Al Lee launche Brit Rock Film Tour at Rheged

First up comes All My Own Stunts a compelling insight into the world of the professional mountain biking and stunt riding which sees him suffer a near fatal accident filming a TV commercial in the Dolomites. It's a stunning start and given Al Lee's recent film catalogue you'd be forgiven if you expect another high-gloss Ulvetanna style spectacular, but it soon changes tack into something far more personal as you see Jarman question his ability and even desire to recover and return. Despite a career that's seem him travel the worl it's his local woods, where he started as a school kid, that bring his mojo back and set his sights on a UK downhill speed record.

Stone Free looks at the world of solo climbing through the career of Julian Lines. Lines is the best climber you've never heard of and is undoubtedly Britain's most accomplished free climbing soloist with world-class free ascents to his name. It's a very personal account of a climber who shuns publicity, giving perhaps the best insight we've seen into what makes someone forgo the safety of a rope to climb alone.

Julian Lines in Stone Free

The second half launches straight into an abridged version of Jen Randall's impressive Project Mina ( full version set for release in December)  and follows British competition climber Mina Leslie-Wujastyk during the 2013 competition season. Looking at the moments between the failures and successes it's a brave and very honest portrayal that lays bare the emotional and mental demands of world class competition climbing.

Jen Randal introduces Project Mina

Project Mina

Set of Wainwrights sees one of the greatest fell running achievements ever as the unassuming Steve Birkinshaw takes on the legendary Joss Naylor's 27 year record for a complete circuit of the 214 Wainwrights. Now filming a guy running for a week can't be an easy thing to do; there's no "can you just go back and do that again" and there's only so many frames you can fill with fet landing on grass, mud and rock, but the 30 minutes or so flew by. It's compelling viewing as you see close-up the uncertainty of an elite athlete and the brutal levels of pain and suffering he accepts to run 320 miles with 120,000 metres of ascent.

Al Lee and Steve Birkinshaw take to the stage

Steve Birkinshaw

Seperating the main films in each section you get a bonus of two short ....erm, shall we call them interludes? First is a 2, or was it 3, minute short, Boy, from Niall Grimes. It's classic Grimer; there's a message in there somewher, it's just being presented in a way that makes your brain cells sit up and take notice. In part 2 it's classic slapstick with Dave Halstead and a kayak. It's 7 minutes long and an hour of laughing as Dave takes on the internationally notorious Hebdon Bridge falls.

The Brit Rock Film Tour is a big departure from the big budget expeditions of the last three years but it's by no means an unwelcome departure. It's a far more personal set of films than we expected, more emotional and more honest. You also get the feeling that each of the films were simply more enjoyable experiences to film. Despite the raw emotion on display there's a sense of fun and joy at what they and you learn far more about the participants. Of course people will compare the collection with Autana, Asgard and Ulvetanna but it's a false comparison, where the award winning trilogy of the last 3 years focuses on the achievement the films making up the Brit Rock Film Tour focus on the people. While each of the films showed elite performers at elite level the familiar settings, as opposed to far flung global locations, make them feel more achievable. You can imagine yourself hurtling down the flanks of Skiddaw on a bike far easier than you can imagine even getting to Baffin Island, Venezuala or Antarctica.

Following the premier the film tour is set to show in over 30 locations around the country  with a DVD and HD download available in December.