At the heart of the monthlong Dahl Mountain Culture Festival is its two-day Banff Film Festival World Tour, a cornucopia of extreme and exhilarating mountain sports, mountaineers searching for higher ground, exotic locations and landscapes - all caught on film.

Each night will showcase a combination of short and feature-length films. Eight movies will be shown in about 2-1/2 hours the first evening; the second night will be nearly as long.

With a 6:30 p.m. start time, "it will be easy to go on a weeknight or on a school night," said Darla Drew Lerdal, assistant director of the Dahl.

The films are winners from the 32nd annual Banff Mountain Film Festival. The event is a fundraiser for the Rapid City Arts Council and supports programs at the Dahl.

The films will appeal to the entire family, Drew Lerdal said. "There's an interest level for everyone."

Here are the films and descriptions:

Sunday, April 20

n "Entropy" (Norway, 2006, 11 minutes)

Focus: snowkiting. Rating: no advisory.

Follow some of the world's best snowkiting riders as they search for the ultimate snow and wind conditions across the globe. Along the way, they reinvent snowkiting by taking a new-school approach and pushing the limit of wakestyle maneuvers.

n "Inner Balance" (Canada, 2007, 5 minutes)

Focus: unicycling. Rating: general - no advisory.

Some of the top riders from Canada, the U.S., New Zealand and Australia show off their riding styles, taking unicycling to the next level with amazing drops and trials riding in a massive indoor park - you won't

believe what's possible on a unicycle.

n "Higher Ground" (United States, 2007, 8 minutes)

Focus: climbing. Rating: general-no advisory.

A professional photographer from Canmore, Alberta, explains what drives his quest for the perfect climbing photograph as he explores the relationship between climbers and the mountain environment. Difficulty and challenge are climbing's chief attractions, but the objective hazards climbing presents tap into deep sources of fear as well.

n "20 Seconds of Joy" (Germany, 2007, 60 minutes)

Focus: BASE jumping. Rating: parental guidance-coarse language.

"I don't want to die, I want to live. I'm pretty good at running away, and this is my escape!" This is how Karina Hollekim describes her dedication to BASE jumping in a documentary that accompanies her through her BASE-jumping career until it came to a sudden stop, changing all aspects of her life.

n "Trial & Error" (Canada, 2006, 8 minutes)

Focus: mountain biking. Rating: parental guidance-coarse language.

Mountain biker Ryan Leech sets out to ride a very challenging trail in the coastal mountains of British Columbia. During his attempts at riding the trail, he reflects on what lessons the forestry industry could learn from mountain biking.

n "King Lines" (United States, 2007, 50 minutes)

Focus: climbing. Rating: parental guidance-coarse language.

Filmed in France, California, Venezuela, Greece, Utah and Mallorca, "King Lines" captures Chris Sharma's most outrageous ascents and visionary projects and explores his fascinating lifestyle as a nomadic professional climber and global citizen.

n "Great Day for Climbing" (United States, 2007, 6 minutes)

Focus: climbing. Rating: general-no advisory.

A sleepy climber has trouble distinguishing dream from reality as his climbing buddy bursts into song at the most inopportune moments. Who are those guys dancing in his driveway? How did his dog end up above him on the route? And where is that music coming from?

Monday, April 21

n "In Flux" (France, 2005, 17 minutes)

Focus: kayaking. Rating: general-no advisory.

"In-Flux" is about the true meaning of paddling: the perpetual need to go and travel the globe with your kayak in search of the magic something you can find only on the river. Shot in Italy, Canada, Norway and the Reunion islands, the film combines adrenaline-driven action and remarkable natural wonders.

n "Committed: To Grit" (United Kingdom, 2007, 7 minutes)

Focus: climbing. Rating: parental guidance -coarse language.

Held in awe by climbers around the world, the "hard trad" scene in Britain commands both respect and bewilderment. This segment of "Committed" follows gritstone routes in England's Peak District.

n "24 Solo" (United States, 2007, 55 minutes)

Focus: mountain biking. Rating: parental guidance-coarse language.

Follow the gut-wrenching story of Chris Eatough on his quest for a seventh world title in the unforgiving discipline of 24-hour solo mountain-bike racing. Australian national champion Craig Gordon challenges Chris to a level of intensity and exhaustion that leaves one rider with severe blood poisoning.

n "Balance" (Canada, 2006, 11 minutes)

Focus: Skiing. Rating: general-no advisory.

A look at the rapidly growing world of new-school skiing: the big mountain lines, terrain parks and half-pipes, and jibbing. See the athletes' desires to push the edge of their abilities while facing the obvious safety risks associated with high-caliber skiing. High-energy footage cut to an upbeat soundtrack.

n "Ice Mines" (Canada, 2007, 30 minutes)

Focus: ice climbing. Rating: parental guidance-coarse language.

What's an ice climber to do in the age of global warming? Go underground. Deep underground. Five years ago, Will Gadd heard rumors of ice hidden in the blackness of abandoned mines in Sweden. This is the story of what Gadd and his friend Spak found.

n "Ain't Got No Friends on a Powder Day" (Switzerland, 2007, 5 minutes)

Focus: skiing. Rating: general-no advisory.

Loris is a "classic" freerider. Jean-Yves, however, has a more or less "accidental" style. This film draws a parallel between two styles and two approaches to the same mountain, which are otherwise worlds apart.

n "It's Fantastic" (United States, 2007, 19 minutes)

Focus: speedflying. Rating: general-no advisory.

As the first documentary on the new sport of speedflying, this film explains the origins of the sport and shows how quickly the sport is evolving. From the ski slopes of Europe to the volcanic island of El Hierro, some of the world's best speedfliers risk their lives to find the limits of their abilities and their equipment.

"Badgered" (United Kingdom, 2005, 7 minutes)

Focus: environment/animation. Rating: general-no advisory.

The tale of a badger who just wants the world to let him sleep.

If you go

What: Banff Film Festival World Tour

When: 6:30 p.m. Sunday, April 20, and Monday, April 21; doors open at 6 p.m.

Tickets: $14, $12 for Dahl Arts Center members, $16 day of show

Where: Elks Theatre, 512 Sixth St.

Tickets: Open seating; advance tickets recommended. Tickets are available at the Elks or the Dahl (715 Kansas City St.), at 394-4101 Ext. 200 or www.thedahl.org.

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com.