Spirit Of Adventure at Sheffield Cathedral

Designed to be seen and heard in the unique surroundings of Sheffield Cathedral, Sheffield Adventure Film Festival brings the wild outdoors into the heart of the city once again with its unique curation of live choral music, stone fired pizzas, locally brewed beer and most importantly, award winning adventure films celebrating the spirit of adventure often found in surprising people and places.

Taking place on Friday 15th November ShAFF’s Spirit Of Adventure comprises three screenings.

The Cathedral will open their bar, and Sunshine Pizza will be set up on the courtyard outside.

Now in its 20th year, Sheffield Adventure Film Festival will take place 21-23 March 2025 at the Showroom Cinema Sheffield, screening the best new adventure films from around the world alongside free talks and activities to inspire the people of Sheffield to get outdoors and have their own adventures. ShAFF’s Spirit Of Adventure at the Cathedral is part of the festival's programme of unique events in unique spaces which has seen some memorable evenings in some iconic venues around the city.

What’s On

18:00 - Doors Open / Sunshine Pizza on forecourt

18:30 - Choral Music with Chesterfield Parish Church Choir

19:00 - Wild Water screening in the Nave

20:00 - Choral Music with Chesterfield Parish Church Choir

20:30 - Best Of ShAFF 2024 in the Nave & Subterranean screening in the Crypt

22:00 - Finish

Films

Wild Water (52mins) - 19:00 in The Nave

Gaddings Dam is a reservoir hidden in the West Yorkshire moors 780 feet above sea level. The bleak but romantic landscape, steeped in the poetry and prose of Ted Hughes and the Brontës, is home to England’s highest beach. The small strip of sand acts as a magnet to a community of swimmers, day-trippers, walkers, bikers and runners.

There is a rhythm as people come and go, having made the twenty-minute trek up a broken footpath, each drawn to the beauty as it changes with the seasons; always the same, always different. Some hardened locals brave the wind, rain and snow to wild swim all seasons for escape, comradeship, to keep the black dog at bay or just for the sheer thrill. As they hit the water, all experience the same visceral hit, taking away everything except the moment.

Time stops, and peace arrives.

But there is more to this place than just swimming; a whole ecosystem of activity circulates around the reservoir. There are the volunteers who maintain the footpaths in all weathers, the pub landlord fighting to keep vehicles out of his carpark, the farmer and whose cattle need rescuing, the Gaddings Dam Preservation Society, and the January Daily Dippers.

Subterranean (87mins) - 20:30 in the Crypt

For adventurous thrill-seekers, caving is hard to beat. Combining climbing, diving, wayfinding and overcoming claustrophobia, it’s a unique skill set not for the faint of heart.

Two gritty teams of hobbyist explorers are on the cusp of discovering new territory. Katie Graham is an accountant by day who is obsessed with the Bisaro Anima cave in the Rocky Mountains, and she is willing to risk it all to achieve a caving depth record that depends on a successful scuba dive. Further west on Vancouver Island is Franck Tuot, who sacrifices weekends away from his young family with the goal of linking two tunnel systems that will mark the longest-known cave in Canada.

Regardless of whether they are successful in their missions, understanding their motivations and dedication is what makes their pursuits so compelling. Accessing the depths of the earth through muddy crawls, tight squeezes, and seemingly endless pits, for these intrepid explorers, there’s nowhere to go but down.

Best Of ShAFF 2024 (91mins) - 20:30 in the Nave

Ascension Series: Morag Skelton (5mins)

Features Morag Skelton, who doesn’t let being deaf limit what’s possible on the mountainside. Morag believes that nothing should come between anyone and getting out there in nature. As a deaf climber constantly pushing the limits of possible, she lives that belief.

Two Point Four (20mins)

Leo Houlding's daughter, Freya, uses climbing as a practice to lean into discomfort and fear to help navigate her neurodiversity and harness its strengths.

Rubbish Run (8mins)

Whilst driving to the tip one day, Beau Miles noticed how much rubbish was on the roadside. He thought ‘gee, I’m heading to the tip, I really should pick up the rubbish on my way!’ But no, with too little time, nor space in the trailer, he just went about his predictable business and the rubbish stayed where it lay. This day of newness is about making good of that idea and going to the tip with an empty trailer, filling it on the way!

Solo (32mins)

From the Canadian Rockies to the Atlas Mountains - SOLO explores 6 continents and takes Jenny Tough on an epic challenge spanning several years. Jenny’s mission was to run across some of the world’s most remote mountain ranges, by foot, by herself, unsupported, and solo. Along the way, she takes on a powerful journey of self-discovery and personal growth.

Eternal Flemme (26mins)

Jumping from the top of Nameless Tower in Pakistan (6200m) after having climbed the Eternal Flame route, is to combine the ascent of one of the most beautiful climbing routes in the world with the opening of one of the most beautiful jumps in BASE Jump imaginable. Following in the footsteps of the pioneers of 1990, Éric Jamet and Antoine Pecher have achieved this feat. An adventure between friends, beautiful, powerful and breathtaking!

Ticket Prices

Wild Water - £12 / £8

Best Of ShAFF - £15 / £10

Wild Water & Best Of ShAFF - £20 / £14

Wild Water & Subterranean - £18 / £10

Subterranean £12 / £8

Host or Publisher Sheffield Adventure Film Festival