Sometimes we choose the indoor activities in Lake Placid over the outdoor, active type. Tonight we will be armchair paddlers, watching the word's best paddling films at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts.

The 7th annual Reel Paddling Film Festival (RPFF) highlights the best paddling films for the year in ten categories: Kayak Fishing, Adventure Travel Paddling, Environmental Paddling, Sea Kayaking, Documentary Paddling, Stand-up Paddling, Short Paddling, Canoeing, Whitewater, and Instructional Paddling .

The festival organizers hope to inspire other people to explore the various Adirondack waterways from lakes, ponds and rivers. According to RPFF Founder and Director Scott MacGregor the festival is not just for paddling enthusiasts, but for anyone wishing to seek adventure whether on the water or from their movie seat.

MacGregor remembers attending the Banff Film Festival and leaving in awe of the mountain adventures. He knew he might never do or see all of those places, but it helped to spark his interest. He hopes that the Reel Paddling Film Festival will light that same spark in others for paddling. 

Today the Reel Paddling Film Festival will open its doors at 6:30 p.m on April 27 with proceeds benefiting the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT). Adirondack Daily Enterprise Outdoor Writer Mike Lynch will be on site showing his film "Through Paddler,"documenting his experience on the Northern Forest Canoe Trail. Lynch's film showcases his events through interviews and footage of wildlife. Lynch was fortunate to be able to capture and now share this adventure among moose, otters and bald eagles from his trip from Old Forge to Fort Kent, Maine. 

There will also be a variety of other films shown showcasing adventure, sea kayaking, standup paddling and more. The films range in length to a "short" which are a couple minutes in length to a "feature," between 20-40 minutes. All the films in this world tour have been chosen as the best paddling films of the year. Tickets are $12/advance, $15/door, $10/students with raffles and prizes available. 

Even if you haven't dusted off your own paddles for a season of Adirondack paddling, the Reel Paddling Film Festival is a great starting point to make us all yearn for getting out in the water and seeing the Adirondacks from a different point of view. Enjoy! 

Diane Chase is the author of Adirondack Family Time Lake Placid and the High Peaks: Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities. Her next Adirondack Family Activities™ guidebook is Adirondack Family Time Champlain Valley from Plattsburgh to Ticondergo, in stores summer 2012.