Bright film festival for adventure seekers

Documentaries about the iconic VW camper and driving 'the world's cheapest car across the world's poorest continent' are two of the attractions of the 2014 Adventure Travel Film Festival.

To be held in the picturesque alpine town of Bright in Victoria’s high country from February 14-16, the annual film festival is aimed at “like-minded, travel addicts of all backgrounds and those seeking inspiration for that next great expedition”, according to the organisers.

The action packed schedule will include screenings of 14 of the most interesting adventure travel films from around the world.

Of particular interest to RV enthusiasts is the 2012 doco ‘The Bus’, a celebration of the humble VW camper van as a symbol of free-spirited abandon and adventure.

While providing proof you don’t need a fancy four-wheel drive to traverse some of the harshest terrain on earth is the 2010 film ‘Trabant across Africa’; which documents the unlikely journey of two, cardboard-bodied, two-stroke powered East German-built Trabants from Prague to Cape Town.

Other films focus on extreme adventures of the two-wheeled variety like ‘African Odyssey’, which has four New Zealand teenagers with no motorcycle experience and a borrowed camera ride motorcycles from Cape Town to London.

Then there are those with water-based themes like ‘Ocean Ambition’, the tale of a young plucky Irishman’s attempt to row across the Atlantic Ocean from Morocco to Barbados; and ‘White Silk Road’ about young snowboarders tackling untouched and dangerous parts of Afghanistan.

The festival will also host a huge range of speakers including some of Australia's most experienced adventurers and travellers, from super climber and kayaker Peter Treby, to 4WD adventurers Ron and Viv Moon on the return of their drive crossing the Arctic Circle to the North West Territories.

Jacob French will also talk about his solo trek across the Nullarbor in a storm trooper outfit for charity; a whacky feat that attracted worldwide headlines.

Also held in the UK, the Adventure Travel Film Festival was founded by Brit adventurers Austin Vince and Lois Pryce three years ago. The pair wanted to create a three-day event packed with all things adventure – including inspirational travel films, speakers, workshops and social events designed to stir the soul of seasoned adventurers, armchair travellers and dreamers alike.

“Over the last 10 years or so we have been sent tons of fantastic travel films from all over the world by largely unknown film-makers. They came from all over the globe and covered every form of transport — boats, bicycles, buses, motorcycles, 4x4s and even hitch-hiking and train-hopping,” said Vince.

“The festival provides a platform for the best independent travel films, and a reminder that anyone from anywhere can experience life-changing adventures and capture it on film to share with the world.”

Weekend (from $95) and day passes (from $65) are available in advance via the festival website.

There are local hotels, campsites and B&Bs aplenty, with all accommodation budgets catered for in Bright and surrounds.