Mountainfilm Takes Over Telluride

Mountainfilm is just over two weeks out from landing in Telluride.  May 25-28, Memorial Day weekend, will mark the 34^th anniversary of the event.

75 films are on the schedule, ten of which will be world premieres!  Award-winning documentary maker, Ken Burns, will present his newest work, The Dust Bowl, an examination of the man-made ecological disaster that nearly ruined the most advantageous agricultural area of the United States in the 1930s.  Bidder 70 tells the story of Tim DeChristopher and his attempt to make a stand against the oil industry by bidding up and winning oil-and-gas leases at a federal auction without the means or intention to pay.  And House of Cards follows Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, and Renan Ozturk on their second attempt to summit Shark’s Fin in the mountains of India, one of the most significant climbs of 2011.

The festival was established in 1979 and is dedicated to educating and inspiring.  Films lead to discussions of the environment, different cultures, issues, and adventures.  Simply put, Mountainfilm shows movies that matter.  Their goal is to encourage positive change in people’s lives and promote action.

One of the aspects that differentiates Mountainfilm from other festivals is the plethora of artists, activists, and adventurers who serve as speakers, judges, presenters, and panel participants.

Chris Sharma has joined this year’s list of distinguished guests.  He has been a professional climber for half his life, traveling the world and pulling himself up the most difficult rock faces.  His climb up an arch in Majorca is the subject of King Lines, an award-winning film directed by Josh Lowell and Peter Mortimer in 2007. 

Steve House, an accomplished high-altitude climber and guide, will be there as well.  Best recognized for popularizing the “alpine style” of climbing—ascending with as little gear as possible and leaving nothing on the mountain–his contributions modern mountaineering are immeasurable.  Between he and Sharma, they are two of the best climbers in the world.

Lel Tone is a professional skier, mountain bike racer, and stand up paddle boarder.  He forecasts avalanches at Squaw Valley and was featured in Warren Miller’s recent film, “…Like There’s No Tomorrow” in which he skied in India with Lynsey Dyer.  

For a full list of guests, go to http://www.mountainfilm.org/festival/guests.

After watching the films, many people leave inspired.  Festival organizers invite people to share their story of what the films compell them to do on their website under Domino Effect.  Like dominoes, they believe action and education spurs more action and education, and so on and so forth.  Click here to read some of the amazing stories.

To make it easy to get involved with a cause brought up by the films shown, non-profit and mission-based organizations set up on Main Street during the festival’s Ice Cream Social and in the Telluride Town Park during the Closing Picnic.

And in an effort to be totally committed to creative individuals who want to make films representing the spirit of the festival, Mountainfilm gives out five Mountain Commitment Grants each year.  Winners each get $5,000 and a MacBook Pro.  

Mountainfilm is an amazing festival that is deeply involved in the community and is dedicated to social change.  It’s a wonderful opportunity to see some beautiful footage and learn about issues you may not otherwise consider.  

There are a wide variety of different types of passes that vary greatly in price.  Student passes start at just $50.  For more details or to purchase a pass, go to http://www.mountainfilm.org/festival-passes-tickets.  Make Memorial Day Weekend great!  Enjoy the films and the beautiful scenery of Telluride!

Kristin Park ( More Posts)