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Film fest partners with Backstage Theatre for screening of ‘Antarctica’

Daily News staff report
Unlike many documentaries of Antarctica that focus on the wildlife, 'Antarctica: A Year on Ice' gives an insight into the life of those hardy souls who spend six to 12 months in this harsh continent. With honesty and humor, writer and producer Anthony Powell treats the viewer to an insider’s guide to some of the characters that call Scott Base or McMurdo Base their home for a season or two.
Special to the Daily |

If you go

What: “Antarctica: A Year on Ice” and “The Scenic Route” (111 minutes total)

Where: Breckenridge Backstage Theatre, 121 S. Ridge St., Breckenridge

When: 7 p.m. Thursday, April 10, and Friday, April 11, (doors open at 6)

Cost: Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and students available online http://www.backstagetheatre.org and at the door

More information: Visit http://www.backstagetheatre.org, or call (970) 453-0199

Unlike many documentaries of Antarctica that focus on the wildlife, “Antarctica: A Year on Ice” gives an insight into the life of those hardy souls who spend six to 12 months in this harsh continent. With honesty and humor, writer and producer Anthony Powell treats the viewer to an insider’s guide to some of the characters that call Scott Base or McMurdo Base their home for a season or two.

This is the closest that most of us will ever get to experiencing a year working at the bottom of the Earth, but boy does it make you dream of going there yourself one day. Add to that some stunning footage of the untouched vastness of the Antarctic landscape, the night sky through the long winter nights, the ethereal shimmer of the aurora and time-lapse videography and you get a perfect 92 minutes of escapism to a place that most of us will never set foot, but all of us should appreciate.

“The Breckenridge film festival hosted the North American premiere of ‘Antarctica: A Year on Ice’ in 2013,” said Janice Kurbjun, executive director of the Breckenridge Festival of Film. “Appealing widely to audiences interested in 365 days of life on the ice as well as Colorado-based folks who had been on the continent with Anthony Powell, the film sold out at the Breckenridge Theatre during last fall’s festival and was a major draw during the festival’s inaugural Adventure Reel, which saw more than 500 people fill the Riverwalk Center. The film won the People’s Choice award for Best Adventure Reel film.”



This is the second film presented through a partnership between the Breckenridge Festival of Film and the Breckenridge Backstage Theatre, both nonprofits. The theater is serving as the venue for all of the spring festival films.

‘The Scenic Route’



“The Scenic Route” is an 18-minute film that will show before the main feature. It explores the lives of young adults who wish to bypass traditional careers and lifestyles in order to pursue a sense of self-fulfillment. Unlike the radicals of the ’60s hippie movement, these young men and women are interested in following their true passions, regardless of what societal pressures surround them, but do not wish to revolutionize society.

Up next for the Spring Fever Film Series on Thursday, April 17, and Friday, April 18, will be “The Gold Sparrow,” an animated short featuring a dystopian future, and “We Ride: The Story of Snowboarding.” From its origins in the culturally shifting 1960s to its boom in the ’90s to its acceptance as a mainstream sport, snowboarding has had a roller coaster history. These offerings will be followed by some of the most interesting films from fests past, scheduled every Thursday and Friday through early June.

All films start at 7 p.m. Concessions are available for all film screenings, including beer, wine and mixed drinks, which can be taken into the theater with you. For more information about the Spring Fever Film Series or to purchase tickets, visit http://www.backstagetheatre.org or call the box office at (970) 453-0199.


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