by Mick Ryan Andy Perkins The Kendal Mountain Festival (KMF) began last Friday and it has got off to a great start.Terry Gifford´s International Festival of Mountaineering Literature has moved to Kendal (Bretton Hall its old home has been sold) and started the day on Saturday with readings from a host of mountain literatii including Jeff Long and Stephen Venables. Great British Journey´s presented by Nick Crane on Sunday was almost a full house. The Kendal Adventure Film Academy started today and runs all week with the 48 hour film marathon starting on Wednesday. Led by Brian Hall, Graham Hotyland, Keith Partridge, James Else and Dan Hodge, aspirant filmmakers must make a two-minute film in 48 hours with the winner being announced on Friday night. VIDEO: You can view last years winners at www.mountainfilm.co.uk Let me leaf through this years well designed and attractive print programme and pick some more highlights to look forward to. Doug Scott at 2.00pm on Thursday at Kendal Library. Greg Child, same day at 7.30pm at Rheged. Who are those Lipstick Blonds appearing at the Ski and Board night on Thursday? Boardman-Tasker on Friday. Will Forever on the Mountain by James M. Tabor take the Kendal-Banff double whammy? And then there is the weekend which is chocker block full of visual, aural, social, culinary and alcoholic delights. You are going aren´t you? Better to peruse the online programme HERE Last year Posing Productions won the best climbing film with Set In Stone. This year Alastair Lee has PSYCHE. Book your tickets for this premier showing at Kendal Town Hall on Saturday at 10am. There will be free books, T-shirts and posters for everyone. This guy, Lee, can not only film, but he can edit and he has rythmn and exceptional musical taste. VIDEO Preview of PSYCHE HERE and tickets here at www.mountainfilm.co.uk And let us pause to thank the many volunteers that make The Kendal Mountain Festival such a success, and the most diverse and popular mountain festival in the world – a UK product! Andy Perkins (IFMGA and WFM) just returned, only just, from a month trip to the USA with Mike ´Twid´ Turner (IFMGA and WFM) doing some fine ascents in Zion, Yosemite and Red Rocks but for the next week he is a presenter and manager of the other presenters (mostly other guides, photographers and mountain lovers) at KMF. Also known as the White Rabbit, Andy is one of many ´helpers´ at Kendal who makes sure everyone is on time and no-one is late. Ian ´Blue´ Gray looks after the dozens of volunteers especially all the door staff etc. who are all mountain enthusiasts and genuinely, without whom, it wouldn´t happen. Thank you to John Innerdale who organises the Arts Festival, a stalwart of the Alpine Club, plus Tom Phillips who looks after the web site (hard work there Tom), Clive Allen of Ascent Marketing who does all the promotion, and of course John Porter and Brian Hall KMF founders. The list goes on. A big commitment by many for little monetary recompense. Please support the The Kendal Mountain Festival. Get in your car and just drive up, tickets or no tickets, there is lots to see and do. You can also climb at Kendal Wall and if the sun shines there´s always Hutton Roof, Trowbarrow and the Lakes.