Hi!
"Greg, I'm putting on an adventure motorcycle film festival. I've booked a 300 seat cinema. I don't know if anyone will come. I need a sponsor. Are you in?"
Ah, I love Clive Barber.
There's people who dream and there's people who do.
Naturally when Clive pitched me the idea to create The Adventure Motorcycle Film Festival well over a year ago I was all in.
Making films on motorcycles is literally one of the reasons I get out of bed in the morning.
A film festival, in the UK, celebrating the joy of adventure motorcycling?
Try and stop me!
And so one year later, this February just gone, as the lights dimmed in Kendal Brewery Arts Centre and the screen lit up with the first motorcycle adventure of the evening, I was glowing with admiration at what Clive (TAM Podcast) and his festival partner Simon (Reel Riders Podcast) Josey had managed to pull off.
Not a single empty seat in the house.
8 hours of grade A adventure films.
Feel good vibes.
A film festival made just for adventure moto lovers like you and me.
Here's a few of the many films that caught my eye (and you can watch right now).
The Pros
The Drixton.
A guy re-builds his Dad's old race bike from spare parts in the back of a bus on a road trip across America to a race track. Then races the bike.
Ari and Zack know how to put a film together. Really beautiful work.
Yalla Habibi.
Three guys, two bikes and a camera attempt to ride around the world in a little over 2 weeks to break a world record.
It's behind a paywall, but if you're sitting on the fence, pay the money. Ryan Fortnine without the sarcasm. The India bit is fantastic.
The Amateurs
Uganda by Motorcycle.
Two friends fly from the UK into Uganda expecting Suzuki DRZ's. Get given a knackered Chinese bike with a dodgy drive chain. Turns out to be a wonderful gift. Get to hang out with Gorillas. Has the best Brummie accent you will hear today.
Danny's adventure is told with such authenticity and humour you can't help but want to be there.
(Danny's off to Cambodia this Spring and will be making a film for Adventure Spec!)
West of Santander.
A motorcycle adventure through Spain, and a journey of self discovery.
Nick hangs it all out to dry against the backdrop of the majestic Picos mountains.
(Nick is currently making a film in Morocco and we're hoping to work with him later this year!)
That much further west.
Every shot is like a nostalgic 1970's postcard home. In the best possible way.
Thomas proves that you don't need fancy kit to make a feel good adventure film.
(Thomas and I will be heading off to make an eastern Europe adventure film on the new DR-Z4S this spring!)
Clive's just sent me an email asking if we want to sponsor next year's festival.
He's probably going to try and charge me more.
I don't mind, it's what happens when you make something great.
If you've got a film project on the go this summer get it in when submissions open.
And if you want to join us next February, get in quick, I think it will sell out fast.
🍿😀
Greg Villalobos.
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