Below are some of the films from the 2011 Adventure Film Festival
20/20: Believing Isn’t Always Seeing
(10 Minutes, 2011)
Director: Matt Fults, Rival Films
Producer: Andy Hawk, American Association of Snowboard Instructors – Professional Ski Instructors of America
To give the gift of sliding on snow is to give the gift of flight. For American Association of Snowboard Instructors team member Scott Anfang, the opportunity to share this gift will have lifelong impact. Taken from the nationally distributed Go With a Pro television show, 20/20 follows the journey and the bond of Scott and his blind student Dave. Loss of sight would not be Dave’s only challenge, and the master becomes the apprentice again when Dave provides a powerful lens from which to view life.
23 Feet
(29 minutes, 2011)
Director: Allie Bombach
Simplicity.Passion. 23 Feet is a beautifully, unassuming leap into a community of people who have madee th conscious choice to live simply in order to do what they love. Setting off on a road trip of epic proportions, the women of 23 Feet give an intimate look at the ups and downs of dedicating your life to your outdoor passion, through the tales of individuals living in their school buses, vans, tents and 23-magical-feet of Airstream.
All.I.Can
(76 minutes, 2011)
Producer: Malcolm Sangster, Sherpa Films
Equivalent to the “Baraka” of ski films, this groundbreaking film roots in authenticity and progression, taking us on a confronting, magical and inspiring path. From the “All” that we witness as in our world as impacts, change and development, to what “I”ndividuals in mountain cultures have recognized as issues, to what changes we “Can” strive to implement globally and in our everyday lifes... this is not your average ski film.
Almost Stuck on Earth: the making of a Mexican musical bicycle adventure
(5 minutes, 2011)
Director: Kipchoge
Imagine you're singing a song called "Ride to Believe" with all your friends, and a stranger at the party asks, "What does that mean, 'ride to Belize?'" and the drummer in the band yells, "Ride to Belize! Let's ride our bikes on tour all the way through Mexico to Belize!" and you look at him like he's crazy and half-jokingly say, "okay." That's one beginning to this story... the story before the story of a band of musicians who pedaled their bikes from California to Mexico - for the love of music, and really, just for the love.
Anirniq ("Breath")
(3 minutes, 2010)
Director - RJ Sauer
Producer - RJ Sauer and Amy Jones
“The great peril of our existence is that our diet consists entirely of souls.” Filmed on location on the northern tip of Baffin Island, “Anirniq” – Inuktitut for “breath” – is a short fable about an Inuit man confronting the loss of his father when he was a young boy on his first narwhal hunt, and explores the Inuit belief in the existence of the spirit.
Art of Flight
(45 minutes, 2011)
Producer: Red Bull Media US
This Adventure Film festival cut follows Travis Rice and his risk-taking, world-class level snowboarding band of brothers as they take on some of the most remote and difficult terrain around the world. Shot with helicopter-mounted Cineflex cameras, “Art of Flight” pushes the envelope of both modern-day film making and snowboarding, taking us on a ride not soon forgotten.
Chalk and Ski
Filmmaker and Director: Chris Dickey
(2 minutes)
Chalk. A Chalkboard. An artist that loves skiing.
Chasing Water
(18 minutes, 2011)
Director: Peter Mcbride
Follow the Colorado River, source to sea, with photographer Pete McBride in this intimate look at a unique watershed that traverses 1,500 miles, drains seven states, and is the life-blood for over 30 million people in the southwest United States. The Colorado River, loved and litigated, depleted and stressed, is the landscape for this artistic and aerial personal journey to understand a national treasure.
Chimaera
(6.5 minutes, 2010)
Producer: Malcolm Sangster, Sherpa films
Chimæra is a utopia. A dream inspired fantasy. A mythological reference to the fusion of forms that is the personification of winter. In slowing down our perception of reality we get a unique look into the life of a skier. Breathe. Relax. Enjoy.
Cold
(19 minutes, 2011)
Producer / Directors: Anson Fogel, Beda Calhoun, Cory Richards
For the past twenty-six years, sixteen expeditions have tried, and failed, to climb one of Pakistan's 8,000 meter peaks in winter. On February 2, 2011, Simone Moro, Denis Urubko and Cory Richards became the first. The full-length version of “Cold” chronicles their ascent, and the ensuing journey that brings the team to the brink of disaster. This a their story, from the raw, honest perspective of Cory Richard’s small, handheld camera.
Cyclosport
(5 minutes, 2011)
Director: Celin Cerbo
Cyclocross [n.] - 60-minutes of hell. Cyclosport captures the essential elements of cyclocross in Colorado's Front Range, where cyclocross is THE season, and everything else is a warm-up. Cyclocross blends all the breeds of riding for a short, chilly and bone-jarring melee, where hard-core spirits and gnarly riders converge. Hup! Hup!
Dark Side of the Lens
(6 minutes, 2010)
Director: Mickey Smith
An example of how a short film can change your life. Poetic, beautiful, guaranteed to give you goosebumps - this is a deeply insightful glance in to the mind of one brilliant surf photographer and filmmaker, told with Celtic flair and guaranteed to move you.
Dog Boarding
(2 minutes, 2011)
Director: Daniel Kwan
Do dogs laugh? They would if they saw this film. Shot on the backs of dogs, “Dog Boarding” explores our relationship with our canine companions through skate boarding. No animals were harmed in the filming of this happy film.
Down and Out, and Under
(12 minutes, 2010)
Director: Rob Frost
Producer: Sender Films
Caution: There is (almost) no climbing in this film. The hilarious tale of a motley crew of dirt-bag climbers overcoming all the odds to put up remote first ascents on the wild sea cliffs of outer Tasmania. This film is as funny as it is crazy and feels more like a mockumentary than a climbing film.
Driven
(10 minutes, 2011)
Director: Asha Mevlana
Ryan Van Duzer, a Boulder native, avid cyclist and environmentalist, is thirty-two years old and has never driven a car. Enter the job offer of a lifetime to host a travel show - with the caveat that he needs a driver’s license in a month. Where does rubber meet the road when compromising ideals for a job... and is it possible to teach an (not so) old dog new tricks?
eXtinction
(5 minutes, 2011)
Writer: Summer Rayne
Director: Clayton Haskell
In this environmental art short, the most pressing environmental issues are not happening thousands of years from now, but are in fact happening within our lifetime, and more personally on the time line of a young woman's life - from birth to death. Summer Rayne Oakes breathes fervent passion and emotion to the piece through her own personal story and life. Not for kids.
Freeride's Dead
(3 minutes and 20.15 Seconds, 2011)
Director: David Peacock
WARNING: The future of professional mountain biking is in danger of losing its soul. What would it be like to witness the imminent death of freeriding in a world where winning is everything? Watch out, random nutcases abound! Thanks to Mike Hopkins, Juicy Studios and Joyride Bike Parks.
Genesis
(3 minutes, 2011)
Director: Ameleto Cascio
A contemporary industrial landscape at night: dark and desolate. Metallic pieces grow up from the ground around the factories; a nude figure, a gas mask over his face, desperately trying to escape from his stone prison. Only nature will be able to restore serenity to an increasingly gloomy world. “Genesis” expresses the difficult relationship between natural and artificial through the representation of the birth of a plant. Not for Kids.
The Hectometer
(6 minutes, 2011)
Director: Matthew Brown
This is the story of William Trubridge's world record freedive to 100 meters (one hectometer).
Holding his breath and diving without weights, fins or any propulsive assistance, William descended to 101 meters in the waters of Dean's Blue Hole, Bahamas, the deepest blue hole in the world.
Kadoma
(30 minutes, 2011)
Director: Ben Stookesberry
Legendary explorer Hendri Coetzee travelled through obscure parts of Africa by foot and by boat. Last year he guided two American kayakers, Ben Stookesberry and Chris Korbulic, from his home at the root of the Nile through Rwanda on a mission to paddle into the Congo. The Lukuga River, previously unnavigated, led them deep into the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where Hendri was tragically killed by an African crocodile, prolific on that river but sight unseen prior to his death. Kadoma takes us along for the final journey of an adventurer of the finest, highest caliber... and while the tragedy strikes deep, the inspiration does as well.
Last Paradise
(26 minutes, 2010)
Director: Clive Neeson
In the beautiful wilderness of New Zealand, when necessity was the mother of invention, a maverick bunch of kids had a dream that would change the world. Last Paradise is the untold story of extreme sports innovation, from its comical beginnings to the cutting edge of what it is today. Down the roads less traveled to some of the world’s most secret paradises, we read between the lines about a shocking revelation of a wilderness lost, but through the same narrative, the discovery of a science to save it.
Living The Dream 2
(3 minutes, 2011)
Director: Renan Ozturk
A standard (cough) day in the life of the recovery from a few broken vertebrae and a skull fracture. Even though Renan is not technically cleared for psychical therapy, the time has come for some soul therapy outside the comfort zone.
Mr Happy Man
(10 minutes, 2010)
Director: Matt Morris
Twenty-six years ago, Johnny Barnes was walking to work when he got stuck at a busy intersection. As people passed in their commute, he started to wave to them and say “good morning.” He enjoyed it so much, he came back the next day, waving to people, blowing kisses and shouting “I love you!” Now 85-years-old, the resident of Bermuda has dedicated his life to making people smile, starting at 3:00am every day in the same intersection. The citizens of Bermuda have embraced Johnny, affectionately referring to him as "Mr. Happy Man," and even erected a statue of him at his famous intersection. This is a tale of what it takes to be optimistic and happy in life... and how sometimes, those lessons show up in the oddest of places.
Of Forests and Men
(7 minutes, 2011)
Producer: Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Good Planet Organization
The United Nations asked Yann Arthus-Bertrand to produce the official film for the launch of the International Year of Forests, 2011. The result is this visually candy store - hold the sugar - filled with amazing aerial images of forests and life on our planet.
On Assignment
(6 minutes, 2011)
Director: Jimmy Chin and Renan Ozturk
Produced by: Camp 4 Collective
Adventurer, climber and photographer Jimmy Chin was recently assigned a feature story about the cutting-edge climbing culture in Yosemite National Park by National Geographic. This Camp 4 Collective production follows Jimmy on his assignment using breath-taking imagery, offering incredible insights into the climbing culture, and what it takes to bring these images to the public eye.
One Beach
(24 minutes, 2011)
Director: Jason Baffa
Producer: Farm League
One Beach is a film about six individuals using creativity, optimism, and fun to raise awareness about marine debris, and its effect on our oceans and beaches. A positive and inspiring story shedding light on the facts surrounding the issue; reminding all of us that we have a role to play in keeping our beaches barefoot friendly.
On Thin Sea Ice in Norway
(3 minutes, 2011)
Director: Tor Eckhoff
Man on ice: Tor Eckhoff
Tor’s description: ‘It is a video me ice bathing and skating and fooling around on the sea ice. It is me filming and acting. I am also making some noises and drinking vodka. Oh, I forgot, I also go through a hole in the ice and swim a few meters under the ice.’ We don’t have to say anything other than.
The Pinnacle
(45 minutes, 2011)
Director: Paul Diffley
In one legendary week on Ben Nevis in 1960 Jimmy Marshall and Robin Smith climbed six first winter ascents in six consecutive days. Not to mention, they also made the first single-day winter ascent of Point Five Gully, went for a walk, had a beer and got arrested over a dominoes incident! (Yes, dominoes.) Exactly fifty years later, Dave MacLeod and Andy Turner pay tribute by setting out to repeat all the routes that Smith and Marshall first climbed in that famous week. This film tells the story of the original events, and follows MacLeod and Turner as they discover exactly what an achievement this was.
Playgrounds Re-imagined
(21 minutes, 2011)
Director/Filmmaker: Seth Warren
“Nature is the most beautiful thing... There’s a universal energy. We should protect nature, because we are nature. I imagine the world as a playground.” Bet you didn’t think those words would come from a 9-year-old, Dylan Brophy, who freestyles the narration for Seth Warren’s new award-winning film, Playgrounds Re-imagined. From the beauty and rawness of the opening scenes, to the fun-filled journey that unfolds across the United States (by way of a Japanese firetruck that runs on veggie oil, aka “Baby”), you are along for a fast-paced ride to celebrate the places we play, and the people who dedicate their lives to protecting them.
Pong
(3 minutes, 2011)
Director: Zack Canepari
10 hours a day! Ping Pong Ping Pong Ping Pong Ping Pong. For most of us, table tennis is a game. For the young Olympic hopefuls at the ICC in Milpitas, however, it's all business. (Except for when it is just a game.)
Real Skifi
(6 minutes, 2011)
Director and Skier: Juho Kilkki
This is about a gaggle of Finnish adolescents doing what they love. Better than scifi, this is creative urban skiing at its best.
Salt
(54 minutes, 2011)
Director: Mick Angus
Scrapertown
(7.5 minutes, 2011)
Director: Zack Canepari
"In order to become a member of the Original Scraper Bike Team, you must: Be a resident of Oakland, CA; Be at least 7 years of age or older; Retain a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA); Create your own Scraper Bike… (It Has To Be Amazing, Or Else You Can’t Ride.); Stay in a single-file line when riding. After 10 rides, The Scraper Bike King and his Captains will decide if your bike is up to standards and if you can follow simple guidelines. After your evaluation we will consider you a member and honor you with an Original Scraper Bike Team Shirt. Only worn when Mobbin’ Stay posted to our website for all upcoming Scraper Bike Rides..." -- The Scraper Bike King
Seventh Circle
(5 minutes, 2011)
Director/Filmmaker: Jason Kehl
The South Mountain project in the East Spur is one of the last, great undone roof climbs in Hueco Tanks, Texas. Jason Kehl has been sieging this opportunity for the last three years, progressing to an agonizingly close call last year, but having to leave at the end of the season. This year, he won’t be leaving until the job is done.
Summer Snapshot
(4 minutes, 2011)
Director: Ian Mcclusky
Summer Snapshot plays out, image after sun-kissed image, an idyllic day at a mountain river where a group of friends spend an afternoon skinny-dipping, strumming guitars and circling a campfire. Reminiscent of a 1970s home movie, Summer Snapshot is a nostalgic reflection on the fleeting window between youth and adulthood.
Tour De Seward
(5 minutes, 2011)
Director and Rider: Kristopher Peck
Kristopher Peck rides his seatless unicycle off the beaten path in Seward, Alaska. Wearing knee-high fishing boots to protect his calves, skillful maneuvering guides him across challenging terrain on his custom-built unicycle, and through the landscape of a dynamic and ever-changing community.
Towers of Ennedi
(13.5 minutes, 2011)
Directors: Jimmy Chin, Tim Kemple, and Renan Ozturk
Produced by: Camp 4 Collective
There exist the tales of veritable untouched, unexplored gardens of climbing around the world... and then there are the tales of getting there. A landscape devoid of much life - the dry, hot and sandy deserts of northeastern Chad - still has it’s beauty and mysteries to unveil, and that’s exactly what filmmaker Renan Ozturk, and his team (Mark Synnott, James Pearson and Alex Honnold) set of to discover. In to the heart of Africa across the Ennedi Desert, this is a film that celebrates the whole adventure - the roadless and bumpy journey, the wild and unclimbed beauty of desert towers, and everything in between.
TreeVerse
(27 minutes, 2011)
Director: John Waller
Producer: Uncage the Soul Video Production
On March 23, 2011, Brian French and Will Koomjian set off on an unprecedented, self-supported trek through an old growth Oregon White Oak forest. The catch - they would never touch the ground once. For the next 5 days, their success would depend on choreographed teamwork, innovative tools and techniques, and a fair bit of luck in some of the lushest canopies of North America.
Truck Farm
(48 minutes, 2011)
Director: Ian Cheney
Producer: Wicked Delicate Films
From the makers of King Corn comes Truck Farm, a funny documentary about urban agriculture. Filmmaker Ian Cheney planted his truck farm in Brooklyn in the spring of 2009, after coming to New York City and realizing he did not have any place to grow food. Like his truck, this film is a unique mix of materials: “We wanted the spirit of the film to mirror the spirit of the truck farm itself: a unique combination of the ridiculous and the practical.” His truck relies on green roof materials, heirloom seeds, and a healthy dose of optimism. His film uses cartoons, musical ballads by The Fishermen Three, and brilliant storytelling. Together, they make a uniquely blended film not to be missed.
Way Back Home - Highlight Programme
(26 minutes, 2011)
Producer: Red Bull Media UK
For those of you who have not seen the 7 minute Youtube video of Danny Macaskil riding his trials bike all over Ireland, where have you been? This is the continuation of Danny’s story showing behind the scenes footage and tells the story of him as a person, not just an amazing athlete. RedBull UK was nice enough to let us show this film. This will be its first US showing in theaters.
The Wolf and the Medallion
(50 minutes, 2011)
Jeremy Collins, the legend
Journeying to an unexplored granite canyon on the border of China and Mongolia, Collins finds not only adventure, but a moment of reflection. From that moment comes a letter home to his four year old son. This letter becomes the script for a film, as we see an intimate portrait of the father/son relationship, and life lived running from complacency. Following his own rules, Collins presents his film with a daring live score played on stage, with a bookended theatrical art performance like none ever seen. A show stopper and the finale of this year’s Adventure Film, please join us in celebrating this unparalleled, magnificent journey of The Wolf and The Medallion.
Zanskar Odyssey
(46 minutes, 2011)
Filmmakers: Abbey Smith and Jason Kehl
Follow American climbers Abbey Smith, Jason Kehl, and Pete Takeda as they journey to the Indian Himalayas for adventure, a fresh perspective, and the most aesthetic boulders in the world’s greatest mountain range. Their voyage along harrowing highways through monsoon storms and dark nights of despair eventually leads to an idyllic meadow of golden granite boulders surrounded by snowy Himalayan peaks. Featuring over 20 world-class first ascents established in 35 days at a 4000 meter base camp in the majestic Miyar Valley.