Wanaka ultra-distance runner Mal Law will be one of the Kiwi story-tellers featured at this year’s NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival in Wanaka.

Festival audiences connect most strongly with content that bears a cause beyond adventure for adventure’s sake, festival organisers said this month, and Wanaka’s Mal Law represents this contingent of filmmakers able to balance adventure and art on the big screen.

From early childhood Mal Law devoured stories and Great Walks back to back in just seven days raising a serious amount of money for Leukemia & Blood Cancer NZ. As a nine-year-old he had lost his older brother to this disease.

Next mission on the list was to run 50 mountain marathons and climb 50 peaks in just 50 days – The High Five O Challenge. Mal completed the mission on behalf of the Mental Health Foundation of NZ, with more than 300 support runners signed up to join him for a day or so each. The challenge raised a staggering $510,000 for the charity and was instrumental in helping reduce the stigma around the topic of mental health.

The festival will offer a chance to hear from Mal about his experience preparing for and running the High Five-0 Challenge, as well as stories behind the making of his award-winning film ‘FIFTY’. Physically, not everything went to plan, with injury, illness and weather forcing the shortening of some days, but 50 peaks were climbed on 50 consecutive days and the equivalent of 40 rough, tough off-road marathons were achieved.

The 15th NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival will run from 30 June to 9 July in Wanaka, Cromwell and Queenstown. The festival programme will be announced when tickets go on sale on 1 June.

PHOTO: Supplied