Mountainfilm on Tour

Saturday, November 16, 2024
7:00 PM 9:45 PM 19:00 21:45

Rio Theatre for the Performing 1205 Soquel Ave Santa Cruz, CA, 95062 United States (map)

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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 Santa Cruz 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. This year's event will be screening the Medley Playlist - a little bit of everything from Mountainfilm.

About Mountainfilm Festival
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.

List of films screening in the Medley Playlist
Leaving a TreadAs 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.

Dancing Warrior
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 traditional sport of horse racing known as “Indian Relay.” We follow one teen racing team, named Dancing Warrior, who come together to compete and support each other as they face the challenges of life on the reservation. Witness the coming of age story of Lakota teens, as they find strength in tradition and passion in competition.

Ascend (some graphic scenes)
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.

Re
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.

Near the River
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.

Ghost Resorts: JapanWith 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.

The Last Observers
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.

Above The Noise
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.