ORGANISERS of the Kendal Mountain Film Festival are once again taking things to the extreme, writes Allan Tunningley.

For the third year running, the event's most challenging element, the Kendal Extreme Film School, is attracting the attention of budding adventure filmmakers from far and wide.

And the school looks like continuing to enhance its growing reputation in the wider film industry.

The challenge gives both amateur and professional filmmakers a chance to ride on a steep learning curve in extreme filmmaking, with help from leading experts in the broadcast media.

After a day's seminar at the Brewery Arts Centre on November 17, participants will go off into the outdoors to make a two-minute film on an adventure subject of their choice. The final cut will then be entered in the main festival awards on Sunday, November 20.

The school, the brainchild of Graham Hoyland, a BBC producer and director, and Brian Hall, Kendal Mountain Film Festival's co-director, was first held in 2003.

Since then 30 prospective film-makers have made 10 short films on subjects as diverse as climbing, mountain biking, urban skate-boarding, sand dune surfing, mono-cycling, adventure racing and under-ice diving.

Two of the films have been shown on BBC1 and many of them subsequently featured at film festivals throughout the world.

Julie Tait, one of the festival's directors, said: "The Extreme Film School gives budding adventure filmmakers the opportunity to learn the tricks of the trade from some of the industry's leading practitioners and after only two years it has gained a huge reputation as a chance to work in the film industry and produce films to broadcast standard.

"Film in this country is going through one of its most creative periods. Audiences are watching more of the adventure type film and many professionals are becoming interested in the genre of adventure and exploration films in both documentary and drama.

"The video camera is replacing the still camera as a method of recording adventure sports and expeditions. Increasingly affordable broadcast quality cameras and laptop editing technology is unleashing a new generation of filmmakers.

"Their progress into the film industry is only stunted by the lack of training and frustrated by the lack of outlets and audience. The Extreme Film School hopes to harness this energy and give people the opportunity to develop their potential.

"The success of the project can be judged by what the attendees are doing now six have started jobs within the film industry and 20 are making films on a regular basis."