Isolated peaks and desolate wildernesses come to Pullman for this year’s Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour.

Jonathan Stahl, assistant director of WSU Adventure Programs, said the collection of quality films features extreme outdoor recreation. A staple event at WSU, the university has participated in the festival tour for the last 20 or so years, he said.

“Our shows for the last few years have sold out,” Stahl said.

More than 300 films were entered into this year’s Banff Mountain Film Contest at the Banff Centre in Canada, he said. The best of those films were selected to be shown in theaters around the world. The CUB will show 10 to 15 of these films, each ranging in length from a few minutes to a full feature film, and featuring outdoor sports and adventures of all sorts, he said.

University Recreation is showing the Banff Film Festival World Tour at 7 p.m. Thursday in the CUB Auditorium. Ticket sales begin at 6:30 p.m., but the show is free for students to attend.

“We’re one of the only free shows in the nation,” Stahl said.

The films are shown in 450 communities across 40 countries, he said. Most places charge upwards of $20 to see the films, but with support from the University and from Hyperspud Sports in Moscow, tickets are free to students and SRC members and $12 cash or check to community members, he said.

“Last year, in 2014, we had 473 people in the audience,” Stahl said.

Lance Jackson, UREC rental shop coordinator, said the festival is a great way to see all the newest stuff in outdoor recreation, and to get in line early on Thursday.

“This is something we do specifically for students, and it’s a really unusual program,” Jackson said.

Stephanie Ebreo, UREC marketing graduate assistant, said the films show a lot of mountain culture. UREC tries to bring the hiking, biking, and other mountain culture activities to the students not only on-screen but through their activity programs.

“It’s fun to see people pushing the boundaries in each sport,” Jackson said.

Stahl said one of the goals of the outdoor recreation center is to meet people where they’re at in their outdoor adventures, and that the Banff films feature a wide range of sports that meet a variety of interests.

“The biggest thing is that the quality of these films, year after year, is just top notch,” Stahl said.

Matt Wagner, UREC Coordinator of Outdoor Programs, said films are a great way to introduce people to different avenues of outdoor recreation.

“The cinematography in this festival is just outstanding,” Jackson said.

By choosing to show the Banff Film Festival, UREC’s staff hopes to inspire people of all backgrounds to get out there and find their adventure, Stahl said.