popular Bite Nite later in the year.

Youth Council Chair Michael Baker said some of the six films included footage of the Southern Alps and might even be familiar with local adventurers.

One takes in a traverse of the Canterbury alps by ski and foot, from Arthur’s Pass to Godley Valley. Another was self-filmed by Emil Hansen when he free-climbed Aoraki/Mt Cook’s east ridge.

Freda du Faur, the first woman to climb Mt Cook in 1910, would have approved.

Other mountain festival films follow two climbers who take on Airport Wall, in Fiordland, and four climbers who test themselves on Newton Peak and the dangerous Garden of Eden ice plateau. Other films look at art and adventure in Wanaka, and the favourite spots of young New Zealand surfer Kehu Butler.

Councillor Diane Rawlinson said the film festival was an inspiring look at modern-day adventurers and their unique environments, from the safety of a comfortable seat.

“The festival is also a great way for our young people on the Youth Council to help pay for their Bite Nite festival in September. We hope they get lots of support.”

Film festival tickets are available online or from the event centre, where doors open at 6.30 pm on the night. The screening starts at 7 pm, with a 20-minute intermission, and will be finished at about 10 pm.