RV trip through the Rockies continues travel film series

The Rocky Mountains are the backbone of North America and include some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. A trip through this region is the focus of the travel/adventure film “The Great Rocky Mountain RV Adventure, Part 2.”

Award-winning filmmaker John Holod

Rockefeller Arts Center will present the film on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. in King Concert Hall as the second event in the 2015-16 World Travel Series.

Award-winning filmmaker John Holod will be on hand to screen his work and meet with audience members afterward. The high-definition, widescreen film takes viewers through the Rockies from Glacier Park, Mont., to Jasper, Alberta, Canada.

The highlights include stops at Glacier National Park, Red Rock Canyon, Radium Hot Springs, Spiral Tunnels, Emerald Lake, exploring familiar and not so familiar natural wonders. Along the way, there are helicopter and boat tours and encounters with all kinds of wildlife.

The film is a companion to Holod’s “The Great Rocky Mountain RV Adventure, Part 1,” which was screened at Rockefeller Arts Center in 2012.

Holod is an internationally recognized cinematographer who has filmed all over the world and has presented his documentaries to audiences across North America. He stands out in the travel film industry because he travels is a state-of-the-art Born Free Motorcoach, immersing himself in the culture and surroundings he’s depicting. The RV serves as home, office and studio while he is on the road.

Not surprisingly, panoramic landscapes play a lead role in “The Great Rocky Mountain RV Adventure, Part 2” The wide-screen, high-definition format brings the Rockies to life.

Bright blue skies contrast the snow-capped gray mountains and the bright white of glacial remains. Water pulses through mountain streams and drops thousands of feet over rocky waterfalls – seemingly coming out of the screen in some scenes.

“The Great Rocky Mountain RV Adventure” is filled with shots that leave the viewer feeling like he or she is actually in the Rocky Mountains. One of the most impressive scenes is a helicopter tour offering a bird’s-eye view of the enormous mountain chain.

There are also abundant nature scenes that capture the variety of wildlife found in the Rockies. In one scene, mountain goats congregate along the side of the road – not the least bit camera shy as groups of tourists get up close to take photos. Other wildlife encounters call for more caution, such as when Holod captures grizzly bears crossing a stream in search of food. Then there are the colorful scenes featuring the flora of the Rockies exploding in shades of purple, red and pink. Throughout it all, the mountains stand as a towering backdrop.

Holod began filming at the age of 11 when he made his first travelogue film — which included footage from the back of his father’s motorcycle en route to the 1964 World’s Fair in New York.

At the age of 20, he left Detroit on his own motorcycle to see the country. After traveling 17,000 miles that first summer, he never looked back. He has lived in Aspen, Colo.; Maui, Hawaii and Zermatt, Switzerland. Holod studied cinematography, journalism and photography at Wayne State University in Michigan. Now the cinematographer spends most of the year on the road producing travelogues and presenting them to audiences around the country.

Documentaries produced and presented by Holod include “RV’ing Alaska’s Inside Passage,” “Alaska: RV Adventure of a Lifetime,” “East Coast RV Adventure,” “Gulf Coast RV Adventure,” “Baja RV Adventure,” “Cuba” and “Czech/Slovakia.” He has lectured at such prestigious venues as the National Geographic Society, the Carnegie Institute, Cal Tech and RV Shows in Hershey, Tampa, Chicago, Denver and many other locations. In recognition of his outstanding film achievement, he received the Rising Star award from the travelogue industry in 1995. In 2007, he was awarded the Distinguished Achievement in RV Journalism Award by the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association.

The World Travel Series is sponsored by Fredonia Place as part of the Lake Shore Savings Season.

General admission tickets are available at the door or in advance through the Fredonia Ticket Office in the Williams Center (673-3501 or www.fredonia.edu/tickets). One child 12 or under is admitted free with each paid adult.