Mountainfilm on Tour: Stowe

Mountainfilm on Tour brings a selection of culturally rich, adventure-packed and incredibly inspiring documentary films curated from the Mountainfilm festival in Telluride, Colorado. The tour will visit Stowe at Spruce Peak Arts on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 7PM, with films that explore themes connected to Mountainfilm’s mission of using the power of film, art and ideas to inspire audiences to create a better world. The selected films explore themes of community in skateboarding, mental health in climbing, empowerment, motivation and healing, skiing and FUN!

Mountainfilm on Tour- Stowe programming will also be available for middle and high school students on Friday, January 13, 2023.  If you are interested in learning more, please contact Director of Education, Julianne Nickerson.

Playlist Film Synopsis

Like A River Jim Aikman (USA, 2021, 4 min.) 
Enamored by the three major canyons of the Southwest, artist and climber Jeremy Collins narrates a mesmerizing trip in which a river becomes a brush stroke. Millions of years equal millions of strokes and although wildly different, each of these canyons are ultimately the same creature, created with the addition of water and the subtraction of earth. In an attempt to find his own flow, Collins seeks to be like a river, ever-changing but still the same, making something from nothing — nature’s greatest artist. 

Janwaar Danny Schmidt (USA, 2021, 10 min.)
In one of the largest and poorest states in India, there lies a community skate park built in 2015. Ulrike Reinhard, the creator of this Janwaar Castle, is all about challenging the status quo and providing a safe space for kids to find their own way. Skateboarding is the ideal disruptor to the mainstream mentality for the youth of Madhya Pradesh. The castle has become a haven for the two castes in the village to interact with one another through the shared passion of skating. 

Annapurna 78’ Jim Aikman (USA, Nepal, 2022, 8 min.)
At a time when men dominated the sport, Arlene Blum and her troop of American women put up first ascents on some of the highest peaks in Iran, Afghanistan, Kashmir and the Himalaya. By selling T-shirts, the climbers earned the $80,000 needed for an expedition to Annapurna in 1978 — one of the world’s 14 8,000 meter peaks. The bid for the summit brings both inspiration and devastation, inevitably changing the course of Blum’s life.

This is Beth Jen Randall (Canada, 2021, 17 min.)
Professional climber Beth Rodden is one of the most accomplished athletes in the history of her sport. Despite the many accolades she received, the magazine covers that sported her face and the bragging rights she carries for multiple first ascents, Rodden’s struggle with body image and self loathing nearly crippled her career. This is the story of her transformational journey to self-love, grace and acceptance, one that was accompanied by a rejuvenated love of rock climbing. 

Midair Louis-Jack (UK, 2022, 4 min.) 
Midair is a bouldering film that thrusts the  viewer into the free-fall perspective of  climber Jim Pope, alongside some of the  most talented climbers in the UK. As they  traverse through the iconic Lake District,  this short invites us to explore the in-between spaces of humbling pursuits and  the sacrifices that they require. 

Fight or Flight Lindsey Hagen (USA, 2022, 8 min.)
Fight or Flight chronicles the journey of the only female pilot employed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife as she overcomes her long standing relationship with trauma by taking to the sky. In a place where mental health is often swept under the rug for fear of losing the freedom to fly, Denise shares her story to change the stigma associated with mental health in the aviation industry and to stand in solidarity with survivors of sexual assault. 

Ibach Rachel Weinberg (USA, 2022, 15 min.) 
Ibach follows the escape of a Jewish family and their beloved piano from Nazi Germany in the 1930’s to the piano’s restoration in Philadelphia four generations later. Weaving an in-depth look at the restoration process, alongside perspectives from the surviving family members, Ibach is a visual love letter that shares the heart-rending story of generational trauma and reconciliation.  

Stranger at the Gate Joshua Seftel (USA, 2021, 29 min.)
Returning home from a long career in the U.S. Marine Corps Richard “Mac” McKinney found himself struggling under the weight of a ferocious rage fueled by 25 years of an indoctrinated hatred of Muslims. Desperate to take action in the name of his country, McKinney set out to commit an unthinkable crime against his community’s mosque. His plans took an unexpected path however, when he faced his enemy head-on.

Fuel Iz La Motte (USA, 2021, 6 min.) 
For Alta professional skier Madison Rose Ostergren, big mountain skiing is a form of  personal expression — not to be squeezed  into a specific mold. Her determination to  show up as her true authentic self, despite  pressures from the outside world, is  nothing short of inspiring. 

About Mountainfilm

Mountainfilm is a documentary film festival that showcases stories about environmental, cultural, climbing, political and social justice issues. Mountainfilm is held every Memorial Day weekend in Telluride, Colorado. Along with exceptional documentaries, the festival goes beyond the film medium by bringing together world-class athletes, change makers and visionary artists for a multi-dimensional celebration of indomitable spirit. Mountainfilm’s mission is to use the power of film, art and ideas to inspire audiences to create a better world. To learn more about Mountainfilm, visit www.mountainfilm.org.

Special thanks to the Spruce Peak Arts 2022-23 Season Sponsors:

		Joy and Tom Cronin
Edward Jones / Caren Merson	Deborah and Ron Feinstein
The Merson Family
The Stires-Stark Family Foundation