Re by Iz La Motte

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 Magazine. She views her work as a catalyst, fostering a social shift in the perception of female athletes in popular culture.

(USA. 2023, 6 min.) Iz La Motte

Flora, Fauna, Funga

This short film 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.) Sam Sheline

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 unlikeliest of places: the traditional sport of horse racing known as Indian Relay. The film follows 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. 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.) Rachel McDonald & Peter Goetz

Ascend

This documentary follows the inspiring story of a group of young women from Afghanistan who pursued their passion for climbing and mountaineering despite facing grave risks. But when the Taliban seized power, 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 in 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.) Kathryn Francis, Campbell Brewer

Ghost Resorts

With ski lifts no longer spinning and buildings falling into disrepair, abandoned ski areas are nestled among the snow-drifted 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.) Michael J Brown & Zeppelin Zeerip

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.

(USA, 2023, 11 min.) Darby A. McAdams

Seat 31: Zooey Zephyr

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.) Kimberly Reed

Asking Less

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.) Pete McBride

The Ugandan Quidditch Movement

In Uganda, a 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.) Ben Garfield

Time is a Funny Thing

Time is a Funny Thing is an exploration of time and how doing what we love makes it disappear. In this short film, professional mountain biker Tyler McCaul looks back on his career through the lens of his older and younger self.

(USA, 2023, 5 min.) Jeremy Grant

Judy's Creek - Discovering the secret life of the streambed

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.) Jeremy Monroe & David Herasimtschuk

Mama's Sundry

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.) Brody Kuhar & Joshua Cannon

Usugilix Awakun

In the waters off the remote island of Iluulux̂or 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, Unangax̂scientist 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 Unangax̂people and their environment, Usugilix Awakun showcases the resilience and resourcefulness of a culture in the face of unprecedented challenges.

(USA, 2024, 12 min.) Matt Mikkelsen

Jamie

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, 2023, 18 min) Darcy Hennessey

Freya

Leo Houlding's daughter, Freya, uses climbing as a practice to lean into discomfort and fear to help navigate her neurodiversity and harness its strengths.

(USA, 2023, 4 min.) Natasha Brooks

Bicycle Island

This contemporary mosaic of Havana explores the bicycle as a reclaimed mobility tool and a critical resource for the island’s future. The film 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 a solution to scarcity.

(USA, Cuba, 2024, 15 min.) Mitra Ghaffari

Healy

For millions of years, the Arctic Ocean has been covered by a permanent sheet of ice. Soon, it will melt in its entirety during summer for the first time in human history. Healy follows a crew of scientists and sailors through a two-month research mission to try and 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.) Maya Craig

Unseen Peaks

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.) Roo Smith

Love in the Time of Migration

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.) Erin Semine Kökdil, Chelsea Abbas

Leaving a Tread

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.

(USA, 2023, 6 min.) Maxwell Frank