Mountainfilm 2024 Festival Program

WELCOME TO MOUNTAINFILM’S 46TH FESTIVAL

As North America’s oldest continuously running documentary film festival, we are thrilled to be celebrating 46 years of film, activism and inspiration! Our journey has been one of growth and self-discovery, as Mountainfilm has matured over the years to embrace and honor its mission to inspire audiences to create a better world.

In 1979, Mountainfilm was born from the adventurous spirits of a group of scrappy climbers and mountaineers who adventured by day and reveled in films (and maybe a few beers!) by night. Through the decades, the festival has expanded and enriched its programming to showcase cutting-edge documentary films, artists and speakers focusing on the environment, social justice, culture, diverse voices, politics and as always, pure adventure. Through it all, we’ve remained united by the common thread of celebrating the indomitable human spirit.

We are thrilled to welcome this year’s festival Guest Director Wade Davis. As an anthropologist, photographer, author and world traveler, Davis personifies adventure and exploration. He first

attended the festival in 1997 and has returned over the years many times and is one of the most riveting speakers Mountainfilm has ever hosted. We can’t wait to experience the thought-provoking conversations he will be leading as part of his special homecoming to Telluride.

A core principle of Mountainfilm is the celebration of filmmakers and providing support to advance their work. We do this each year with programs such as the Commitment Grant, which this year supported 12 projects, the Emerging Filmmaker Fellowship and generous festival awards, which total nearly $60,000 this year, our largest prizes to date, thanks to the inclusion of a new impact award funded by Subject Matter. We’re delighted to introduce several new programs this year. The Redford Center and Mountainfilm, in partnership with IF/ Then Shorts, are thrilled to present the Nature Connection Pitch at our flagship venue, the Sheridan Opera House. Additionally, we’re excited to present our inaugural Indigenous Storytellers program, spotlighting filmmakers from farflung corners of the globe from Finland to Indonesia to Alaska. We encourage you not to miss these seminal events.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the countless individuals who have nurtured Mountainfilm over the past 45 years, contributing to the festival’s remarkable growth and evolution. Thank you so much for joining us on this journey!

— THE MOUNTAINFILM STAFF

BASH JELEN

SUMMIT SPONSORS

PRESENTING SPONSOR

NONPR O FIT PARTNERS

CAMP III SPONSORS

N ATIONAL MEDIA SPONSOR

CAMP II SPONSORS

CAMP I SPONSORS

ELINOFF GALLERY • ALPINIST & THE GOAT • CHUMS • AH HAA SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS

BASE CAMP SPONSORS

LMNT • BASIN ELECTRIC POWER COOPERATIVE • SAN MIGUEL POWER ASSOCIATION • TELLURIDE ACADEMY • JUST FOR KIDS FOUNDATION COLORADO OFFICE OF FILM, TELEVISION AND MEDIA • LA COCINA DE LUZ • MOUNTAIN LIMO • SMART BY NATURE • ALPACKA RAFT EDWARD JONES INVESTMENTS, JON MARTIN IN TELLURIDE • BÖD BAR • ALPINE START • MOUNTAIN TRIP • TAILWIND NUTRITION SEND BARS • DIRTY STURDY’S COMPOST • POWERFUL LADIES • SHĀR SNACKS • LAST DOLLAR SALOON • BAKED IN TELLURIDE COSMOPOLITAN • CROSSBOW • OPUS HUT • AMERICAN ALPINE CLUB • OPEN ROADS • STRANG SMUGGLER UNION RESTAURANT & BREWERY • KARA DUFFY COACHING & CONSULTING PROTECT THE DOLORES COALITION • THE COFFEE COWBOY •MANGALA YOGA • THE ALIBI OAK, THE NEW FAT ALLEY • KINSHIP SUNSCREEN • BLACK TIE SKI AND BIKE RENTALS

Mountainfilm is honored to have Wade Davis as our 2024 Guest Director.

It’s both a joy and an honor to welcome you all to Mountainfilm 2024. For me this is a very special homecoming. I recall so clearly how I felt when presenting at the festival for the first time back in 1997. There was a certain magic in the air, an openness to all possibilities, with this astonishing cadre of creative characters, all amazingly accomplished, yet all so friendly and welcoming, so supportive and collegial. The energy was extremely positive. It was as if, as I used to try to explain to friends, the spirit of the festival had managed to check all egos at the canyon door. I loved the scene, and faithfully returned almost every year, always with a new book or a film to toss into the collective pot.

Not only did Mountainfilm in this sense become the measure of my unfolding career, it became the catalyst of both my personal and professional life. Thanks to Mountainfilm, I was recruited to the National Geographic Society, which allowed me, along with my partner Chris Rainier, to spread our message about culture, first articulated at Mountainfilm, to the entire world. Many friends and colleagues first encountered at Telluride, became colleagues at the National Geographic Society. Today they still comprise many of my closest circle, and happily many will be with us this year. Such is the promise and magic of Mountainfilm.

— Wade Davis

ABOUT GUEST DIRECTOR WADE DAVIS

Wade Davis has explored some of the most fascinating corners of the globe, including the jungles of the Amazon, the wild rivers of Columbia and the flanks of Mount Everest. He then shares his vast knowledge and expertise with the world through his prolific writing and stunning photography.

Davis is the author of 375 scientific and popular articles and 23 books. He is a professor of anthropology at the University of British Columbia, scientist, scholar, filmmaker, poet and served as an Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society.

SYNOPSIS WRITERS FESTIVAL THEATERS

AB – Anna Brones

SD – Sabrina Davis

JJ – Jennifer Julia

PP – Paul Phillips

SL – Shae LaPlace

LH – Laura Hoover

* Lack of initials & HS –Heather Sackett, Content Writer

Poster & Cover Artist: Noelle Phares

PALM – Palm Theatre

HC – High Camp

SHERIDAN – Sheridan Opera House

BILL – The Bill

MASONS – Masons Theater

BC – Base Camp

See town map on page 98 for locations.

BASH JELEN

HOW TO MOUNTAINFILM

HOSPITALITY

Hospitality and Lost & Found are located at Mountainfilm HQ at 122 S. Oak St . Please visit us throughout the festival with questions or for the latest up-to-date information.

HOSPITALITY HOURS:

Thursday & Friday 8 AM–8 PM Saturday & Sunday 9 AM–7 PM Monday 9 AM–3 PM

MOUNTAINFILM APP

Use the free Mountainfilm app as your festival guide. The app contains your program reservations, festival schedule, film descriptions, event details and real-time festival updates, including TBAs and program changes. Search for “Mountainfilm” in the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android) to download.

THEATER ACCESS & RESERVATION INFORMATION

For guaranteed access to programs, passholders must reserve programs through the festival schedule on the Mountainfilm app or schedule webpage. You can make reservations up to 45 minutes before the start of a program, space permitting. If you are unable to attend one of your reserved programs, please cancel your reservation. You must wear your pass to be admitted into venues. Please arrive at least 30 minutes before the start of the program. For the uninterrupted enjoyment of all, theater staff may not

grant access to a program once it starts. If you are not at the theater at least 30 minutes in advance, you may lose your seat reservation as we will begin loading our standby line.

Patron passholders have walk-up priority access at theaters and do not need a reservation. Please arrive at least 30 minutes before showtime to gain priority entry.

STANDBY & RUSH LINES

If space is available after reservation holders and Patrons have loaded into the theater, passholders without a reservation can wait in the standby line for admission. The general public is welcome to wait in the RUSH line for seating after passholders are admitted. Individual RUSH tickets are $20. Credit cards only.

HOW TO VOTE

Use the Mountainfilm app or your Eventive account to cast your vote for the Audience Choice Awards for feature-length and short films. Make sure you are signed in to your account. Click on “My Tickets” and then follow the steps to vote. Voting ends Monday, May 27 at 2 PM.

TBA PROGRAMS

TBA screenings take place on Monday, May 27. Tickets for TBAs can be reserved in advance, and there will also be a standby line. You can find TBA information and updates on the festival app or website.

THE MOUNTAINFILM STORE

Official Mountainfilm apparel and gear are available at The Alpineer, located at 150 W. Colorado Ave., including this year’s Mountainfilm poster created by Noelle Phares.

GETTING AROUND

All venues are accessible by foot, bicycle, bus or free gondola.

Most venues are located in the Town of Telluride and are accessible by foot, bicycle or bus. The free Galloping Goose shuttle bus runs a loop through Telluride every 10 minutes. (Check street signs for times and stops.)

High Camp (Telluride Conference Center) is located in Mountain Village. The free gondola runs between Telluride and Mountain Village daily from 6:30 AM to midnight. On Friday and Saturday during the festival, gondola hours are extended until 1 AM.

THEATER ETIQUETTE

Please be considerate of your fellow festival goers. Here are the top 10 protocols all attendees should follow:

• Arrive at theaters 30 minutes in advance of screenings.

• Do not save seats for people arriving late.

• Do not make disruptions by arriving late, talking or shushing during screenings.

• Silence all cell phones and watches; refrain from using devices with lit screens.

• Remove any hats or caps that may block another’s view.

• Do not take unauthorized photographs or recordings during screenings.

• Remove fidgety and crying children from the theater.

• Please consider staying for the entirety of programs and Q&As.

• Please clean up afterward and take all of your belongings.

• Remember to vote.

We want you to have a wonderful festival experience!

If you have any questions, please stop by Hospitality, contact our support team at help@mountainfilm.org , or call 970-728-4123, option 1.

ACCESSIBILITY

Accessibility information can be found on our website (scan the QR code below) and on the Mountainfilm app.

If you have any accessibility questions please email us at help@mountainfilm.org or call 970-728-4123, option 1.

ADA accessible venues are indicated with an “ADA” icon. Select films are available with closed and open captions which are listed on our Accessibility webpage and our app. If you would like to use the CaptiView devices for closed captions or hearing assist headphones, please email cc@mountainfilm.org in advance of the screenings you plan to attend.

PROUD SPONSOR SINCE 2007

Osprey is thrilled to once again gather at Mountainfilm to celebrate the indomitable spirit of adventure.

Woven into the fabric of the southwest, with the spectacular San Juans serving as our backyard, we hope you come away just as inspired by this festival, and this corner of the world, as we are.

As we celebrate 50 years, we thank you for sharing your summit scrambles, snow-capped thrills, singletrack laps and sunrise runs with us—and for making our journey from untrodden trails to well-worn paths extraordinary.

PRAYER FLAGS

Prayer flags have adorned the Town of Telluride during the annual Mountainfilm festival since the first-ever Moving Mountains Symposium in 1994 was dedicated to the Tibetan people’s struggle for freedom. We acknowledge that prayer flags are a long-standing and intrinsic part of Tibetan culture and continue to be used today to send prayers of peace and well-being to all beings. The meaning of this Tibetan custom aligns with Mountainfilm’s culture and values, and so prayer flags continue to be an important part of the festival.

MEANING

Prayer flags or thar-cho (Tibetan: ) are printed in five colors – blue for the sky, white for air/wind, red for fire, green for water and yellow for earth – and are traditionally woodblockprinted with sacred images and texts. The center of the flag often depicts a lungta (Tibetan: ) meaning wind horse, a symbol of speed and transformation of bad fortune to good, bearing three jewels on its back that represent the Buddha, Buddhist teachings and the Buddhist community. Images of four sacred animals – dragon, garuda, tiger and snow lion – can appear in the corners. Covering the rest of the flag are versions of many mantras (powerful ritual prayers) and prayers for peace and harmony.

Tibetan and Himalayan peoples believe that when the wind moves the flags, blessings, good will and compassion are spread. Eventually, the prints fade and the prayers become part of the universe. They are sacred, and so are not discarded but are allowed to return to nature or sometimes burned. Thar-cho are not used for any purpose other than its traditionally intended meaning.

WHERE LIQUID MEETS COURAGE

FEATURE FILMS

399: QUEEN OF THE TETONS

Elizabeth Leiter

FRI, 8:30 PM, BASE CAMP SUN, 10 AM, PALM

In Person: Filmmaker

For nearly two decades, Grizzly #399 has been a fixture in Grand Teton National Park. Known only by her research number, #399 has captivated photographers since 2007, becoming the most famous – and photographed –grizzly in the world. The film follows #399 as she struggles to raise an unusually large four-cub litter in the face of human encroachment and a rapidly changing climate. While the narrative follows #399’s decisions and the escalating human conflict, 399: Queen of the Tetons raises bigger thematic questions about humans’ relationship with nature and how we connect, control, consume and conserve it.

(USA, 2024, 1 hr. 28 min.)

Colorado Premiere

ALL WE CARRY

Cady Voge

SUN, NOON, MASONS MON, NOON, BILL

In Person: Filmmaker

Mirna and Magdiel are an ordinary family living under extraordinary circumstances. After fleeing violence in Honduras, joining the infamous migrant caravan and enduring months in a U.S. detention center, they are sponsored by a synagogue in Seattle, which lends them an empty beachfront home while they wait for their asylum verdict. Over three years, this young family navigates countless moments — both life-altering and mundane — where grief, memory and joy collide. — SD (USA, 2024, 1 hr. 27 min.)

Colorado Premiere

CINE DE LAS MONTAÑAS BILINGUAL PROGRAM

SUBJECT MATTER AWARD WINNER

Free and open to the public

ASHIMA

Kenji Tsukamoto

FRI, 8:30 PM, PALM SUN, 9:30 AM, HIGH CAMP

In Person: Filmmakers & Film Subjects

Ashima is an intimate portrait of 13-year-old elite rock climber Ashima Shiraishi and her quest to stamp her name in the record book as the world’s youngest climber to climb a V14-graded boulder problem. Accompanying Ashima on her journey to South Africa’s Golden Shadow is Poppo, an eccentric, hermit-like, retired avant-garde dancer, who also happens to be her father. Emotional and rooted in character, Ashima is a love letter not only to climbing, but to immigrant parents and the realization of the American Dream. — SD

(USA, 2023, 1 hr. 26 min.)

Colorado Premiere

BETWEEN THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SKY

Jeremy Power Regimbal

FRI, 5:30 PM, PALM SUN, 9 AM, SHERIDAN

In Person: Filmmakers & Film Subjects

In the wake of being honored as the 2015 CNN Hero of the Year, Maggie Doyne, a devoted CEO, humanitarian and guardian to over 50 Nepalese children, finds herself in the throes of an unimaginable tragedy. But a serendipitous encounter with a compassionate filmmaker reignites Maggie’s faith in the power of love. They embark on a profound journey to redefine what it means to be a family, navigating the intricate path of rebuilding their lives. Between the Mountain and the Sky is a poignant tale that delves into the resilience of the human spirit and showcases the enduring strength of a family determined to find hope. (USA, Canada, Nepal, 2024, 1 hr. 32 min.)

World Premiere

CALL ME DANCER

Lesley Shampaine, Pip Gilmour

FRI, 2:30 PM, SHERIDAN

Manish, a 21-year-old Indian street dancer, becomes captivated by ballet’s athleticism. He neglects to tell his struggling parents when he drops out of school, and begins using their life savings to pay for dance classes. Once renowned as Israel’s top dancer and teacher to ballet’s greatest stars, 70-year-old Yehuda Ma’or, arrives in Mumbai to teach ballet at an inner-city dance school, only to discover a dedicated disciple in young Manish. Yehuda seeks a purpose and a place to call home. Manish dreams of dancing on the world stage but struggles to break free from the confines of his own economic and social circumstances. Call Me Dancer is a story of hope, heartache and hard work. — SD

(USA, UK, India, Israel, 2023, 1 hr. 24 min.)

Colorado Premiere

CANARY

Danny O’Malley, Alex Rivest

SAT, 10 AM, PALM

SUN, 3 PM, BILL

In Person: Film Subject

“If humans can create it, then humans can solve it.” This is the mantra of Dr. Lonnie Thompson, the legendary paleoclimatologist and explorer who’s been dubbed the closest thing to a real-life Indiana Jones for his extraordinary salvage missions. Scaling some of the world’s tallest peaks, Thompson has overcome daunting physical obstacles and overwhelming odds in his pursuit of millennia-old ice samples – priceless historical relics that provide critical glimpses into Earth’s future. This story of perseverance is both global and personal, delving into the urgency of the climate crisis, while revealing the inspiring journey of a man who went where no scientist had gone before, transforming our idea of what is possible. — JJ

(USA, 2023, 1 hr. 44 min.)

COPA 71

Rachel Ramsay, James Erskine

SAT, 8:30 PM, SHERIDAN

Executive-produced by Serena and Venus Williams, this documentary tells the story of the unofficial 1971 Women’s World Cup, a moment virtually erased from the history of soccer. Filmmakers Rachel Ramsay and James Erskine track down the players from across Europe and Latin America, giving the women their first chance in decades to tell their stories of battles on and off the field. In their hometowns and sometimes within their own families, the women faced routine sexism and undermining of their dreams. They persevered to develop their athleticism and defy naysayers on a global stage, experiencing breakthroughs not only in the sport, but also in understanding power, liberation and self-fulfillment.

(UK, 2023, 1 hr. 30 min.)

EVERY LITTLE THING

Sally Aitken

SUN, 4 PM, PALM

With four graduate degrees and a humble home in West Hollywood, hummingbird rehabber Terry Masear proves with every little act of compassion that imagination is more important than knowledge. Navigating childhood trauma and life beyond losing a soulmate, Masear finds herself on a transformative journey as she nurtures wounded hummingbirds. Within Masear’s intimate entanglement in the quest for happily ever after lies a visually captivating and magical tale of love, fragility, healing and the delicate beauty in tiny acts of greatness.

(Australia, 2024, 1 hr. 33 min.)

Colorado Premiere

A GOOD WOLF

Ramey Newell

SAT, 5 PM, PALM SUN, 9:30 AM, BILL

In Person: Filmmakers

A Good Wolf examines a 40-year conflict over a single tract of land adjacent to Denali National Park — a volatile struggle between state and federal authorities, fur trappers and wildlife advocates and competing human interests on public lands. Armed with thorough data, biologists and activists bring a new proposal to state authorities, hoping to regain protections for wolves near the park boundary. However, local trappers are adamantly opposed. Hanging in the balance are some of America’s most iconic animals and wild places. — SD

(Canada, USA, 2024, 1 hr. 32 min.)

World Premiere

MOUNTAIN QUEEN: THE SUMMITS OF LHAKPA SHERPA

Lucy Walker

SAT, 10 AM, HIGH CAMP SUN, 5:30 PM, MASONS

In Person: Filmmaker & Film Subjects

Lhakpa Sherpa’s life straddles two wildly disparate worlds. A dishwasher at a Whole Foods in Connecticut, she is also the first Nepali woman to climb Mount Everest and survive. Once forced to conceal her gender to pursue the sport she loves, Lhakpa and the current stages of her remarkable journey are chronicled in this film as she prepares for a tenth Everest summit, a new record for female mountaineers. In her low altitude life in the United States, Lhakpa faces a gamut of challenges as an immigrant, a single mother of two teenage daughters and a survivor of spousal abuse. Throughout this inspiring and uplifting narrative, Lhakpa’s determination and indomitable spirit shine through. Hers is a true heroine’s story. — JJ

(USA, 2023, 1 hr. 40 min.)

Colorado Premiere

ONE WITH THE WHALE

Pete Chelkowski, Jim Wickens

FRI, 8:30 PM, SHERIDAN SUN, 6 PM, BILL

In Person: Film Subject

Teenager Chris Apassingok is one of the last subsistence hunters of his generation, performing an ancient practice of providing food for his community. When Apassingok becomes the youngest person ever to harpoon a whale, the village is ecstatic, and his mother posts photos of the hunt on social media to share with other Alaskan Native communities. To their horror, this vulnerable kid receives thousands of hate messages and death threats from Paul Watson’s international army of environmental activists. Caught in the crosshairs of climate change, food security, social media and centuries of racially motivated attacks from outsiders, the Apassingoks and their entire village are on the cusp of losing everything, unless they can find a way to strike a balance between existing as modern Americans and prehistoric huntergatherers. — JJ

(USA, UK, Portugal, 2023, 1 hr. 20 min.)

PORCELAIN WAR

Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev

SAT, 5:30 PM, MASONS SUN, 7 PM, PALM

In Person: Filmmakers & Film Subjects

Amidst the chaos and destruction of the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine, three artists defiantly find inspiration and beauty as they defend their culture and their country. In a war waged by professional soldiers against ordinary civilians, Slava Leontyev, Anya Stasenko and Andrey Stefanov choose to stay behind, armed with their art, their cameras and for the first time in their lives, their guns. Despite daily shelling, Stasenko finds resistance and purpose in her art, Stefanov takes the dangerous journey to get his young family to safety abroad, and Leontyev becomes a weapons instructor for regular people who have become unlikely soldiers. As the war intensifies, Stefanov picks up his camera to film their story, and their tiny porcelain figurines. Stasenko and Leontyev capture their idyllic past, uncertain present and hopes for the future.

(USA & Australia, 2024, 1 hr. 27 min.)

PUBLIC DEFENDER

Andrea Kalin

FRI, 5:30 PM, SHERIDAN SAT, NOON, MASONS

In Person: Filmmakers & Film Subjects

Heather Shaner, a feisty, blue-haired public defender in Washington, D.C., has spent 40 years representing people who can’t afford a lawyer. On Jan. 6, 2021, Shaner’s empathy hits a limit when a violent mob supporting outgoing President Donald Trump storms the Capitol to stop the peaceful transfer of power to President-elect Joe Biden. She wants nothing to do with the alleged criminals until she gets a call from The Federal Defender’s office asking her to represent some of the rioters. Forced to reconcile her fear and anger with her belief in the right to a fair trial, Shaner accepts a caseload of nonviolent offenders and is surprised when her disdain for the rioters eases. Using humor and comic relief, Public Defender takes on America’s epidemic of division and misinformation, showing how to restore trust and accountability one conversation at a time. — JJ (USA, 2024, 48 min.)

World Premiere

QUEENDOM

Agniia Galdanova

FRI, 8:45 PM, MASONS SUN, 5:45 PM, SHERIDAN

In Person: Filmmaker

In Russia, where repressive laws make it difficult to speak up without ramifications, protesting is a dangerous act. Queer artist Gena Marvin takes protesting to a whole new level, using performance art as an act of resistance. From a small town in Russia, Gena dons herself in otherworldly costumes — platform boots, body paint and barbed wire are just some of the elements she uses — and protests the government on the streets of Moscow. Staging radical performances in public, her creative acts of courage become a new form of art and activism. The provoking performances challenge the people and systems around her but also put her life in incredible danger. — AB (USA, France, 2023, 1 hr. 38 min.)

Colorado Premiere

SKYWALKERS: A LOVE STORY

Jeff Zimbalist, Maria Bukhonina

FRI, 5:30 PM, HIGH CAMP

SAT, 1:30 PM, PALM

In Person: Filmmakers

Angela Nikolau and Vanya Beerkus watch magical sunrises from the tops of cities. They are what’s known as rooftoppers: part climbers, performance artists, acrobats, influencers and trespassers. They scramble up the skyscrapers and cranes of their native Russia — without a safety harness — and make a living from photos and videos of themselves precariously and illegally perched at the top. In Skywalkers: A Love Story, they decide to take their passion to new heights and scale the 118-story Merdeka Tower in Kuala Lumpur. But the audacious project threatens to come unraveled by squabbles, anxiety and injury. Skywalkers is a peek into the vertiginous world of rooftopping and the journey of a couple learning that their full potential exists on the other side of fear.

(USA, 2023, 1 hr. 39 min.)

Colorado Premiere

SUGARCANE

Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie

SAT, 12:15 PM, BILL MON, 9 AM, MASONS

In Person: Filmmakers & Film Subject

An investigation into unmarked graves at an Indian residential school ignites a reckoning in the lives of survivors and their descendants, including the film’s co-director whose father was born, and nearly buried, at the school. Sugarcane spotlights the lasting traumas inflicted upon Indigenous North Americans from the residential school system, including physical and sexual abuse, the separation of families and the destruction of Native culture and language. With empathy and grace, the filmmakers follow their subjects as they search for painful truths in the recesses of their memories and muster the courage to confront representatives of the church, government and their own families. The resilience of survivors and their descendants is celebrated in this poignant and compassionate film. — JJ

(Canada, 2024, 1 hr. 47 min.)

Colorado Premiere

WE CAN BE HEROES

Carina Mia Wong, Alex Simmons

SAT, 6 PM, BILL SUN, 4 PM, HIGH CAMP

In Person: Filmmakers

Sometimes finding your people requires a bit of magic. For attendees of a live-action role-playing (LARP) camp in upstate New York, the deeply accepting environment has given neurodivergent, queer and self-proclaimed “nerdy” teenagers the space and community for self-discovery that they have never found anywhere else. As the campers immerse themselves in this imaginative world, they discover inner strength, heal from past traumas and emerge as the heroes they are meant to be, both in fantasy and in real life. We Can Be Heroes perfectly captures and celebrates the small, fleeting, but profoundly formative moments that make up the most intense years of adolescence, with a little help from foam swords. — JJ

(USA, 2024, 1 hr. 26 min.)

Colorado Premiere

WITH FEATURES

CHAM

Raunak Kapoor, Gen Liu

FRI, 5:30 PM, PALM SUN, 9 AM, SHERIDAN

In Person: Filmmaker

Every winter, monks across India travel to the Thiksey Monastery to participate in a ceremonial dance called Cham, a sacred ritual transporting viewers into the divine realm. Dancers wear masks and use a deep, resonant chant to purify the environment and dispel negative forces.

(USA, India, 2023, 7 min.)

World Premiere

Playing with: BETWEEN THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SKY p.15

DANCING WARRIOR

Rachel McDonald, Peter Goetz

FRI, 8:30 PM, BASE CAMP SUN, 10 AM, PALM

In Person: Filmmakers

On windswept hills surrounded by the bluffs of the Lakota Badlands sits the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. For the Native youth, living here can be a struggle — the teen suicide rate is among the highest in the country. But many have found hope and purpose in the unlikeliest of places: the traditional sport of horse racing known as Indian Relay. The film follows a teen racing team named Dancing Warrior, who comes together to compete and support each other as they face the challenges of life on the reservation. This short film is a coming-of-age story of Lakota teens as they find strength in tradition and passion in competition.

(USA, 2024, 10 min.)

World Premiere

Playing with: 399: QUEEN OF THE TETONS p.13

DENIAL

Paul Moakley, Daniel Lombroso

FRI, 5:30 PM, SHERIDAN SAT, NOON, MASONS

In Person: Filmmakers

Arizona’s Republican Chairman Bill Gates lived in relative obscurity until Trump contested the 2020 election results. With unprecedented access, Denial follows Gates through a fight to uphold the integrity of the vote in Maricopa County, setting the stakes for the future of democracy.

(USA, 2023, 22 min.)

Colorado Premiere

Playing with: PUBLIC DEFENDER p. 21

JUDY’S CREEK: DISCOVERING THE SECRET LIFE OF THE STREAMBED

Jeremy Monroe, David Herasimtschuk

SAT, 7 PM, PALM SUN, 9:30 AM, BILL

In Person: Filmmaker

Follow ecologist, educator and author Dr. Judy Li into the world of caddisflies, the artisans of the aquatic world. With contagious passion, Judy shares how her childhood curiosity led to a career in freshwater science and how she has found ways to share the joys of science with audiences of all ages.

(USA, 2023, 5 min.)

Colorado Premiere

Playing with: A GOOD WOLF p. 19

SEAT 31: ZOOEY ZEPHYR

Kimberly Reed

FRI, 5:30 PM, SHERIDAN SAT, NOON, MASONS

In Person: Film Subject

When Zooey Zephyr was expelled from the Montana House of Representatives for speaking on a bill banning gender-affirming medical care, she made a nearby bench her office. She remains steadfast as she receives emotional visits from supporters and her story becomes international news. Director Kimberly Reed’s camera lands next to Zooey, capturing moments both tense and joyous.

(USA, 2024, 15 min.)

Colorado Premiere

Playing with: PUBLIC DEFENDER p. 21

THE UGANDAN QUIDDITCH MOVEMENT

Ben Garfield SAT, 6 PM, BILL SUN, 4 PM, HIGH CAMP

In Uganda, an unlikely sport is driving social change. That sport is quidditch. After a chance encounter with a Harry Potter novel, a dedicated teacher brings the magic world of chasers, beaters, seekers, quaffles, bludgers and the golden snitch to the students at Good Shepherd Primary School in Katwadde Village. As they train for an upcoming tournament, the quidditch community they create helps the kids smash taboos about gender, learn teamwork and overcome poverty.

(USA, 2023, 15 min.)

Colorado Premiere

Playing with: WE CAN BE HEROES p. 23

FILMS | SHORTS PLAYING WITH FEATURES

WON’T GIVE UP

Abdul Kassamali

SAT, 8 PM, HIGH CAMP

USUGILIX AWAKUN

Palmer Morse, Matt Mikkelsen

FRI, 8:30 PM, SHERIDAN SUN, 6 PM, BILL

In the waters off the remote island of Iluulux or so-called Unalaska, Alaska, toxic algal blooms are increasingly infecting filter-feeding shellfish. After a community member dies from eating blue mussels, a staple cultural food, Unangax scientist Shayla begins working with her tribe to research and understand the harmful blooms and what can be done about them. Illuminating the profound connection between the Unangax people and their environment, Usugilix Awakun showcases the resilience and resourcefulness of a culture in the face of unprecedented challenges.

(USA, 2024, 12 min.)

Colorado Premiere

Playing with: ONE WITH THE WHALE p. 19

In Person: Filmmakers & Film Subject

Every social justice movement has songs that serve as anthems for the movement. Critically acclaimed drag queen and vocalist Pattie Gonia joined 19-time Grammyaward-winning cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and Indigenous trans musician and Tiny Desk Contest winner Quinn Christopherson, to write a climate change anthem.

“Won’t Give Up” is a song about not giving up on our planet and not giving up on each other. To film the music video, the three artists traveled to Holgate and Exit Glaciers — two Alaskan glaciers that are dying because of warming temperatures.

(USA, 2023, 5 min.)

Playing with: PATTIE GONIA X MOUNTAINFILM DRAG SHOW & DISCO p. 85

DIRT & ROCK

Sunday, 8:30 PM, Base Camp

Monday, NOON, High Camp

MOYO

Henry J. Kamara

Moyo is a raw and poetic portrait of the children that call the Jipe Moyo and Musoma home. Painting a playful and colorful picture of the people and culture, the film highlights the rhythm of this special region of Tanzania. Surrounded by exotic wildlife and extraordinary landscapes, the children of Musoma have gained strength and achieved a distinct harmony with the environment around them through their love of climbing.

(Tanzania, 2023, 14 min.)

U.S. Premiere

PARTY IN THE OLD PUEBLO

MALLORCAN RHAPSODY

Ricardo Giancola

In Person: Film Subject

Climbing legend Chris Sharma embarks on an adventure of several days paddling along the wild coast of Mallorca in a kayak, climbing spectacular, previously unscaled walls and sleeping in caves and cliffs. Together with a few friends, Sharma undertakes this beautiful journey discovering breathtaking places on the island of Mallorca, Spain.

(Spain, 2022, 15 min.)

World Premiere

MOYO

JAMIE

Darcy Hennessey

In Person: Filmmaker & Film Subject

Pioneering alpinist Jamie Logan has climbed some of the most dangerous routes in the world. But nothing felt as life-threatening as admitting that, at age 69, she wanted to begin a new life as a woman. Jamie shows that love and trust can be the ultimate act of rebellion.

(USA, Canada, 2023, 18 min.)

World Premiere

PARTY IN THE PUEBLO

James ‘Q’ Martin

In Person: Filmmakers

Party in the Pueblo peers inside a raucous 24-hour celebration best described as the Burning Man of mountain bike racing. Once a year in southern Arizona, a town pops up overnight to host an entire day of racing. The race is 16 miles long with bikers racking up as many laps as possible within 24 hours, raising money for nonprofit organizations and the El Grupo Camp that teaches children how to ride.

(USA, 2023, 14 min.)

World Premiere

REEL ROCK: WITH MY HEART

Andrea Cossu

In Person: Filmmaker

Japanese climbing phenom Sachi Amma has won many climbing competitions but didn’t feel happy even when he achieved his goals. He decided to get in touch with a simpler and deeper kind of climbing, making progress little by little on a granite spire that became a two-year project. Follow Amma’s philosophical journey as he evolves from three-time world champion to traditional climbing purist, culminating in a visionary attempt on the mythical Mount Mizugaki.

(USA, 2024, 23 min.)

FALL HARVEST

Keenan DesPlanques

In Person: Filmmaker

At Crankworx Cairns in 2023, Nicholi Rogatkin had a season-ending injury, marking the first time in his career that he had to sit a season out. Fall Harvest highlights how time seems to move more slowly while healing and the magic of getting back on a bike again.

(USA, 2023, 2 min.)

JAMIE

WATER & ICE

Friday, 8:30 PM, High Camp

Saturday, 8:30 PM, Base Camp

OBIBINI

Benoit Lalande

In Person: Filmmakers

Obibini is a high-energy dive into Ghanaian women’s joy and liberation through surfing. Since 2013, the Obibini Surf Club has empowered women to feel welcome at the beach and in the water.

(Ghana, 2023, 4 min.)

North American Premiere

UNSEEN PEAKS

GHOST RESORTS: JAPAN

Michael J. Brown, Zeppelin Zeerip

In Person: Filmmakers

With ski lifts no longer spinning and buildings falling into disrepair, abandoned ski areas are nestled among the snowdrifted peaks of Japan. The country’s massive economic boom in the 1980s fueled a wild demand for skiing and an explosion of new mountain resorts. The financial collapse that followed in 1991 decimated both the Japanese economy and the ski industry. Today, hundreds of ghost resorts span the mountains as silent witnesses to the pace of change. Yet the deep powder beckons those who seek to experience an unconventional backcountry adventure.

(Japan, 2024, 10 min.)

UNSEEN PEAKS

Roo Smith

In Person: Filmmakers

After enduring discrimination and trauma due to her blindness, Addie seeks freedom through skiing, ice climbing and rock climbing, facing both the challenges of these activities and the need for acceptance within the outdoor community as a disabled person. She believes exposure is the most powerful antidote to fear and dreams of a world where everyone has the safety and freedom to experience the outdoors.

(USA, 2023, 7 min.)

THE WINTERING GROUNDS

Jeff Springer

In Person: Filmmaker

For most of the year, bands of worldclass freestyle kayakers roam the land in search of waves. But when the rivers freeze, they find their way to a special spot on the Chattahoochee River on the Alabama-Georgia border. Squatting in an abandoned parking lot, they spend the winter training for the next world championships on North America’s best winter whitewater. Although called “certifiable lunatics” by the locals, this tight-knit group is proof of the power of family and that indeed, everything is more fun with friends.

(USA, 2023, 21 min.)

Colorado Premiere

NEAR THE RIVER

Darby A. McAdams

In Person: Filmmaker

In the tourist town of Livingstone, Zambia, a group of local men who make their living portering kayaks aspire to become safety kayakers on the Zambezi River. However, the proposed Batoka Gorge Hydroelectric Scheme threatens to flood the famous rapids of the Zambezi and eliminate river-related jobs.

(USA, 2023, 11 min.)

Colorado Premiere

RE

Iz La Motte

In Person: Filmmaker & Film Subject

Twenty years ago, Re forged a new path in the outdoor sports community as one of the few women in her field. As an action sports photographer, she is dedicated to working with and showcasing the strength and individual personalities of female athletes. Re landed the first cover shot of a woman for Backcountry Magazine and the first all-female cover shot for Skiing She views her work as a catalyst, fostering a social shift in the perception of female athletes in popular culture.

(USA. 2023, 6 min.)

THE FORGOTTEN COAST

Chris Burkard, Brian Davis

In Person: Filmmaker & Film Subjects

From the seats of small aircraft, photographer Chris Burkard has been inspired by over a decade of documenting Iceland’s glacial river systems and their intersection with the ocean. Armed only with fat bikes and inflatable rafts, Burkard and bike-pack and rafting veterans Steve “Doom” Fassbinder and Cameron Lawson set out for an expedition across 41 of these rivers. They connect a 400-km series of exposed sandbars that provide a barrier between the harsh waters of the North Atlantic along Iceland’s southern coast.

(USA, 2023, 31 min.)

NEAR THE RIVER RE

ORIGINALS

Saturday, 5:45 PM, Sheridan Opera House

Sunday, 1 PM, Palm

NEVER TOO OLD

Patty Jen Arndt, Stash Wislocki

In Person: Filmmakers

At one time Libby James held more running records than Flo-Jo and Usain Bolt combined, yet most likely you have never heard of her. She is considered the grandmother of women’s competitive running despite not having started running until she was 35. Libby is proof that you can be almost famous—and still lead a fulfilling life.

(USA, 2024, 5 min.)

World Premiere

MAMA’S SUNDRY

Brody Kuhar, Joshua Cannon

In Person: Filmmaker

In South Memphis, married artists Bertram Williams and Talibah Safiya transform their creative practices into vehicles for a higher purpose. Enter Mama’s Sundry, a collaborative movement fostering wellness and sustainability through education, service initiatives and a neighborhood garden that produces fresh fruit and vegetables within a community that’s long been designated a food desert.

(USA, 2024, 15 min.)

World Premiere

TETHER

Laura Basil Duncan

Professional skateboarder Lois Pendlebury lived for skateboarding; it was an obsession. But when injuries forced her out of the sport, she found another way to challenge herself. Now she lives in a stone cabin high in the mountains, tending to her flock of more than 1,000 sheep. With her donkey and herding dogs for company, Pendlebury finds that solitude and self-reliance are making her a stronger person.

(UK, 2023, 12 min.)

U.S. Premiere

MY QUEERCEAÑERA

Marcos Nieves

Karyna is a transgender woman who could never be who she wanted to be growing up for fear of hurting her family. Now, at age 50, she throws herself a quinceañera, the customary rite of passage popular across Latin America for girls turning 15 years old to mark their transition to womanhood. Clad in a beautiful ballgown, with the support of her siblings as they slowly learn to accept her, Karyna’s quinceañera is the celebration of gratitude and fulfillment of girlhood dreams she has always wanted.

(USA, 2023, 17 min.)

Colorado Premiere

WILD HOGS AND SAFFRON

Andy Sarjahani

In Person: Filmmaker & Film Subject

Iranian-American filmmaker Andy Sarjahani and his unlikely childhood friend Bubba Samuels go on a wild hog hunt in their native Ozarks where unexpected conversations unfold that have a lasting impact on their friendship. Growing up, Sarjahani rejected his father’s Iranian culture to fit in. Now, by sharing that culture, he uses connection to dismantle hateful stereotypes about the people of both Iran and Arkansas.

(USA, 2023, 19 min.)

Colorado Premiere

MY QUEERCEAÑERA

A SYMPHONY OF TINY LIGHTS

Dominic Gill, Nadia Gill

In Person: Filmmakers & Film Subject

In 1971, John Francis (Mountainfilm 2008) witnessed an oil tanker collision in the San Francisco Bay. The sight of oiled birds on the shoreline caused him to give up motorized transport and speaking, convinced that listening was the way forward. He spent the next 17 silent years earning the name Planetwalker. Over the many miles, his idea of environmentalism was changed by the people he met and broke bread with. At 77 years old, Francis now both talks and rides in cars.

WILD HOGS AND SAFFRON

A Symphony of Tiny Lights recounts much of his internal journey and explores the weblike and sometimes deeply personal consequences of his decades of pilgrimage.

(USA, 2024, 31 min.)

INDOMITABLE SPIRIT

Saturday, 8:15 PM, Masons

Monday, 9 AM, High Camp

ASCEND

Kathryn Francis, Campbell Brewer

Ascend follows the inspiring story of a group of young women from Afghanistan who pursue their passion for climbing and mountaineering despite facing grave risks. But when the Taliban seized power in 2020, they were forced to flee their homes and start anew in the United States. Members of the Yosemite Search & Rescue team learned about the women’s plight and invited them to spend a week in Yosemite, where they could safely reunite and find solace with the climbing community. Through this heartwarming tale, viewers witness the strength and resilience of these young women as they adapt to life in a new country and forge new friendships with fellow climbers.

(USA, 2023, 20 min.)

Colorado Premiere

COMING HOME

Katie Lozancich, Alex Showerman

In Person: Filmmakers & Film Subject Alex Showerman is a lifelong Vermonter and professional mountain biker who came out as a queer trans woman in 2020. The film explores Showerman’s journey of finding a sense of belonging in the unexpected world of women’s freeride and her complex relationship with the sport of mountain biking. Viewed through the lens of current events surrounding the LGBTQ+ community and the fight for equality in women’s sports, Coming Home illuminates what a community looks like when people set aside their differences and uplift each other, broadening the definition of who calls themselves a mountain biker.

(USA, 2024, 15 min.)

MR. CATO

MR. CATO

Ryan Ross

In Person: Filmmaker & Film Subject

Mr. Cato is an elementary school teacher and pro BMX flatlander who changes his students’ lives by teaching them how to ride and care for bikes, as he attempts to bring his sport back from the brink of extinction in the U.S. While overcoming his struggles and vying for a spot in the Summer Olympics, Mr. Cato uses the two wheels that have given him so much in order to make the world a better place.

(USA, 2024, 23 min.)

World Premiere

MAX: ONE LAST FAVOR

Patti Bonnet

In Person: Filmmakers

Abandoned by the United States as the Taliban retakes his country, Afghan interpreter Max strives to keep himself and his family alive while a group of devoted retired Marines and their network struggle to navigate American bureaucracy and bring their brotherin-arms safely to the U.S. Told through emails, text messages and voice memos as he attempts to escape the murderous regime, the film exposes the Biden Administration’s abdication of moral responsibility to help the allies that staked their lives on U.S. promises.

(USA, 2024, 20 min.)

World Premiere

DREAM TO CURE WATER

Ciril Jazbec

Peru is home to 70% of the world’s tropical glaciers, but 40% of their surface area has disappeared in the last half century alone. According to Peru’s National Institute of Natural Resources, all of the country’s 200 glaciers are under threat. Due to this glacier melt, rocks are exposed to the air for the first time in thousands of years, dumping acid-heavy metals and minerals into the rivers. Two remote mountain communities in Peru that depend on the water attempt to fight back against these effects of climate change through innovative adaptation –combining ancestral tradition with stateof-the-art science.

(Slovenia, 2024, 22 min.)

Colorado Premiere

MAX

COMING HOME

TERRA

Friday, 8:45 PM, The Bill

Sunday, 9:15 AM, Masons

I AM THE NATURE

Taliesin Black-Brown

I am the nature is a poetic documentary honoring the philosophy and cultural expression of the Achuar people from the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador. Narrated by Chumpí Washikiat, a local leader, the film dives into the insights of a man who has walked between worlds, echoing ideas of unity, empathy and harmony.

(USA, Ecuador, Brazil, 2023, 5 min.)

Colorado Premiere

UNDAMMED

Shane Anderson

In Person: Filmmakers & Film Subject

The Klamath River was once the third-largest salmon-producing river in the continental U.S. But dams and diversions have led to fish kills and cut off spawning grounds for the fish, which is intertwined with the Yurok Tribe’s way of life. Undammed follows Yurok attorney and dam removal advocate Amy Bowers Cordalis as she sees decades of work pay off with the planned removal of four of the Klamath’s hydroelectric dams. One of the largest river restoration projects in history, the dam removals represent the beginning of a new era of Indigenous-led conservation and healing.

(USA, 2024, 17 min.)

In Person World Premiere

SPEED OF RUST

Skye Fitzgerald

In Person: Filmmakers

Experts predicted the inevitable fate of the FSO Safer, a mammoth oil tanker in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen. A mass of rotting steel holding four times more oil than the Exxon Valdez, the Safer threatened ecosystems, shipping lanes and the welfare of millions in the region. When she broke apart or exploded — and it was always just a matter of time — an unprecedented catastrophe lay ahead. Speed of Rust is part eco-thriller and part cautionary tale that shows the risks when threats are ignored and demonstrates what’s possible when the global community tackles its problems head-on.

(USA, Netherlands, 2024, 16 min.)

World Premiere

FLORA, FAUNA, FUNGA

Sam Sheline

Flora, Fauna, Funga follows Chilean mycologist Giuliana Furci’s search for new mushrooms in far southern Chile on the main island of Tierra del Fuego. She’s joined by biologist and author Merlin Sheldrake and mycologist Toby Kiers from SPUN, the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks, whose goal is to map the mycorrhizal networks of the world. Together the three scientists illuminate how fungi underpin every ecosystem on Earth and outline a strategy for greater fungal inclusion in conservation policy.

(USA, 2024, 17 min.)

Colorado Premiere

HEALY

Maya Craig

In Person: Filmmakers

For millions of years, the Arctic Ocean has been covered by a permanent sheet of ice. During the summertime in the near future, it will melt in its entirety for the first time in human history. Healy follows a crew of scientists and sailors through a two-month research mission to try to understand why the northern ice cap is melting even faster than climate models have predicted — and how the transformation is altering life on Earth.

(USA, 2023, 14 min.)

Colorado Premiere

WINGS OF DUST

Giorgio Ghiotto

In Person: Filmmaker

Vidal Merma, a Quechua Indigenous journalist, champions the voice of the indigenous K’ana Nation, a people whose wellbeing and natural resources suffer from the poisoning of aggressive mineral mining. With rivers reduced to dust, and the remaining water contaminated, the people of Espinar demand accountability and an immediate end to the unsolicited practices destroying their home.

(USA, 2023, 30 min.)

Colorado Premiere

2023 STUDENT ACADEMY AWARD WINNER

SPEED OF RUST

WILD

Friday, 5:45 PM, The Bill Saturday, 2:45 PM, Masons

WATERFALL HUNTERS

Lindsey Hagen

In Person: Filmmakers

If you don’t know something exists, how do you give it a voice? Waterfall Hunters follows three Costa Ricans — Javier, Jimmy and Miguel — as they seek to find, document and inspire others to preserve invaluable ecosystems and habitats in the Costa Rican jungle. They embark on a beautiful journey into rarely-seen territory, teeming with life but under imminent threat of destruction. The stakes couldn’t be higher as the men rappel, climb and hike into the heart of the jungle.

(Costa Rica, 2023, 23 min.)

Colorado Premiere

COMMITMENT GRANT WINNER

BROKEN FLIGHT

Erika Valenciana, Mitchell Wenkus

In Person: Filmmakers

Migration season is when Annette Prince and the other Chicago Collision Bird Monitors are the busiest as Mother Nature literally slams into the urban environment. Annette assembles volunteers as they arrive downtown before sunrise, looking for birds that have flown into skyscrapers—before heading to their day jobs. The birds that survive are sent away for a stay at the Willowbrook Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Broken Flight introduces us to the volunteers, scientists and veterinarians who rescue, study and catalog these amazing avian species.

(USA, 2024, 18 min.)

Colorado Premiere

WATERFALL HUNTERS

THE SILVERBACK

Andrew Ackerman

In Person: Filmmakers

It’s no surprise that we call a group of gorillas a family, since we share 98% of our DNA with these creatures and can’t help but see something beautifully human-like in them. African safari guide Richard De Gouveia is deeply familiar with the primal draw we feel toward gorillas. The Silverback follows De Gouveia along his journey marked by tragedy and self-discovery, as he connects lessons learned while tracking wild gorillas to his own life, where he strives to be a loving father and partner in tandem with his rewarding career as a naturalist guide.

(USA, 2023, 15 min.)

In Person World Premiere

THE LAST OBSERVERS

Maja Karlsson

In Person: Filmmakers

Lennart Karlsson and Karin Persson have recorded weather measurements every three hours — temperature, air pressure, wind, wave height and cloud types — at a lighthouse on the southwestern coast of Sweden for 36 years. The dedicated couple have amassed over 100,000 observations and seen rapid changes in recent years as migratory birds arrive earlier in the spring, and heavy rains

and drought become more frequent. Theirs is the last remaining manual weather station in the country – and it too will soon become automated. In The Last Observers, the pair reflect on their simple yet joyful life where they find true happiness through symbiosis with nature. (Sweden, 2024, 24 min.)

World Premiere

TO KNOW A PLACE

Brendan Young

In Person: Filmmaker & Film Subject

David Inouye has returned to the same high alpine meadows in Gothic, Colorado for the past 52 years to study wildflowers and hummingbirds. This film follows David, his son and his granddaughter through a season of summer research. To Know a Place is an intimate look at the connection between place and identity, a meditation on time and the intergenerational experience of change.

(USA, 2024, 11 min.)

World Premiere

THE SILVERBACK

FILMS | SHORTS PROGRAMS

GLOBAL POV

TUNAINUANA: TOGETHER WE RISE

Lindsay Branham

In Person: Filmmakers

Lydia Wilbard lost her mother at a young age in Tanzania, but through her perseverance to go to school, she overcame the impossible. Today she is the executive director of CAMFED, helping hundreds of thousands of other young women be all they dream to be. This is a story of love, community and the power of women helping women.

(USA, 2023, 12 min.)

World Premiere

CAMP COURAGE

Max Lowe

In Person: Filmmaker

Made refugees by the war in Ukraine, Olga and her granddaughter, Milana, travel to a summer mountaineering camp in the Austrian Alps where they test the limits of their bravery and the bonds

Friday, 2:30 PM, Masons

Saturday, 9:30 AM, The Bill

between them. Scarred both physically and emotionally by war, Milana struggles to overcome her fears. Camp Courage is a tender snapshot of a bit of carefree childhood returned by climbing to new heights.

(Austria, Slovakia, 2023, 32 min.)

Colorado Premiere

BICYCLE ISLAND

Mitra Ghaffari

In Person: Filmmakers

This contemporary mosaic of Havana explores the bicycle as a reclaimed mobility tool and a critical resource for the island’s future. Bicycle Island follows Cuban bike enthusiasts as they use the basic yet profound power of two wheels as a way to assert their independence, control their transportation and find a solution to scarcity.

(USA, Cuba, 2024, 15 min.)

EMERGING FILMMAKER

UNTIL HE’S BACK

Jacqueline Baylon

In Person: Filmmakers

After learning that his son has died at sea trying to get to Spain, Ahmed Tchiche must find a way to get his son’s remains back home to Morocco so he and his family can have a proper goodbye. Ahmed and his family are not the only ones in a heavy-hearted state of limbo as many young Moroccan men disappear while crossing the dangerous 14-kilometer Strait of Gibraltar on their way to look for work in Spain. Faisal Bouhafs, a Moroccan immigrant living in Spain, volunteers to help Ahmed navigate Spanish bureaucracy, doing whatever it takes to bring his son home.

(USA, Spain, 2023, 39 min.)

Colorado Premiere

TUNAINUANA

POSTCARDS FROM THE VERGE

ODYSSEYS

LOVE IN THE TIME OF MIGRATION

Erin Semine Kökdil, Chelsea Abbas

In Person: Filmmakers

Ronny and Suly have fallen in love. The only problem is that Ronny is in the U.S., while Suly is in Guatemala. Love in the Time of Migration illustrates the modern-day romance of two individuals from a community deeply impacted by migration to the U.S., and asks the question: Can love conquer all?

(USA, 2024, 21 min.)

Colorado Premiere

Friday, 6 PM,

Masons

Sunday, 1 PM, High Camp

POSTCARDS FROM THE VERGE

Natalia Koniarz

A young Polish couple bike-packing through the harsh landscape near the Bolivean-Chilean border push their bikes over rugged mountain passes as they outrun lightning and hail storms. The film paints tense moments of hiding in trucks to cross the border and tender moments of conversation in their tent. Filmed by the subjects, Postcards from the Verge offers a glimpse into the couple’s inner lives against the stark yet beautiful backdrop of the Atacama Desert.

(Poland, 2023, 39 min.)

Colorado Premiere

THIS IS WHERE I FIND MYSELF

Andrew Hinton In Person: Filmmaker

Dr. Roland Griffiths made a career of studying how the altered states of consciousness induced by psychedelics could advance psychiatry and neuroscience, and be an effective treatment for emotional pain. Cancer patients often reported similar experiences that were simple yet profound: a feeling of interconnectedness with others and nature, release from fear and anger and an awakening to the preciousness and mystery of life. Now confronted with his own cancer diagnosis, Griffiths uses what he has learned as a researcher to cultivate a sense of gratitude and set up a legacy of study into the wonder of being.

(USA, 2024, 32 min.)

World Premiere

BUILDING THE BUFFALO

CHANGEMAKERS

REEL ROCK: CLIMBING NEVER DIE

Matt Groom, Nick Rosen

Climbing Never Die follows climbing journalist Matt Groom as he journeys deep into war-torn Ukraine to discover a community held together by climbing and patriotism, but indelibly changed by war. Young Ukrainian climbers train in the relative safety of climbing gyms, sometimes without heat or electricity, as air raid sirens ring out across the city. The film is a portrait of resilience and national pride amid hardship. And just like the country of Ukraine itself, these athletes show no signs of backing down.

(USA, 2024, 38 min.)

BUILDING THE BUFFALO

Travis Rummel

In Person: Filmmakers

World Bicycle Relief changes people’s lives through the power of the bicycle. With over one billion people in Southern Africa whose only means of transportation is their own two feet, introducing a bicycle into their family is truly game-changing. WBR designs their bikes with the combined efforts of the best engineers in the world and local testriders.

(USA, 2023, 19 min.)

World Premiere

Saturday, 1 PM, High Camp

Sunday, 8:30 PM, The Bill

DESCENDANCE

Mathias Kögel, Michael Haunschmidt

In Person: Film Subject

Descendance is Dennis Ranalter’s story — the story of a kid who, in the town where he was born and raised, had to answer the question: “Where are you really from?” It’s a story of identity, everyday racism and self-discovery, as Dennis seeks to define himself not only as a skier but as a Black man who’s spent his life in predominantly white spaces.

(Austria, 2023, 35 min.)

FILMS | SHORTS PROGRAMS

LONG & SHORT OF IT

THE LAST REPAIR SHOP

Ben Proudfoot, Kris Bowers

In a nondescript warehouse in the heart of Los Angeles, a dwindling handful of devoted craftspeople maintain over 80,000 student musical instruments, the largest remaining workshop in America of its kind. Meet four unforgettable characters whose broken-andrepaired lives have been dedicated to bringing so much more than music to the schoolchildren of the recording capital of the world.

(USA, 2023, 39 min.)

2024 Academy Award Winner for Best Short Documentary

THE LAST REPAIR SHOP

Sunday, 12:15 PM, The Bill Monday, 9 AM, Palm

THE SHIT-THROPOCENE

David Garrett Byars

In Person: Filmmaker

Thousands of years ago, human brains evolved to seek to acquire unlimited resources. No longer a survival adaptation, this tendency, turbocharged by the speed and ease of online shopping, now results in closets full of cheap, fast fashion, the making of which exploits workers and harms the planet, and most of which quickly ends up in a landfill. Shit-thropocene is a wacky and darkly funny look at how we got here and asks if there is a better way to fill the modern-day hole in our caveman hearts than by buying shitty products.

(USA, 2024, 31 min.)

World Premiere

THE NIGHTINGALE’S SONG

Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, Adam Loften

The voices of nightingales have lit up the forests of England at night every summer for over a million years, inspiring generations of writers, artists and musicians. But as climate change and development impact the birds’ wintering and nesting grounds, they may disappear from the country within the next 50 years. In The Nightingale’s Song, we meet Sam Lee, a folk singer who draws on an ancient lineage of traditional folk music as he joins this elusive bird in spontaneous, mutual song. Re-entwining human voices with the creative virtuosity of the nightingale, Lee conjures a deepening relationship of care, stewardship and love with these remarkable creatures and the living world we share.

(USA, 2024, 39 min.)

North American Premiere

FAR WEST

Stephen Michael Simon

In Person: Filmmaker

Drained by the fast-paced urban lifestyle of New York City, artist Lala makes a bold decision to uproot herself and seek solace in the untamed landscapes somewhere far west.

Stripped of the familiar comforts of running water, electricity and constant connectivity, she faces the daunting challenge of building a life from scratch. Far West poignantly explores questions that resonate with us all: Can the absence of modern resources illuminate the path to authenticity? Can isolation and introspection pave the way for profound creative breakthroughs?

(USA, 2023, 18 min.)

Colorado Premiere

SOUTHWEST STORIES

Saturday, 3 PM, Bill Sunday, 8:30 PM, Sheridan Opera House

MIRASOL, LOOKING AT THE SUN

Ben Knight

In Person: Filmmakers

Water is a finite resource — and an essential one. For farmers, it’s everything. Award-winning director Ben Knight explores a national issue around water through an intimate portrait of a small community in Pueblo, Colorado, that’s fighting to protect their water, land and livelihood. Mirasol, Looking at the Sun follows a multi-generational Italian and Hispanic immigrant farming community, from the 92-year-old farmer whose family has worked the land for generations, to the young people who are ready and willing to take the reins. Through their voices, the film offers a story of a deep connection to place, the land and the famed Pueblo chile, which are all threatened by rapid development and population growth.

(USA, 2024, 37 min.)

IN THE DIRT

T.C. Johnstone

In Person: Filmmaker & Film Subjects

In 2018, retired pro cyclist Scott Nydam and his family moved to Gallup, New Mexico. Soon after their arrival, Scott began meeting a passionate group of Native American bikers who wanted to bring the sport to their community: the 28,000mile expanse of the Navajo Nation. The only problem was there were no bike shops. Through a grassroots Native-led effort, this group of dedicated cyclists and their families have built a cycling culture that today has become the fastest-growing recreational sport on the Navajo Nation.

(Navajo Nation, 2024, 41 min.)

CHASING TIME

ASKING LESS

Pete McBride

In Person: Filmmakers

The Colorado River is one of America’s most valuable and iconic rivers. Photographer and author Pete McBride has been following this river for over two decades. He shows us the stark reality of our water crisis within this river and the remarkable beauty and resilience of this ephemeral source of life.

(USA, 2024, 4 min.)

World Premiere

TO SCALE: TIME ASKING

Saturday, 4 PM, High Camp

Sunday, 8:15 PM, Masons

TO SCALE: TIME

Alex Gorosh

In Person: Filmmakers & Film Subject

On a dry lakebed in California, a group of friends attempt to build a scale model of time: a true illustration of cosmic evolution and our place within it. Over miles, they lay out tiny lights representing important moments in the history of the universe: the Big Bang, the meteor that killed the dinosaurs and the beginning of human civilization. The result is time represented by distance and the recognition that although we are alive for the briefest moment — in this demonstration, the width of a hair — our lives are a gift from the universe that we must spend wisely.

(USA, 2023, 10 min.)

In Person World Premiere

CRYING GLACIER

Lutz Stautner

The louder the glacier, the stronger the melt. The creaking, cracking and rippling is the voice of impermanence. Sound artist Ludwig Berger shows how important it is to listen to the world that surrounds us. The film follows him on one of his numerous visits to the Morteratsch glacier in the Swiss Alps where he collects fascinating sounds before they disappear forever.

(Germany, 2023, 14 min.) U.S. Premiere

CHASING TIME

Jeff Orlowski-Yang, Sarah Keo

In Person: Filmmakers & Film Subject

After bringing some of the world’s first and most striking visual evidence of our changing planet to the fore, photographer James Balog returns to Iceland to remove the last timelapse camera of the Extreme Ice Survey. Accompanied by the film team behind Chasing Ice (Mountainfilm 2012), the group reunites on a final mission to close out the project that first bonded them together: an extraordinary effort that has resulted in an unprecedented 15-year photographic record of the melting glaciers. Featuring intimate interviews set against stunning landscape photography, time-manipulated footage and never-before-seen archival film, Chasing Time is a meditative exploration of time and mortality, spotlighting the power that intergenerational relationships hold in seeding hope and inspiration toward a sustainable future.

(USA, 2024, 39 min.) Colorado Premiere CHASING

INDIGENOUS STORYTELLERS

Saturday, 9:15 AM, Masons

Sunday, 2:45 PM, Masons

(MEET ME AT THE CREEK)

Loren Waters

In Person: Filmmaker

Cherokee elders like Rebecca Jim believe that what happens to the water happens to us. Without it, we cannot move culture forward or exist. U.S. government officials have designated Tar Creek in Miami, Oklahoma as “irreversibly damaged,” but Jim refuses to accept that. (Meet Me at the Creek) tells a story of interconnectedness through the lifelong fight of a Cherokee Nation citizen and Waterkeeper Warrior as she leads the effort to restore the creek.

(USA, 2023, 10 min.)

Colorado Premiere

HOMECOMING

Julianna Brannum

In Person: Film Subject

Homecoming follows Jason Baldes, an Eastern Shoshone and a member of the InterTribal Buffalo Council, as he leads historic transfers of bison to Indigenous communities. They maintain their herds to supply a healthy food source and cultural touchstone for their tribal citizens. Restoring this animal to tribal communities means they can begin to heal from the loss of their land, language and culture. The film explores what living among the bison once again means for Native people — today and for future generations.

(USA, 2023, 18 min.)

GATH & K’IYH: LISTEN TO HEAL

INDAI APAI

DARAH

WE RIDE FOR HER

Katrina Lillian Sorrentino, Prairie Rose Seminole

In Person: Filmmakers

The statistics for Native women are shocking: they face murder rates up to 10 times the national average, murder is the third leading cause of death and they are routinely the victims of sex trafficking. In South Dakota, a group of Indigenous women from all over the country gather to ride motorcycles to end this crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women. The Medicine Wheel Ride brings Indigenous women together to honor those they have lost and to support each other in sisterhood because they are their sisters’ keepers. (USA, 2023, 19 min.)

Colorado Premiere

GATH & K’IYH: LISTEN TO HEAL

Princess Daazhraii Johnson

In Person: Filmmaker & Film Subject

Gath and K’iyh is a poetic visual exploration of a community-led creative arts project aimed at better understanding and restoring the familial relationship with gath (king salmon) and k’iyh (birch) as a Native community navigates its feelings around climate change in Alaska. Gath and K’iyh are words from the Benhti Kokhut’ana Kenaga’ (Lower Tanana) dialect spoken in the Interior Region of Alaska. Guided by the voice and wisdom of Ahtna Elder Fred John, and featuring the music of acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma, this film invites viewers to ask how we might have a better relationship to the natural world around us. (USA, 2024, 9 min.)

Colorado Premiere

INDAI APAI DARAH (MOTHER, FATHER, BLOOD)

Kynan Tegar

In Person: Filmmakers

A young girl growing up in the Indigenousheld forests of central Borneo follows ancient connections to learn the story of her people’s 1973 fight to preserve their lands amid rampant deforestation. The people of Sungai Utik protect the lush tropical forests that teem with birds, including the extraordinary hornbill. But other nearby communities have succumbed to the greed of loggers, severing their connection to their mother the land, their father the forest and the river their blood.

(Indonesia, 2024, 15 min.)

North American Premiere

ÁHKUIN

Radio-JusSunná//Sunná Nousuniemi and Guhtur Niillas Rita Duomis//Tuomas Kumpulainen

In Person: Filmmakers

With the singular Sámi oral storytelling tradition of joik at its center, Áhkuin is a visual and musical call-and-response between a grandmother and her descendants. Archival interviews unspool as a connective thread across time, inviting the viewer through a portal into this corner of Sápmi. Seemingly mundane chores — carrying water from the river, setting up the sauna, boiling reindeer bone marrow — offer up gifts of memory, music and Indigenous knowledge. Áhkuin presents a melancholy yet playful Sámi story with lessons for a new era defined by giving and receiving.

(Finland, 2024, 20 min.)

Colorado Premiere AHKUIN WE RIDE FOR HER

FILMS | SHORTS PROGRAMS

LOCAL LEGENDS & STEEP THRILLS

Thursday, 8:30 PM, Base Camp

This program kicks off the festival with films highlighting the people, places and exciting adventures that remind us of home. This is one of the mostloved programs of the festival and screens under the stars at Base Camp in Town Park. Let’s show our local athletes, filmmakers and friends some love!

This program is free and open to the public.

DESERT WINGS

Nathan McBride

Desert Wings brings the unique sport of paramotoring to light showcasing talented pilots exploring the dramatic landscapes of the American Southwest. –LH (USA, 2023, 3 min.)

FREEA FERRATA

Morgan Bradley

In Person: Filmmakers & Film Subjects

Visionary local crushers Carly and Emma follow the tradition of free climbing aid routes to its magnum opus: the Telluride Via Ferrata. Freea Ferrata is a story of seeing what others can’t and seeking adventure hiding in plain sight. –PP

(USA, 2024, 14 min.)

World Premiere

ABOVE THE NOISE

TIME IS A FUNNY THING

Jeremy Grant

In Person: Filmmakers

Time is a Funny Thing is an exploration of time and how doing what we love makes it disappear. Professional mountain biker Tyler McCaul looks back on his career through the lens of his older and younger selves.

(USA, 2023, 5 min.)

In Person World Premiere

LEXICON

Austin Hopkins & Loic Isliker

In Person: Filmmakers

A unique group of skiers from around the world come together to celebrate skiing as a catalyst for human connection. As they shred the bottomless pow of Hokkaido, the transformative power of adventure takes this group from strangers to friends. –SL (Canada, 2023, 13 min.)

U.S. Premiere

LEAVING A TREAD

Maxwell Frank

In Person: Filmmaker

As the popularity of mountain biking grows across Mexico, riders like Israel Carrillo work to blaze the trail — literally. Carrillo shares the challenges athletes face in a growing sport, financially and otherwise, while showing off his hometown of Guanajuato. –SL (USA, 2023, 6 min.)

In Person World Premiere

ABOVE THE NOISE

Adam De Silva

The world around us can feel overwhelming and loud. In response, Maya delves into her practice of skydiving as a means to focus inwards. She gently inspires us to find our own means of grounding ourselves in flow. –PP (UK, 2023, 6 min.)

SAY LESS (TRAILER)

Benji Biber

In Person: Filmmakers & Film Subjects

First-time filmmaker Benji Biber presents a trailer for his Telluride-centric ode to mountain biking with “the crew.” With mountain biking on the rise in the San Juans, this group of friends has one goal for the summer: “Say less, ride more!” –SL (USA, 2024, 5 min.)

OBIBINI

Benoit Lalande

In Person: Filmmakers

Obibini is a high-energy dive into Ghanaian women’s joy and liberation through surfing. Since 2013, the Obibini Surf Club has empowered women to feel welcome at the beach and in the water. –PP (Ghana, 2023, 4 min.)

North American Premiere

THE DRACONIANS

Maxime Moulin

Skiers Sam Favret and Nikolaï Schirmer team up in Norway on a ski touring trip of a lifetime. Follow them up and down futuristic lines as they execute their vision as athletes and filmmakers in this thrilling segment from The Draconians. –LH (France, 2023, 13 min.)

DESERT WINGS

SAY LESS

FILMS | SHORTS PROGRAMS

KIDS KINO

Monday, NOON, Palm

Mountainfilm’s program of short, family-friendly educational films are curated for kids and held annually at the Palm. This program offers a wide variety of ageappropriate and perspective-widening themes. Please note that films are not rated. This program is free to kids and all festival passholders. $10 tickets are available to the general public.

FREYA

Natasha Brooks

Freya is nine years old and has autism, so when she feels afraid of big birthday parties or going to the store, she remembers what climbing has taught her: It’s ok to be scared. Freya finds peace in nature with her family, where she can be herself. — Caroline Merritt, age 14 (UK, 2023, 4 minutes)

Colorado Premiere

LEAVING A TREAD

Maxwell Frank

In Person: Filmmaker

Israel Carrillo is a mountain biker who has dreams for his home in Guanajuato, Mexico. Israel builds radical trails for the youth to get out, shred and aspire to bring mountain biking to its true potential in Mexico. — Townes Merritt, age 17 (USA, 2023, 6 min)

In Person World Premiere

YOU CAN’T SHRINK LOVE

Veena Rao

You Can’t Shrink Love is a powerful story of a lady who tries her best to help people who have lost their dog feel as if they were with them again. She does this by making small realistic figures to match and provide a piece of their lost dog to the customer. — Juno Bubolo, age 15

(USA, 2023, 6 min.)

Colorado Premiere

CONCRETE DREAMS: THE SKATE AWAKENING OF LAOS

Seilina Miles

In Person: Filmmaker & Film Subject

Concrete Dreams: The Skate Awakening of Laos follows the journey of a group of passionate young skateboarders in Laos as they strive to build a skateboarding community in their country. The film showcases their dedication, struggles and the transformative power of skateboarding in shaping their dreams and aspirations. — Mateo Bubolo, age 17 (USA, Belgium, Laos, Australia, 2024, 8 minutes)

World Premiere

THE ROCK POOL WALTZ

Marlon Denning

Narrated and directed by 14-year-old Marlon Denning, this heartfelt story touches on the importance of nature and wildlife and its therapeutic capabilities. During the COVID outbreak, Marlon befriends an octopus that not only gets him through the difficult time, but acts as a friend when he is isolated from his peers. This beautiful encapsulation of their relationship not only demonstrates the importance of connection but also the respect that our natural world deserves. — Ruby Cieciuch, age 14 (Australia, 2021, 8 min.)

FOOTPRINTS ON KATMAI

Max Romey

In Person: Filmmakers

After seeing beautiful sketches from his grandmother, artist Maxwell Romey decides to bring them to life. Romey unexpectedly finds his journey interrupted by ocean debris in the form of single shoes. He decides to leave his own footprint on Katmai and bring the footprints home to his own child in a way that honors his grandmother. — Joe Galbo, age 18 (USA, 2024, 22 min.)

World Premiere

FROSTY FORMULATIONS

Page Buono

In Person: Filmmaker

Dr. Maya Warren is an ice cream scientist. She loves to study the chemistry of ice cream. She likes to eat ice cream too. She shows there is a lot of chemistry in ice cream and also in the world around us. — Willa Waring, age 7 (USA, 2023, 8 minutes)

In Person World Premiere

LEAVING TREAD

FREYA

12:00 AM

5:30 PM–7:30 PM Cham (p. 25) Between the Mountain and the Sky (p. 15)

10 AM–11:30

Tribute to David Breashears (p. 84) 2:30 PM–4:30 PM Wade Davis (p. 64) 2:30 PM–4 PM Call Me Dancer (p. 15) 5:30 PM–7:30 PM Skywalkers: A Love Story (p. 23)

5:30 PM–7:30 PM Denial (p. 27) Seat 31: Zooey Zepher (p. 27) Public Defender (p. 21)

5:45 PM–7:45 PM WILD SHORTS (p. 40)

8:30 PM–10:15 PM Ashima (p. 15)

8:30 PM–10:30 PM WATER & ICE SHORTS (p. 32)

8:30 PM–10:30 PM Usugilix Awakun (p. 29) One With The Whale (p. 19)

8:45 PM–10:45 PM TERRA SHORTS (p. 38)

2:30 PM–4:30 PM GLOBAL POV SHORTS (p. 42)

6 PM–8 PM ODYSSEYS SHORTS (p. 43)

8:45 PM–10:45 PM Queendom (p. 21)

5 PM–6:30 PM DOCTALK: Mountainfilm Industry Guest Welcome Celebration (p.80) 1 PM–3 PM

PM–10:30 PM LOCAL LEGENDS & STEEP THRILLS (p. 52)

8:30PM–10:30 PM Dancing Warrior (p. 25) 399: Queen of the Tetons (p. 13)

RANGE: Hike Bear Creek (p. 83)

4 PM–7 PM TELLURIDE ARTS ART WALK (p. 72)

The Future of Exploration (p. 66)

5:45 PM–7:45 PM ORIGINALS SHORTS (p. 34)

PM–8

The Ugandan Quidditch Movement (p. 29) We Can Be Heroes (p. 23)

9:15 AM–11:15 AM INDIGENOUS STORYTELLERS SHORTS (p. 50)

10 AM–11:30 AM

DOCTALK: Female Voices in the Outdoors (p. 80)

NOON–2 PM Denial (p. 27)

Seat 31: Zooey Zepher (p. 27)

Public Defender (p. 21) Q&A

2:45 PM–4:45 PM WILD SHORTS (p. 40)

5:30 PM–7:30 PM Porcelain War (p. 21)

8:15 PM–10:15 PM INDOMITABLE SPIRIT SHORTS (p. 36)

5 PM–6:30 PM

DOCTALK: Documentary & Democracy (p. 81)

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

10 AM–NOON FREE RANGE: Indoor Climbing (p. 83)

8:30 PM–10:30 PM WATER & ICE SHORTS (p. 32)

1 PM–3 PM

FREE RANGE: Hike for Hilaree Jud Wiebe (p. 83)

3 PM–5 PM

FREE RANGE: TNF Happy Hour & Athlete Chat (p. 83)

12:00 AM

10 AM–NOON Dancing Warrior (p. 25)

399: Queen of the Tetons (p. 13)

1 PM–3 PM ORIGINALS SHORTS (p. 34)

9:30 AM–11:15 AM Ashima (p. 15)

4 PM–5:45 PM Every Little Thing (p. 17)

1 PM–3 PM

ODYSSEYS SHORTS (p. 43)

Between the Mountain and the Sky (p. 15)

PM Juan Martinez: Wellbeing in the Outdoors (p. 67) 9 AM–11 AM Cham (p. 25)

9:30 AM–11:30 AM Judy’s Creek (p. 27) A Good Wolf (p. 19)

7 PM–9 PM Porcelain War (p. 21)

4 PM–6 PM The Ugandan Quidditch Movement (p. 29) We Can Be Heroes (p. 23)

3 PM–5 PM Wasfia Nazreen & Dr. Sammy Ramsey: Fearless Expeditions (p. 68)

12:15 PM–2:15 PM

LONG AND SHORT OF IT (p. 45)

7 PM–9 PM FEATURE: Sneak Peak

5:45 PM–7:45 PM Queendom (p. 21)

3 PM–5 PM Canary (p. 17) Q&A

6 PM–8 PM Usugilix Awakun (p. 29) One With The Whale (p. 19) Q&A

8:30 PM–10:30 PM CHANGEMAKERS SHORTS (p. 44)

9:15 AM–11:15 AM TERRA

(p. 38)

NOON–1:45 PM All We Carry (p. 13)

2:45 PM–4:45 PM INDIGENOUS STORYTELLERS SHORTS (p. 50)

5:30 PM–7:30 PM Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa (p. 19)

8:15 PM–10 PM CHASING TIME SHORTS (p. 48)

10 AM–11:30 AM DOCTALK: Exposure Labs Mentorship Lab (p. 81) 5 PM–6:30 PM

DOCTALK: Navigating Today’s Short Film Landscape (p. 81) 1 PM–3 PM FREE RANGE: Meditative Forest Walk (p. 83) 10 AM–NOON FREE RANGE: Trail Run & Accessible Hike Legacy Trail (p. 83)

3 PM–5 PM FREE RANGE: TNF Happy Hour & Athlete Chat (p. 83) 7:30PM–11 PM The Nature Conservancy Party @ The Last Dollar Saloon (p. 85)

MINDS MOVING MOUNTAINS SPEAKER SERIES

EXPLORATION AND THE POWER TO TRANSCEND

FRIDAY, 2:30 PM, HIGH CAMP

From the jungles of the Amazon, where he was immersed in fieldwork on the power of ayahuasca, to the wild rivers of Columbia, to the flanks of Everest that claimed the life of British climber George Mallory, Wade Davis has explored and written about some of the most fascinating places on the planet.

Join Davis and moderator Terry Garcia for a compelling conversation about Davis’s exciting career and how exploration has the transcendent ability to open the mind, shatter old assumptions and reveal the world anew.

Davis is a Canadian cultural anthropologist, ethnobotanist,

photographer, best-selling author and Mountainfilm’s 2024 Guest Director. He was an Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society from 2000 to 2013.

Davis will be talking about his diverse and adventurous career with Garcia, president of Exploration Ventures. Garcia was National Geographic’s executive vice president and chief science and exploration officer.

Please join Wade Davis after his presentation for a book signing at the Hotel Madeline Timber Room, 5 PM–6 PM, Friday

THE FATE OF OUR DEMOCRACY

SATURDAY, 9 AM, SHERIDAN

OPERA HOUSE

With election deniers, lawmakers and judges restricting the rights of women and trans people and controversy in the media — which is tasked with the crucial job of holding power to account — it can seem like American democracy is under attack.

With the 2024 Presidential Election shaping up to be a rematch of candidates from 2020, will we see a repeat of the untruths and violence that followed in the months after the last election day?

Join Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold and The Economist journalist James Bennet for a discussion about the fate of our democracy and the role of elected officials and the media in safeguarding our rights. They will be joined by outdoor athlete and activist from Utah, Caroline Gleich, who is running for a U.S. Senate seat.

CAROLINE GLIECH

JENA GRISWOLD

JAMES BENNET

THE FUTURE OF EXPLORATION

SATURDAY, 3 PM SHERIDAN OPERA HOUSE

The history of exploration has been synonymous with power, conquest and exploitation. But exploration in the 21st Century promises to redefine exploration by delving into the mysteries and wonders of life on Earth.

Using advanced science and technology, we can now uncover ancient hidden civilizations, probe the depths of the oceans and outer space, and resurrect extinct creatures using preserved DNA. Join President of Exploration Ventures and former Chief Science and Exploration Officer for the National Geographic Society Terry

Garcia and photographer and National Geographic Society Fellow Chris Rainier for a deep dive into themes from their new book The Future of Exploration: Discovering the Uncharted Frontiers of Science, Technology and Human Potential. They will be joined by trailblazing mountaineer Wasfia Nazreen, who has climbed all Seven Summits, and entomologist Dr. Sammy Ramsey, who is working to save honey bees. As members of a new generation of explorers, they incorporate traditional knowledge and science to forge fascinating discoveries.

CHRIS RAINIER

TERRY GARCIA

WELLBEING IN THE OUTDOORS: PAVING THE WAY FOR RESILIENCE AND JUSTICE

SUNDAY, NOON, SHERIDAN OPERA HOUSE

In the ongoing quest for environmental justice and climate resilience, it’s imperative to acknowledge the historical inequities faced by marginalized communities, particularly Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) in the United States. However, amidst these challenges, there lies a profound opportunity to empower youth to shape a more equitable and sustainable future.

Join Juan D. Martinez Pineda, National Geographic Explorer and deputy director at The Aspen

Institute Forum For Community Solutions, in a discussion centered on the intersection of environmental justice, conservation and the wellbeing of future generations. This conversation will delve into the transformative power of place and the importance of amplifying the voices of vulnerable communities. Join Martinez Pineda and other activists and filmmakers for a dialogue about policy, grassroots initiatives and actionable insights for fostering the next generation of environmental stewards.

JUAN D. MARTINEZ PINEDA

FEARLESS EXPEDITIONS

SUNDAY, 3 PM SHERIDAN OPERA HOUSE

Journey around the world with mountaineer Wasfia Nazreen and entomologist Dr. Sammy Ramsey. Each presentation will feature stories from some of their recent expeditions.

Nazreen is the first Bengali and the only Bangladeshi to scale K2 and the Seven Summits. She is her own guru, navigating what the Buddha calls the “middle path,” while living fearlessly with the teachings of karma.

An insect researcher, Ramsey and his team ventured to Bangladesh on a mission to prevent the next honey bee pandemic. He works side-by-side with local honey hunters who brave tigers, hornets and the elements as they endeavor to save our planet’s pollinators and attempt to avert a global honey bee catastrophe.

WASFIA NAZREEN DR. SAMMY RAMSEY

MINDS MOVING MOUNTAINS |

WHAT NOW?

MONDAY, 8 AM, SHERIDAN OPERA HOUSE

After three days of immersion in incredible documentaries, uplifting stories and remarkable individuals, you are feeling electrified, abuzz with possibility and motivated to create a better world. But how do you take that inspiration and incorporate it into your real life in ways that are meaningful?

Both longtime friends of the festival, Hollywood filmmaker, writer and director of blockbuster comedies

such as Ace Ventura, The Nutty Professor, Bruce Almighty and documentary I Am (Mountainfilm 2010 Audience & Student Choice Awards Winner), Tom Shadyac will join author of Wild and Tiny Beautiful Things, and Mountainfilm special guest, judge, speaker and 2019 Guest Director Cheryl Strayed to tackle that question – WHAT NOW? – in this festival-wrap conversation about turning motivation into action.

Free and open to the public.

CHERYL STRAYED

TOM SHADYAC

PROUD TO SPONSOR MOUNTAINFILM 2024

amazing festivals start here

ART WALK

Friday, 4 PM–7 PM

Mountainfilm partners with Telluride Arts to celebrate and showcase the work of photographers, activists and artists with the annual Mountainfilm Art Walk. There will be an opening reception at Telluride Arts HQ West, 224 W Colorado Ave. with refreshments and wine provided courtesy of Jackson Family Wines, featuring work by Jack Plantz (Liquid Mountains Series.)

Gallery East, next door at 220 W Colorado Ave will host an art opening of work by Kellie Day, along with pieces by Noelle Phares, Mountainfilm’s 2024 poster artist. Phares will be exhibiting the original Mountainfilm Festival painting, “Head of the Valley,” along with a limited run of hand-signed prints.

PARTICIPATING GALLERIES

Ah Haa School for the Arts 155 W Pacific Ave

Atelier 215 E Colorado Ave

Bella Fine Goods 213 W Colorado Ave

Baked in Telluride 127 S Fir St

Between the Covers

Bookstore / Bruno 214 W Colorado Ave

Camp Bird Hats 100 W Colorado Ave

Crossbow 101 W Colorado Ave

The Disco 126 E Colorado Ave

Elinoff Gallery 204 W Colorado Ave

La Cocina de Luz 123 E Colorado Ave

Mixx projects + atelier 307 E Colorado Ave

Rinkevich Gallery 618 Mountain Village Blvd, Bldg Shop 120C

Second Chance Humane Society 335 W Colorado Ave

Slate Gray Gallery 130 E Colorado Ave

Tellurado Studio 219 E Colorado Ave

Telluride Arts HQ East 220 W Colorado Ave

Telluride Arts HQ West 224 W Colorado Ave

The Gordon Collection 220 E Colorado Ave

Woof! Telluride 215 E Colorado Ave #1

FEATURED ARTISTS

PAMELA ZOLINE

Mountainfilm Mural at Bruno

Longtime Telluride resident, science fiction writer and painter

Pamela Zoline is this year’s mural artist. Installed on the wall of the Bruno Cafe patio on Main Street, the mural is based on the Diane Arbus 1970 photograph

“A Jewish giant at home with his parents in the Bronx.” Zoline studied at the Slade School, University College, London and participated in the New Worlds, New Wave. She has lived in Telluride for almost 50 years, taking to heart Gary Snyder’s advice on getting local: “Find a place you care about enough to stay there and defend it.”

NOELLE PHARES

Telluride Arts HQ

Denver-based artist Noelle Phares is the winner of this year’s Mountainfilm poster contest. Phares, an environmental scientist by training, brings a fresh perspective into her contemporary landscape paintings through an examination of the tension between organic and synthetic. She creates fractured architectural landscapes that explore the ever-encroaching presence of humanity into previously pristine open spaces. Following the open call for Colorado artists last fall, her design was selected out of 40 total submissions and five finalists. Following the selection, Phares designed an original piece for the official Mountainfilm poster that includes Telluride’s mountainscape to showcase the festival locale.

HUDSON RIVER RIDERS

NATURE CONNECTION PITCH

Saturday at NOON, Sheridan Opera House

The Redford Center and Mountainfilm, in partnership with IF/Then Shorts, present the Nature Connection Pitch.

As social culture moves increasingly online, society and technology have placed humankind on a path to becoming an indoor species. Today, most of us spend over 90% of our time indoors. This growing disconnection from nature negatively affects us in significant ways — from health problems exacerbated by nature deprivation to systemic inequities reinforced when communities lack access to the outdoors.

In an effort to reignite our all-important relationship with nature and the outdoors and support nonfiction shorts creators at a critical juncture in their development, The Redford Center and Mountainfilm, in partnership with IF/Then Shorts, are proud to present the Nature Connection Pitch.

Five filmmaking teams will present their solutions-focused short documentaries-in-progress to a panel of industry luminaries for a chance at a $30,000 production grant from The Redford Center. Each of the remaining finalist teams will receive $7,000 in development support, as well as impact and professional development training, travel and accommodation support and passes to attend Mountainfilm.

Spotlighting these works in front of funders, decision-makers and distributors, as well as the festival’s devoted audience, Mountainfilm and The Redford Center will highlight the shared mission to change the conversation around nature connection and outdoor access, and bring underrepresented and historically excluded voices and communities to the forefront.

FOLLOW THE WATER

SYMPHONY OF SILENCE

BETWEEN MOON TIDES

HITOLÁAYCA: GOING UPRIVER

2024 NATURE CONNECTION PITCH FINALISTS:

BETWEEN MOON TIDES

Jason Jaacks (Director)

In a ribbon of salt marsh, the saltmarsh sparrow is fighting to survive. And every day during their nesting season, Deirdre Robinson and her team of citizen scientists are out in the marsh finding nests, monitoring chicks and brainstorming ways to stave off the bird’s extinction.

FOLLOW THE WATER

Maria Hernandez May (Director),

When her family land is taken for a bombing range by the U.S. military, an Indigenous Chamorro daughter takes it upon herself to learn Western science in an attempt to hold the U.S. federal agencies accountable.

HITOLÁAYCA: GOING UPRIVER

Anna Lueck (Director), Clark Shimeall (Producer) Devin Reuben is training to be the first certified nimiipuu (Nez Perce) whitewater guide of his generation. Centuries of displacement and disconnection means tribal members are now largely absent from their ancestral rivers, but Reuben is part of a movement to bring his culture back.

HUDSON RIVER RIDERS

Sonia Szczesna (Co-Director), Rita Hawk (Executive Producer) Teenager, Chevaughn, discovers a way to make New York City feel a bit more like his childhood home in Jamaica. He’s reconnecting the city

to the water by bringing a group of local kids on a source-to-sea kayaking mission from the headwaters of the Hudson to the Statue of Liberty.

SYMPHONY OF SILENCE

Julianne Sato-Parker (Director), Bridie Bischoff (Producer) Josue, a member of the Cofan tribe in the Amazon rainforest, has come to Washington State to learn how to capture the sounds of the natural world from Gordon Hempton, a pioneering acoustic ecologist who is losing his hearing. The pair come from vastly different worlds, but share the simple belief that recording the natural sounds of the planet has the potential to help save it.

EVENTS | COFFEE TALKS

COFFEE TALKS

Saturday & Sunday, 8 AM–9AM

Mountainfilm kicks off the mornings with our popular Coffee Talks. We’re bringing together some longtime friends of the festival, along with first-timers, for engaging discussions. Join us as we dive into conversations on equity, climate change, diversity, community organizing, environmental advocacy and matters of the heart.

LOCATIONS/HOSTS

#1 HOTEL TELLURIDE / LAURA COLBERT

#2 CAMEL’S GARDEN / JULIA CAULFIELD

#3 LIBRARY / LAURA SHAUNETTE

#4 AH HAA SCHOOL / JEDIDIAH JENKINS

#5 MOUNTAIN LODGE / JON TUKMAN [ + DENOTES BOOK SIGNING, P. 92 ]

SATURDAY

#1 THE COLORADO RIVER: THEN AND NOW

The Colorado River, known as the hardest working river in the West, has also long captivated adventurers since the days of John Wesley Powell with the stunning beauty of its remote red rock canyons. Join two authors who capture the magic of this mythic river for a discussion and book signing. Photographer and filmmaker Pete McBride will present his latest book of photos and essays, The Colorado River: Chasing Water. He will be joined by Melissa Sevigny, who will talk about her book, Brave the Wild Rive r: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon +

SATURDAY

#2 FIRST ASCENTS

Too often history remembers the names of the Western explorers who first summited the world’s highest peaks, but overlooks the Sherpas, porters and local guides who make these expeditions possible.

Author Bernadette McDonald, Mountainfilm board member, anthropologist and public speaker and Losang Rabgey will discuss daring first ascents and correcting the historical record. McDonald will sign copies of her book Alpine Rising: Sherpas, Baltis, and The Triumph of Local Climbers in the Greater Ranges +

#3 A CONVERSATION WITH WADE DAVIS & FRIENDS

Exploration has taken on new meanings in the 21st Century. Scientists sample DNA to understand human migration, lidar can map ancient civilizations buried underneath dense jungle and we have barely scratched the surface of exploring two unfathomable, hard-to-reach worlds that have long captured our imaginations: the ocean and outer space.

Join filmmaker, anthropologist and this year’s Guest Director Wade Davis and friends for a conversation about new frontiers in exploration.

#4 HOT OR NOT: HOSTED BY PATTIE GONIA

Are you ready for some fun? Environmentalist, drag queen (and fun person) Pattie Gonia will be hosting a panel of exiciting festival guests and pressing them with hotseat-style questions about what is HOT… and what is NOT.

Get ready for a great time to listen and connect as Pattie takes us on a journey of self-identity, inclusivity, sustainability and queering traditional masculine outdoor narratives.

This panel will feature author Jedidiah Jenkins, cinematographer and producer Greg Balkin, producer Katie Graham, Tlingit skier, filmmaker and scientist Ellen Bradley, director Abdul Kassamali and trans climber and subject of the film Jamie, Jamie Logan.

#5 ANCIENT ICE

Glaciers are the proverbial canary in the coal mine, with their rapid disappearance providing an early warning sign of the climate chaos to come. Join two scientists and explorers to delve into what ice from the past can tell us about the future of planet Earth.

Lonnie Thompson is a paleoclimatologist who has led expeditions to the world’s far-flung polar regions, collecting ancient ice cores. Max Holmes is the president and CEO of the Woodwell Climate Center and served as director of the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Arctic Systems Science Program. Lonnie and Max will be joined by Conrad Anker.

SUNDAY

#1 ART AS RESISTANCE

Amid the violence and destruction of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a pair of artists use their craft as a means of resistance and a source of national pride. Their whimsical porcelain creations are like the spirit of Ukraine itself: fragile but impossible to destroy.

As tanks roll through the streets, art remains not only an important part of Ukrainian culture, but a way to defiantly defend their homeland.

Join the subjects of Porcelain War, who themselves filmed much of the raw and harrowing footage used in the film of life under Russian occupation.

#2 A LEGAL LOOK AT THE JANUARY 6TH INSURRECTION

Standing between the overwhelming power of the United States government and a single individual is attorney Heather Shaner, who believes compassion and education are more effective than locking people up and throwing away the key. But what happens when Shaner, a liberal public defender, represents right-wing January 6th rioters?

Join the subjects of the film Public Defender (Mountainfilm 2024 world premiere) for an in-depth look at America’s epidemic of division and misinformation.

This panel will tackle how to restore trust and accountability one conversation at a time.

#3 INDIGENOUS VOICES

Indigenous communities have unique challenges, protocols and cultural nuances that reflect their responsibility to the environment and rights to their land. These encompass issues like hunting and fishing rights, land and wildlife conservation, food sovereignty and even recreation. Join some of this year’s Indigenous filmmakers and film subjects for a conversation about Indigenous land, ancient practices and cultural sensitivity and care when making films about Indigenous topics.

#4 WHAT IT MEANS TO EXPLORE: CHRIS RAINER & FRIENDS

What does it take to explore? Where do you go? What’s left? What is your story? And how do you get it funded?

Join some of today’s preeminent explorers for a lively discussion and Q&A on what it means to explore today and how to make your own exploration happen. Panelists include Terry Garcia, National Geographic’s former executive vice president and chief science and exploration officer; Wade Davis, a Canadian cultural anthropologist, ethnobotanist, photographer, best-selling author and festival guest director; Wasfia Nazreen, an activist, environmentalist, adventurer and the first Bengali and only Bangladeshi to climb K2 and the Seven Summits and Chris Rainier, a cultural photographer and National Geographic Explorer. +

#5 POLITICAL VOICES FOR THE OUTDOOR INDUSTRY

Outdoor recreation contributes billions to the U.S. economy and defines the culture of many communities, especially in the American West. But the industry has historically faced a challenge in translating that significance into political power. Join mountaineer and Chief Impact Officer for the Trust for Public Land Luiz Benitez, Colorado State Director of The Nature Conservancy Carlos Fernandez and athlete, activist and candidate for U.S. Senate Caroline Gleich for a conversation about rallying a political voice for the outdoors. Benitez will sign copies of his book, Higher Ground: How the Outdoor Recreation Industry Can Save the World. + FreshVictor.com

Craft Cinematic Cocktails for Movie Night at Home

DOC TALKS: A CREATIVE HUB

AT THE AH HAA SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS

Mountainfilm’s DocTalks are back, with a focus on career development and filmmaker support. Sessions will be hosted by various organizations, including The Redford Center, Exposure Labs and Well Travelled Collective, featuring filmmakers, activists and other industry experts.

DocTalk workshops are intended for filmmakers and festival guests. The public is welcome after festival guest passholders have been seated.

DOCTALK #1

FRIDAY, 5 PM

MOUNTAINFILM INDUSTRY

GUEST WELCOME CELEBRATION

Each year, Mountainfilm’s annual festival features films by some of the most talented and innovative documentary storytellers in the world. They are breaking barriers, sharing untold stories and upending tired narratives. Come together with the Nature Connection Pitch teams, filmmakers from the Indigenous Storytellers program and others at this networking meet-and-greet event. Appetizers and beverages will be served.

Hosted by The Redford Center

DOCTALK #2

SATURDAY, 10 AM

FEMALE VOICES IN THE OUTDOORS

Specializing in elevating female voices in front of and behind the camera, Well Travelled Collective is made up of female-identifying action sports and outdoors filmmakers who focus on the pursuit of greater inclusion, compelling storytelling and increased consciousness regarding our impact on the planet. This DocTalk will double as a mixer to connect female and female-identifying voices in the outdoor and documentary space. Come for the discussion, stay for the bagels and coffee!

Hosted by the Well Travelled Collective

DOCTALK #3

SATURDAY, 5 PM

DOCUMENTARY & DEMOCRACY: FILMMAKERS AS CATALYSTS

In an era marked by deep division, where polarization and mutual disdain threaten the fabric of democracy, documentary filmmaking has the power to reinvigorate our empathy and spark our genuine curiosity about each other. And by taking cameras inside of repressive and dangerous countries and situations, filmmaking can shine a light on injustices, raise awareness and spark action. This is a conversation between storytellers and changemakers about the importance of animating our moral imagination and inspiring us all to seek to understand, honor, heal and care. This session will underscore the critical role of empathy in filmmaking — not only as the cornerstone of compelling narrative creation but as an instrument for social healing and reconciliation.

PANELISTS: Andrea Kalin (Public Defender, Mountainfilm 2024), Igor Myakotin (Queendom, Mountainfilm 2024), subjects and filmmakers from Porcelain War (Mountainfilm 2024), and Uma Viswanathan (Executive Director of New Pluralists)

DOCTALK #4

SUNDAY, 10 AM

EXPOSURE LABS: MENTORSHIP LAB

Are you currently working on a project but finding it challenging to refine the film’s impact or find the right partners? Join the Exposure Labs team as they workshop

several projects to provide valuable insight, assist in finding the right mentors and offer a space for candid exchange around the challenging and rewarding process of designing films for greater impact. Exposure Labs is the film studio behind stories that plant seeds of change like Chasing Coral (Mountainfilm 2016), Chasing Ice (Mountainfilm 2012) and Chasing Time (Mountainfilm 2024). This will be a space for open and honest dialogue between the Exposure Labs team and filmmakers in the audience.

DOCTALK #5

SUNDAY, 5 PM

NAVIGATING TODAY’S SHORT FILM LANDSCAPE

Short films are often considered stepping-stones for filmmakers on their way to making featurelength films. But shorts are their own unique art form with the power to inspire. This session will explore ways to get your short film out to the world, including the ins and outs of festivals, funding, the marketplace, representation and film monetization. Hear from industry pros working in the shorts landscape about next steps, best practices and ways to keep your momentum going.

PANELISTS: Meghan Oretsky (Lead Curator, Vimeo), Elise McCave (Head of Film, Kickstarter), Daniel Lombroso (Best Short winner Nina & Irena, Mountainfilm 2023), Skye Fitzgerald (Oscar-nominated filmmaker, Speed of Rust, Mountainfilm 2024)

FREE RANGE PROGRAMS

FREE RANGE HEADQUARTERS: ELKS PARK 123 S. OAK STREET

FRIDAY: NOON–3 PM SATURDAY & SUNDAY: 9AM–5 PM

EXPLORE WITH THE NORTH FACE

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

The North Face (TNF) is hosting our Free Range headquarters in Elks Park, featuring world-class athletes Conrad Anker, Erika Flowers, Chantel Astorga, Olivia Amber, Renan Ozturk, Dennis Ranalter, Jim Morrison & more. Stop by and sign up.

TNF is also hosting Conversations That Matter: Happy Hour & Athlete Chats on Saturday and Sunday in partnership with Telluride Brewing Company and Shār Snacks. All events are free and open to the public.

1 PM–3 PM Hike - Bear Creek with TNF Athletes Erika Flowers & Dennis Ranalter

10 AM–NOON Indoor Climbing with TNF athletes Chantel Astorga, Conrad Anker & Renan Ozturk

1 PM–3 PM Hike for Hilaree - Jud Wiebe with Jim Morrison & all TNF athletes

3 PM–5 PM Happy Hour & Athlete Chat “The Future of Freshwater”

10 AM–NOON Trail Run & Accessible Hike - Legacy Trail with TNF athletes Olivia Amber & Taylor Godberg

SUNDAY

1 PM–3 PM Meditative Forest Walk - Jud Wiebe with Barbara Glanznig & Erika Flowers, Dennis Ranalter, Chantel Astorga

3 PM–5 PM Happy Hour & Athlete Chat “Recreation, Conservation & Climate”

PARTIES & HAPPENINGS

Along with the films, presentations, panels, hikes, book signings and art walks, Mountainfilm squeezes a few events, parties and special surprises into the mix. Special events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

WOODWELL PARTY

THURSDAY, 8 PM–11 PM

SMUGGLER’S BREWPUB

225 S PINE ST

Join Mountainfilm partner Woodwell Climate Research Center to kick off the weekend celebrating 36 years of Woodwell’s collaborative, transformational research and education to combat climate change and safeguard the future of life here on earth.

DAVID BREASHEARS TRIBUTE

FRIDAY 10 AM–11:30 AM

SHERIDAN OPERA HOUSE

110 N OAK STREET

Join Mountainfilm and friends as we remember and celebrate the life and accomplishments of David Breashears. A speaker, director, board member and longtime friend of the festival, Breashears was a pioneer whose achievements in filmmaking and climbing changed storytelling forever.

DAVID BREASHEARS

PEOPLEHOOD GATHER

FRIDAY 11 AM–12:30 PM

AH HAA SCHOOL LAUNCH PAD 155 W. PACIFIC AVE

In a world more technologically connected than ever, people often report feeling lonely and disconnected from community. The antidote to that is Peoplehood, a practice designed to improve relationships. Peoplehood offers 60-minute guided group conversations called Gathers, in which participants will practice speaking freely and listening deeply. Learn how to change old patterns, build new habits, and meet and connect with other festival guests and filmmakers.

BOOK SIGNING

WITH GUEST DIRECTOR WADE DAVIS

FRIDAY, 5 PM–6 PM HOTEL MADELINE TIMBER ROOM, MOUNTAIN VILLAGE

Join explorer, author and festival Guest Director Wade Davis for a book signing. Davis is the author of 375 scientific and popular articles and 23 books including The Wayfinders, Into the Silence, Magdalena and Beneath the Surface of Things.

PATTIE GONIA, YO-YO MA & QUINN CHRISTOPHERSON

AFFINITY GROUP MEETUP

LGBTQ+ FILMMAKERS & FESTIVAL GUESTS

FRIDAY, 7 PM–8:30 PM

THE ALIBI

121 S FIR STREET

LGBTQ+ filmmakers, festival guests and allies can meet up for an evening of networking and brainstorming. Cash bar

ICE CREAM SOCIAL

SATURDAY, 2 PM–3:30 PM COLORADO AVE (MAIN STREET)

It’s called the Ice Cream Social, but there’s much more than scoops of free frozen treats. This afternoon street party is a place to meet up with fellow Mountainfilmers and discuss which films, speakers and events have blown your mind. Make sure to stop by and say hello to our festival sponsors stationed along Main Street.

AFFINITY GROUP MEETUP

BIPOC FILMMAKERS & FESTIVAL GUESTS

SATURDAY, 7 PM–8:30 PM THE ALIBI 121 S FIR STREET

BIPOC filmmakers, festival guests and allies can meet up for an evening of networking and brainstorming. Cash bar

MOUNTAINFILM X PATTIE GONIA: SAVE HER! DRAG SHOW & DISCO

SATURDAY, 8 PM–11 :30PM HIGH CAMP (TELLURIDE CONFERENCE CENTER)

Join environmentalist drag queen Pattie Gonia for a climate-inspired drag show and dance party. This free event will be open to all—festival passholders receive priority entry. The electrifying drag show and disco is set to infuse the entire weekend with a burst of inclusivity, diversity and fabulousness.

OSPREY PRESENTS

50 YEARS OF ADVENTURE

LIVE Q&A WITH OSPREY FOUNDER MIKE PFOTENHAUER

SUNDAY, 5 PM–7 PM

JAGGED EDGE

223 E COLORADO AVE

Climber and Osprey athlete Timmy O’Neill hosts a discussion with Osprey founder Mike Pfotenhauer about the history of the brand and its rise as a market leader in technical outdoor packs.

THE NATURE CONSERVANCY PARTY

SUNDAY 7:30 PM–11 PM

THE LAST DOLLAR SALOON 100 E COLORADO AVE

Join Mountainfilm partner The Nature Conservancy in Colorado for drinks and snacks to celebrate collaborative, sciencebased conservation work that helps create a world where people and nature thrive.

CLOSING PICNIC & AWARDS CEREMONY

MONDAY, 1 PM–4 PM

TELLURIDE TOWN PARK

500 E COLORADO AVE

Wrap up the festival with a delicious vegetarian lunch from La Cocina de Luz and the festival awards. Be sure to cast your vote for the Audience Choice Award for your favorite feature and short. The picnic is free for all passholders, except Wasatch. Individual tickets will be for sale at the entrance for $30.

MOUNTAINFILM DOWNLOW

MONDAY, 7 PM–9 PM

SHERIDAN OPERA HOUSE 110 N. OAK ST.

This live storytelling event hosted by Telluride Theatre features ingenious, hilarious, outrageous and moving tales by Mountainfilm guests and local presenters.

AWARDS

Festival awards are announced at the Closing Picnic and Awards Ceremony which takes place in the Telluride Town Park on Monday from 1 PM–4 PM

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE $5,000

This juried award celebrates exceptional filmmaking for feature films (over 40 minutes in length).

Funded in part by Tully & Elise Friedman

BEST SHORT FILM $1,000

This juried award celebrates exceptional filmmaking for short films (under 40 minutes in length)

Funded in part by Tully & Elise Friedman

AUDIENCE CHOICE: FEATURE $5,000

The winner of this award will be decided by Mountainfilm attendees who can vote for their favorite feature film during the festival.

Funded in part by Tully & Elise Friedman

AUDIENCE CHOICE: SHORT $1,000

Mountainfilm attendees vote for their favorite short film to determine the winner of this award.

Funded in part by Tully & Elise Friedman

SUBJECT MATTER AWARD $30,000

Subject Matter is collaborating with Mountainfilm to award a feature-length documentary focused on an urgent and timely social issue currently impacting the U.S. The winning film team will receive a $15,000 grant to support the project’s outreach and impact, while a corresponding nonprofit will receive an additional $15,000.

Funded by Subject Matter

JAMES BALOG

CREATIVE VISION AWARD

$5,000

This award honors a film with innovative image-making or ideas that expand our understanding of the relationship between people and the rest of nature.

Funded by James & Suzanne Balog

CHARLIE FOWLER

BEST ADVENTURE FILM $2,500

Charlie Fowler was a world-class climber and Telluride crag pioneer who died on a 2006 expedition in China with his partner Christine Boskoff. This juried award goes to the best adventure film.

Funded by the Fowler family

MOVING MOUNTAINS $2,500

This award honors films that focus on social justice and impact, and supports both the filmmaker and the film’s associated nonprofit.

Funded in part by Tully & Elise Friedman

WOMEN IN FILM $3,500

This award is presented to an outstanding woman in the film industry who shows excellence and indomitable spirit either in front of or behind the camera.

Funded by Riccarda de Eccher & Bill Goldston

STUDENT CHOICE $2,000

High school students from the immersive Mountainfilm for Students program select the film they think will best inspire their generation.

Funded by Telluride Academy & Alpine Bank

2024 AWARDS ARTIST: R. NELSON PARRISH

Alaskan sculptor R. Nelson Parrish’s tactile, dynamic pieces represent a fusion of natural and synthetic, sculpture and painting. His work aims to disengage the viewer from the peripheral and focus on the present moment, eliciting a calm that is rare in today’s chaotic world.

BEN ENG

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

ALEX SCHMIDER

Alex Schmider is an Emmy®, Peabody and Critics Choice Awards-recognized film producer and the Director of Transgender Representation at GLAAD, where he educates, advises and consults on transgender and nonbinary characters, storylines, marketing campaigns and gender inclusion on digital platforms. A member of the Producers Guild of America and the Television Academy, his producing credits include Changing the Game (Mountainfilm 2019), Disclosure, Framing Agnes (Kino Lorber), Stay On Board: The Leo Baker Story and Chasing Chasing Amy. Most recently, he was named one of DOC NYC’s 40 Under 40.

TRACY RECTOR

Tracy Rector brings to her work a passion for amplifying and uplifting Indigenous and BIPOC voices and communities. An Emmy® Awardwinning producer, she carries three decades of experience as a community organizer, educator, filmmaker, film programmer, arts curator and activist— all infused with her deep roots in plant medicine. For the last 20+ years, she has directed and produced over 400 films including shorts, features, music videos and virtual reality projects. In 2023, Forbes recognized Tracy as a global climate leader changing the film and TV Industries.

MERYL POSTER

Meryl Poster is an award-winning producer and filmmaker. Starting as the second ever female trainee in the William Morris mailroom, she has since overseen and developed a slate of groundbreaking, critically acclaimed films, including the Oscar-winning: Chicago, Chocolat, Cider House Rules, Cop Land, Beautiful Girls, Bounce, Kate and Leopold, and An Unfinished Life. After transitioning to television Poster created a series based on her own life called “Girlfriends Guide to Divorce.” From 2012-2015 Poster was the President of Television for The Weinstein Company where she oversaw and produced a wide range of popular television programming. Poster was co-head of Production at Miramax films, where she created a legacy of identifying and developing projects with deep emotional and intellectual impact. Amongst these films are Shakespeare in Love, Good Will Hunting, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Emma, Serendipity, Cold Mountain, Shall We Dance, Finding Neverland and Flirting with Disaster. Meryl has hired and mentored some of the most senior executives in Hollywood today.

TRACY RECTOR MERYL POSTER

ALEX SCHMIDER

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

DANIEL LOMBROSO

Daniel Lombroso is a director and journalist. His 2020 debut feature film White Noise was based on his four years reporting inside the alt-right. It was named one of the top documentaries of the year by Vox and The Boston Globe. His short, American Scar (Mountainfilm 2022) received an Honorable Mention for the Grand Jury Prize at DOC NYC, and was nominated for a National Magazine Award. He spent the last eight years building the video departments of The Atlantic and The New Yorker. His most recent film Nina & Irena won Best Short Film at Mountainfilm 2023.

ELISE MCCAVE

MEGHAN ORETSKY

Meghan is a Lead Curator at Vimeo, where she watches hundreds of short films each year to make selections for the Vimeo Staff Picks channel. She has shared her effusive love for short films for the past decade by serving on juries, participating in panels and leading presentations at festivals, as well as hosting shorts screenings around the world.

As Kickstarter’s Head of Film, Elise is responsible for working with filmmakers and organizations worldwide to bring film projects to life, building communities of support and providing tailored mentorship on fundraising and audience-building for films in development and production. She nurtures emerging talents, with a keen focus on creators from historically underrepresented groups.

CHARLIE FOWLER BEST ADVENTURE FILM

CLAIRE CARTER

As artistic director for Kendal Mountain Festival, Claire Carter is an avid hunter of bold films and compelling stories. She creates her own bold stories, both as a writer — contributing prose and poetry to Alpinist, Climb, The Guardian and various anthologies — and as a filmmaker. She co-directed the multi-award-winning Operation Moffat (Mountainfilm 2016) and continues to work on adventure films that focus on the human or poetic. She is a keen trad climber, trail runner, cold-water swimmer and skier — and a general enthusiast for the UK’s damp outdoor climate.

SARAH LEE STEELE

Sarah is an executive producer focused on impact strategies and cause-related storytelling. The bulk of her career has been spent at the intersection of tech and impact, most recently within YouTube’s Racial Justice team where she has focused on responsible generative AI. Steele co-founded Well Travelled, a woman-owned-and-operated film production company where she has produced a number of award-winning short films and documentaries aiming to change the narrative in adventure filmmaking.

JABI BARAIAZARRA

Jabi Baraiazarra is the founder and director of the Bilbao Mendi Film Festival, which he created together with Eduardo Martinez in 2008. He is also the president of the International Alliance For Mountain Film, an association composed of 26 Festivals of Mountain Film and a Mountain Museum, which represent 20 countries of Europe, Asia, North and South America and Oceania. He is a mountaineer, cameraman and director, and has worked on short films and feature-length documentaries. His documentaries with brothers Iker and Eneko Pou are some of his most well-known work.

BOOK SIGNINGS

In partnership with Between the Covers Bookstore

WADE DAVIS

Friday, 5 PM

Book signing at Timber Room (@ Hotel Madeline) following Speaker Series

BERNADETTE MCDONALD

Saturday, 9:30 AM

Book signing at Between the Covers following Coffee Talk

MELISSA SEVIGNY

Saturday, 9:30 AM

Book signing at Between the Covers following Coffee Talk

PETE MCBRIDE

Saturday, 9:30 AM

Book signing at Between the Covers following Coffee Talk

BRIANNA MADIA

Saturday, 9:30 AM

Book signing at Between the Covers

JEDIDIAH JENKINS

Saturday, 9:30 AM

Book signing at Between the Covers following Coffee Talk

CHRIS RAINIER/TERRY GARCIA

Saturday, 5 PM

Book signing at Sheridan Opera House following Speaker Series

WADE DAVIS

Saturday, 5 PM

Book signing at Sheridan Opera House following Speaker Series

JAMES BALOG

Saturday, 5 PM

Book signing at Sheridan Opera House

LUIS BENITEZ

Sunday, 11:30 AM

Book signing at Between the Covers

MAGGIE DOYNE/ JEREMY POWER REGIMBAL

Sunday, 11:30 AM

Book signing at Between the Covers following screening at Sheridan Opera House

DEAN FIDELMAN

Sunday, 11:30 am

Book signing at Between the Covers

DR. JOHN FRANCIS

Sunday, 11:30 AM

Book signing at Between the Covers following film screening at Palm

GRETEL EHRLICH

Sunday, 11:30 AM

Book signing at Between the Covers

CHERYL STRAYED

TBD

Book signing at Between the Covers

RHIANON BROWN

IN MEMORIAM

GEORGE BASCH

KLEE BENALLY

DAVID BREASHEARS

WENDY BROOKS

JUNE BROWN

GEORGE CHRISTENSEN

ISABELLA DE LA HOUSSAYE

ROBB GAFFNEY

ROLAND GRIFFITHS

PETER HARRELSON

TOM HORNBEIN

MATT INDEN

JOHN MANSFIELD

ALEXEI NAVALNY

ROBY PEABODY

GORDON REICHARD

KASHA RIGBY

JERRY ROBERTS

AUDREY SALKELD

FRANK A. TERRITO JR.

LOU WHITTAKER

We send our sincerest thanks to all of our generous donors and supporters.

LEGACY CIRCLE

Anonymous • pattie adler • Ruth E. Bender

Arlene Burns • Cathe & Chip Dyer • Dr. Hill & Bettie Hastings • Sage & Alex Martin • Ellen Yarrell

CHOMOLUNGMA

Anonymous (4) • Katherine Borsecnick & Gene Weil • Suzanne & James Balog • Joanna & Stuart Brown • The Dalton Family Foundation • Nancy Donohue & Diane Elam • Bridgitt & Bruce Evans

Erik & Josephine Fallenius • Tully & Elise Friedman, Honorary Trustees • The Kelly Family • Casey & Megan McManemin • High Meadows Group

Elizabeth R. Patterson • Debbie & Jeff Resnick

Dick & Susan Saint James Ebersol, Honorary Trustees • Torri & Mark Savoff • Joe & Anne Slaughter Andrew • Jim & Joanne Steinback Sheryl & Daniel Tishman • Mary & Howard Yancy

K2

Michael Goldberg & Ashley Hayward • Ann & Rich Teerlink, Honorary Trustees • Victoria Teerlink Celebrating the life of Isabella de la Houssaye

DENALI

Anonymous (3) • Darlene & Jeff Anderson • Bradley Family • Steve & Kendall Cieciuch • Cathe & Chip Dyer • Bill Goldston & Riccarda de Eccher

Elizabeth Farrar & Craig Echols • Lisa Hay & Jeffrey Nelson • Lisa Hogan • Johnson Family Foundation Karess Foundation • Kimberly Johnson & Donald Novak • Yale & Shanti Jones • Richard & Charlotte Jorgensen • John & Peiper Kirkendoll

The Mannion Family • Michelle & Anand Parekh Dinny Sherman • Gwendolyn Sontheim

The Spitzer Family • Spencer Stewart & Stephanie Ansin • Terry Tice • Ellen Yarrell

EIGER

Anonymous • Patti & Chris Arndt • Ruth Bender & Dan Sheline • Allen & Elizabeth Cutler • Amy Fordham • Dr. Hill & Bettie Hastings • Jim Johnson & Paul Hokemeyer • John & Bridget Macaskill

Casey & Margaret Olson • Beth McLaughlin

Jill Reichman • Elliot Steinberg • Tom & Donna Stone • Zelda & Sheldon Tenenbaum

EL CAPITAN

Anonymous (2) • Jeff & Allison Goldberg • The Lehman-Stamm Family Fund • Laura Welch & Mike Lundgren • Gregg & Molly Martin • John Tinker

AJAX

Anonymous • Garrett Gruener & Amy Slater Family Fund at the East Bay Community Foundation

Kyle Koehler • Raynier Institute Foundation

Reese Henry & Company • Sarah Lavender Smith

Pharaoh C. Thompson Foundation

Carli Zug & Steve Szymanski

WILSON

Anonymous • Lydia & George Bubolo • Deborah Cohen • Rose & Peter Edwards • P. Zachary Egan

Nick Engelbrecht in honor of Bill Merrill and Mary

Kay Hughes • Kathy Green • Dylan Hoos • Jon Jones & Laurie Segall • Tom Linebarger • Rachel Lipschuts

Rebecca Martin • Sage & Alex Martin • Christopher

Mosley • John & Joy O’Malley • Craig Prohesk

The Richards Foundation • Tamara Spinks

Marvin Wenger & Beth-Ann Schwabacher-Wenger

Paul & Aleta Zoidis

EL DIENTE

Paul Beckett • Betty C. Bechtel • Sally & Walter

Bradley • Wendy Brooks • Jordan Campbell

Bev Chapman & Steve Hall • David Craige

The DuBose Foundation • Suzanne Dyer

Lea & Rian Grisemer • Ellen Greubel • Jo Howard

Dorothy & Ken Lamm • Elyn Kronemeyer

Kate Lapides-Black • Juan D. Martinez Pineda

Ron & Nancy Lee Melmon • Harvey Mogenson

Lisa & Victor Nemeroff • Chris Paine • Joe La Rue

Wendy & Allen Solomon • David Teton-Landis

Edwin Yeary • Keri Yoder & Kevin Geiger

SNEFFELS

Diane Altieri • Julia Atkinson • John Ball

David Barmak • Suzy Bartley • Joanna Bates

Meg Bodnar • Elisabeth Bohlen • Todd Brown

Susan M Buckley • Laura Colbert & Lance Waring

Paige Cooper • Ken Crowder • Colorado Gives

Foundation • Suzy Elmiger • Brent Englund

Dan Ewing • Rube Felicelli • Robert Friedberg

Marry Ann Guilinger • Peter Harrison • Stan Haye

Mark Hechtman • Allison Heintz • Kristine Hilbert

Laura Hoover • PJ Younglove Hovey • Donald & Lynne

Howe • Lauren Howie • Louise Jamail • Annie Jenkins

Jesse Jupiter • Michele Kalish • Joel Kaufman • Luke

Kellerhouse • Michelle King • Kelsey Kramer

Kate LaCroix • Caroline Lajoie • Chase Lambert

Stacy Laner • Shae LaPlace • Anne Lee • Jim & Sue

Lincoln • Hope Logan • Stephen Markowitz • Linda

D. Marshall • Ann Mason • Brandy McNiece • James Meadlock • Leslie & Widge Merrill • William Merrill

Michael Mills • Judy Muller • Elizabeth O’Leary

Carol Paine-McGovern • Bob Patterson • Audrey

Pennington • Madeleine Pistono • Dr. Losang Rabgey

Alan Ream • Jenna Ream • Stewart Robertson

Jamie Roche • Delyan Rusev • Andre & Virginia Egger

Schwartz • Tom Schenk • Morgan Smith • Brita Speck

Jack Sperber • Marya Stark • Denise Taylor • Meg

Taylor • Steven Traub • Irene Tuddenham • Jonathan

Weinberger • Steven Williams • Susan Williams

Christie Wilson • Mike Wilson • Richard Young

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dylan Hoos, President

Jon Jones, Vice President

Nancy Donohue & Bridgitt Evans, Treasurers

Erik Fallenius, Secretary

Joanna Brown, At-large

Tamara Banks

Jordan Campbell

Michael Collins

Rebecca Martin

Juan D. Martinez-Pineda

Dr. Losang Rabgey

Debbie Resnick

ADVISORY BOARD

Conrad Anker

James Balog

Arlene Burns

Jimmy Chin

Wade Davis

Lynn Hill

Aaron Huey

Pico Iyer

Chris Jordan

Ben Knight

Ace Kvale

Frans Lanting

Maya Lin

Jeff Orlowski-Yang

Doug Peacock

Louie Psihoyos

Chris Rainier

Chip Thomas

Beth Wald

Paul Watson

EMERITUS BOARD MEMBERS

Susan Dalton

Beth Gage

Mike Shimkonis

Rick Silverman

HONORARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Dick & Susan Saint James Ebersol

Tully & Elise Friedman

Ann & Rich Teerlink

STAFF

STAFF

Sage Martin | Executive Director

Suzan Beraza | Festival Director

Crystal Merrill

Incoming Festival Director

Hope Logan | Tour Director

Stash Wislocki | Technical Director

Lucy Lerner | Senior Programmer & Festival Manager

Luke Kellerhouse | Festival Producer

Lauren Howie | Operations Manager

Shae LaPlace | Marketing Manager

Laura Hoover

Development Manager

Bella Hines | Tour Program Manager

Paul Phillips

Programming Coordinator

MacKenzy Brewer

Bookkeeper & Accountant

FESTIVAL MANAGERS

J. Meehan Fee | Events Manager

April Bindock

Operations Coordinator

Laura Hoover

Festival Guest Coordinator

Hayden Peck

Volunteer Coordinator

Heather Sackett | Content Manager

Tim “Stuntman” Territo

Production Manager

Brady Richards Communications Manager

Dawn Katz | Hospitality Manager

Jessica Galbo | Festival Guest

Hospitality Manager

Erica Doemland

Assistant Hospitality Manager

Kelly Sheedy | Operations

Greg Babush | Media Manager

Ian Manson | Master Rigger

Kelli Fox | Lighting Designer

Marc Froehlich | Lighting Designer

Tree Priest | Lighting Designer

Karl K2 Mehrer | K2 Imaging

Gypsie Frank

Audio Technical Director

Jacob Neuhauser

Technical Production Manager

Jake Martin | Production Assistant

Tom Wardaszka

Presentation Manager

Emily Catron

Free Range Program Manager

Mary Molloy-Rios | Event Support

Dennis Green | Event Support

MEDIA

Noelle Pharres | Poster Design

Tor Anderson

Program Design & Production

VentureWeb

Web Design & Development

Eventive | Online Platform & App Development

Dallas Lillich | Sponsor Credit Reel

Emma Troy | Signage Coordinator

TECHNICAL PRODUCTION

Cassy Babb • Colin Casanova

Dean Rolley • DJ Babb • Jeremy

Knickerbocker • Mike Babb

Vicki Phelps • Wanashe Frank

Andrew Dougherty

THEATER MANAGERS

Lillian Kazanis • Elena Levin • Henry

Martin • Peter Lundeen • Lyndon

Bray • Erin Cain • Rowen Warren

Michael Kirby • Julie Chalhoub

Kimberly Collins • Natalie Price

Sherry Brieske • Amy VanDerBosch

Susan Ensor • John Rosenberg

Emilia Whitmer • Sandy McLaughlin

Ben Kerr • Caleigh Gearheart

Takeo Hiromitsu • Dean Bubolo

Ron Borrego • Tyler Miller

Sam Doerge • Sadie Steinberg

BOX OFFICE COORDINATORS

Steve Buchanan • Lilah Lerner

Catherine Cypher • Erin Cain

Hugh Finnerty • Lillian Kazanis

STAGE MANAGERS

Arabella Galbo • Erika “EK” Kae

Lochlan Boling • Quillen Kimleigh

Rowen Warren • Wyatt O’Brien

Elena Levin • Hayley Nenadal

PROJECTIONISTS

Brandon Theige • Daniela Leal

Peter Halter • May Schaefer

Kirk Futrell • Jeremy Spracklen

Luci Reeve • Alex Fountain

Chris Bredenberg • Matt Jones

Travis Bird • Meredith Fox

Talia Kopecki • Michael Edwards

Kelly Youngstrom

RIGGING

Erik Viking Cooper • Ian Manson

Scott Upshur • Tim Vierling

EMCEES

Claire Carter • Tracy Rector • Ashley

Boling • Brendan Madigan • Charlie

Turnbull • Jessica Galbo • Kristen

Milord • Max Holmes • Michael

Brody • Naani Sheva • Rachel Gregg

Rory Cowie • Sasha Cucciniello

Timmy O’Neill • Joanne Feinberg

Julia Kipnis • Lindsey Campbell

Jennifer Julia • Matt Hoisch

Katy Baldock • Claudia García Curzio • Lance Waring • Seth Berg

PROGRAMMERS

Angela Mallard • Brad Forder

Cameron Brooks • Gus Gusciora

Joanne Feinberg • Lindsey

Campbell • Robin Robinson

Sean Volk

ASSOCIATE PROGRAMMERS

Clay Farland • Gracie Gilbert

Joanna Devane • Kelly Youngstrom

Nora Bernard • Sally Rowe

Bianca Darby-Matteoda

Katy Baldock • Julia Kipnis

WEBSITE & PROGRAM WRITERS

Jennifer Julia • Sabrina Davis

SCREENING COMMITTEE

Kris Kwasnieski • Allen Cutler • Amy

DeLuca • Andrea Estevam • Beth

Gage • Chase Dyer • Davene Kaplan

Elizabeth Smith • Jeff Hauser • Jen

Knopp • Jenna Cichanski • Jessica

Robbins • Jim Womeldorf • Judy

Kohin • Lane E. Scarberry • Lexi

Tuddenham • Lynne Chauncey

Mark D Rosenthal • Mark Plantz

Robert Schultheis • Ben Kerr

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Daiva Chesonis • Jane Julian

Jasper Daniel • Jennifer Winter

Claudia García Curzio • Lance Waring • Seth Berg • Kris Kwasnieski

LOCAL LEGENDS & STEEP THRILLS PROGRAMMER

Laura Hoover

KIDS KINO PROGRAMMER

Paul Phillips

COFFEE TALK MODERATORS

Jon Tukman • Laura Colbert

Laura Shaunette • Jedidiah Jenkins

Julia Caulfield

DOCTALK MODERATORS

Bianca Darby-Matteod

SPEAKER SERIES MODERATORS

Julia Caulfield • Matt Hoisch

Sasha Cuccinello

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Jake Martin

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Dennis Green • Mary Molloy-Rois

Mariah Grover

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Ben Eng • Hannah Sourbeer

Melissa Plantz • Rhianon Brown

Sebastian Jelen • Tatiana Alexandra

Robert Hope

MOUNTAINFILM HOUSE BAND

Douglas Chard • Heather Flaker

John Fitzgerald • Patrick Hiester

2024 FESTIVAL AWARDS

R. Nelson Parrish

INTRO EDITORS

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Carly Latcham • Robin Robinson

Stash Wislocki

Ann A Mason

pattie adler

Claire Aguilar

Brad Allgood

Rosa Amaya

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Doug Bagge

Julianna Bailer

Eileen Barrett

Rebecca Bessanson

Sriya Bhattacharyya

karen Brown

Sara Bruya

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Michael Carr

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Valerie Child

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Skip Edwsrds

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Rube Felicelli

Forest Fene

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Carolyn Fisher

Diana Forsman

Jeff Fox

Leslie Fox

Michael Fraenkel

Robert Friedberg

Amanda Galloway

Kurtis Gantert

soleil gaylord

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Ellen Geldbaugh

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Allyson Goto

Tess Gretter

Jim Gribin

Wolf Gumerman

Katie Hake

Toby Hall

Alex Hanley

Jeff Hauser

Stan Haye

Margaret Heinz

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Charlene Hovey

Robbi Hudson

Elizabeth Huff

Chloe Hurtado

Wynn Jones

Ayla Kanow

Christy Kauffman

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Timothy McGovern

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Ari Mei-Dan

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