A pair of artistic special events open the spring semester for the University of Idaho Outdoor Program. The Outdoor Program will conduct an outdoor photography contest starting Jan. 23, and host a film festival Jan. 25 in hopes of boosting student involvement.
“It at least exposes people to our different programs, people that aren’t usually involved with these programs,” Mike Beiser, UI’s Outdoor Program director said.
The outdoor photography contest is in its fourth year and includes five categories — scenic, action, wildlife, black and white and this year’s rotating category “bloopers.” Entries will be accepted until April 6 and will be on display through the photo sharing site Flickr. A panel jury will decide the winners.
The contest started as a class project by a student who had to come up with a campus-wide event, said Trevor Fulton, Outdoor Program coordinator.
“There was such great turnout and reception that we just kept it going,” he said.
The first year garnered more than 500 entries, and an equal amount are expected in this year’s competition. According to Beiser, the entries get thousands of hits on the Flickr website.
“People have a tendency to take pictures of their travels and outdoor activities,” Beiser said. “It’s nice that we give them an avenue to share their work. It challenges them to improve their skills documenting their experiences.”
There is no entry fee to participate and competition is not restricted to UI students and faculty. Winners will be awarded prizes from the sponsors of the event.
The Outdoor Program will also host the Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival in Moscow, which is a world tour going on its seventh year. This is the fourth year the tour has been brought to Moscow. It will be hosted at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Center from 7 to 9 p.m. Jan. 25. Tickets for the event are $5.
Submissions to the film festival come from “renowned” filmmakers and feature backcountry experiences from around the world, as well as “grassroots” filmmakers who submit basic videos from their everyday or weekend excursions in the backcountry.
The festival has more than 75 stops around the world and money raised from the tour stays in the local communities. Proceeds are allocated by the UI Outdoor Program, and this year will be distributed to the Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center.
“It’s just a fun night for the backcountry community in Moscow and it supports a good cause,” Beiser said.