THE TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE FILM FESTIVAL WILL TAKE PLACE FROM OCTOBER 21 - 24, 2009

After seven years of existence, The International Adventure Film Festival [MIAFF] changes its name to the Travel and Adventure Film Festival [TAFF]. To ensure the development of this unique event in North America, and to meet the demand of festivalgoers, a new step had to be taken to include the notion of travel by clearly identifying it in the name of the event and its programming.

For Anne-Marie Braconnier, the Festival Manager, “TAFF wishes to maintain its adventure and exploration roots while opening up on realities, cultures, and places which are now a global part of great journeys.” Today, adventure and long journeys are intertwining concepts. The great explorers continue to capture our dreams, but accessibility to places and destinations that were once only for the well-travelled has changed our concept of adventure, and most certainly, of travel itself. Those who enjoy travelling off beaten tracks, either with a guided tour or alone, are increasing in number. More than ever before, there is widespread interest for exploring new places and cultures as well as making genuine discoveries.

Double programming… a window on the world
The TAFF will still be presented at the Université du Québec à Montréal, from October 21 to 24, 2009, and will be a major festival offering film projections, conferences with guest speakers on various destinations, workshops, thematic evenings on cinematography, get-togethers with filmmakers and writers. All events will be held in the two large Marie-Gérin-Lajoie halls and Théâtre Alfred-Laliberté. Full programming and tickets to the TAFF will be available starting September 8.

The first seven years of the MIAFF, from 2002 to 2008, were groundbreaking for Quebec as the festival introduced local and international adventure cinematography. The festival also offered major conferences with direct contact and discussions with great adventurers. This became one of the most popular highlights of the event. The new TAFF will ensure this tradition is maintained.

A tour of 9 cities in Quebec
The passion for travel and adventure has now reached all of Quebec, and following in the footsteps of its predecessor, the TAFF will begin a tour of nine of the largest cities in Quebec: Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières, Québec, Rimouski, Granby, Chicoutimi, Drummundville, Gatineau and Rivière-du-Loup. In each city, the tour will host an evening of emotion and inspiration including an opening conference by a Quebec adventurer or travel personality followed by a selection of the best films of 2009.