Mt. Qomolangma expeditions have been one of the most popular themes for mountain films.

But this one is different. “Farther Than the Eye Can See” beautifully captures the emotion, humor and drama of blind climber Erik Weihenmayer’s historic ascent, as well as four other remarkable “firsts” on the mountain.

The director of this film is Michael Brown, who is a pioneer of adventure filmmaking. He has received more than 30 international film festival and industry awards, including three national Emmys from five nominations.

For him, the anticipation and excitement make the best part during the film making. “As a filmmaker, I love to explore people’s passions and discover what is driving them to do the things that they do. As a character, we look for vulnerabilities and things that make their story compelling because ultimately what I’m trying to do in a film is connect with the audience – to understand what we’re doing and care about the characters.”

And to overcome the overwhelming fear and dread during the process, Michael believes a somewhat “morbid” sense of humor is essentially needed.

“You know every time you climb Mount Everest (Mt. Qomolangma), you lose about 40 IQ points and since I’ve been up five times, I’m down 200 points from I started.” Michael joked.

But as mountaineers, he thinks the process of climbing is a way of introspection. “You might come across dead body, and instead of being terrified or somehow horrified by that experience, it’s more introspective. You start to wonder what that person was thinking hours before they perished.”

Adventure films are not often blockbusters in China. But with more promotions at various film festivals, they are becoming more popular in recent years.

Banff China has gradually become known by Chinese film fans since it was first introduced in China in 2010. As the first professional outdoor film and lifestyle promotion agency in China, Banff China has made its contribution in the development of China's outdoor documentary industry.

Tina Qian, the festival's organizer and president for the China leg of its tour, says they have been through a lot to attract more audiences. “People don’t know about documentaries like this. And, nobody knows where the audiences are. So, this work became like a mountain and I don’t know how to climb it.” But she says more and more people start to embrace the inspiration of the film.

With extreme sports attracting more fans in China than before, their related movies are also booming. These movies are encouraging people, young and old, to get out of their comfort zone and embrace adventure－a missing aspect of traditional Chinese culture.