The 7^th annual Reel Paddling Film Festival premiered last night at The Royal Cinema on College Street in Toronto, hosted by The Complete Paddler. The keen audience was treated to the first screenings of some of the year’s award winning films.

The full list of winners are:

1. Best Sea Kayaking Film: In Rescues – Sea Kayak with Gordon Brown, you’ll see exciting and practical rescue coaching sessions from one of the world’s top coaches.
2. Best Canoeing Film: Tracing the Columbia brings together two historical moments: David Thompson’s charting of the Columbia River in 1811 and the 45-day journey paddling the river to mark the 200^th anniversary of Thompson’s achievement.
3.  Best Whitewater Film: In Wildwater, journey into the places only river runners can go.  It’s a visually stunning feast for the senses, and an expedition into new ideas.
4. Best Kayak Fishing Film: ExOfficio Presents Kayak Fishing: Game On 4 Jim Sammons hooks up with Paul Harwood on the Fraser River in BC with the goal of catching one of the areas enormous sturgeon.
5.  Best Environmental Paddling Film: The Pipedreams Project follows 3 kayakers on their epic two-month expedition to oppose a $5.5 Billion pipeline project in British Columbia.
6.  Best Paddling Documentary: Chasing Water is the story of Pete McBride, a child of the Colorado River, as he decides to follow the water from his ranch in Western Colorado to see where it ends up.
7.  Best Amateur/Short Paddling Film: So Fine sees Zac Crouse develop banjo paddling with the help from a Muppet.
8.  Best Instructional Paddling Film: Advanced Classic Solo Canoeing with Becky Mason will leave you spellbound by the advanced strokes and maneuvers she shows and the stunning underwater camera angles.
9.  Best Stand-up Paddling Film: In Standup 4 Greatbear, Norm Hann takes us on a 400km SUP expedition through the Great Bear Rainforest, and along the proposed North Coast oil tanker route.

“We have more screenings in more cities than ever before,” says Scott MacGregor, Founder and Publisher of Rapid Media “With so many new paddling shops, clubs and events hosting the World Tour, we’re well on our way to blowing 100 showings right out of the water.”

Katie Mutton, Assistant Manager of The Complete Paddler, the host of the Premiere, said “we had over 190 people attend, with lots of prizes and giveaways from sponsors, this was definitely our most successful show yet.  It’s nice to see the word spreading and more and more people taking part in this event.”

The premiere kicks off the Reel Paddling Film Festival World Tour, an international paddling film tour with 34 short-listed films screening in 100 cities hosted by paddling shops, clubs and events. Visit reelpaddlingfilmfestival.com for the most up-to-date tour schedule and to learn how to bring the World Tour to your city.