Doors at 6:00pm
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW! VISIT THE TOWER THEATRE TICKET PAGE TO PURCHASE
Each year, The Environmental Center brings Mountainfilm on Tour to Bend to showcase incredible documentary films, thoughtfully curated for our Central Oregon audience. This film event features stories of adventure, climate change, culture, and resilience from around the world.
Janwaar
Danny Schmidt
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. (USA, 2021, 10 min.)
For the Love of Afghanistan
Asher Brown and Farid Noori
Graduate student and avid cyclist, Farid Noori, has made it his mission to enlighten others to the majesty of Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush Mountains. In founding the nonprofit Mountain Bike Afghanistan, Noori assists at-risk Afghan cyclists in evacuating Afghanistan to avoid persecution by the Taliban. Through cycling, he discovers the similarities that all humans share and despite the strife his homeland faces, he holds tight to his passion of sharing what he deems “a cyclist’s playground” with others. (USA, 2021, 6 min.)
Ascend: Reframing Disability in the Outdoors
Faith E. Briggs
Vasu Sojitra doesn’t want to be called an inspiration. For the Indian-American right leg amputee, it’s not his disability, but instead, the barriers to access the outdoors that must be overcome. His ascent and ski descent of iconic Mount Moran’s “The Skillet,” alongside other mountain athletes of color, brings solidarity and intersectionality to backcountry skiing. (USA, 2021, 12 min.)
Ma’s House
Jeremy Dennis
The Shinnecock Indian Nation of Southampton,New York, breathes new life through the renovation of a home that was once the heart of the community. Ma was a glamorous and loving spirit whose pow-wows put the house at capacity in the 1980s. Ma’s grandson, Jeremy, takes on the challenge of shifting the public perception of the Shinnecock Nationthrough transforming this once vibrant place into a communal art space designed to generate conversations around race and equality. (USA, 2022, 9 min.)
American Scar
Daniel Lombroso
When wedding photographer John Kurc decided to spend a few days between assignments exploring the borderlands of southwest Arizona, he had no idea he would spend the next eight months documenting the devastation of the desert ecosystem created by the construction of Trump’s border wall. In the blitz to build the barrier as fast as possible, the administration ignored 47 laws that protect bears, deer, jaguars and javelina roaming the mountains in both the U.S. and Mexico. In addition to being a failed re-election campaign prop and racist monument, the wall also inhibits wildlife migration, putting 70 vulnerable plant and animal species at risk. (USA, 2022, 13 min.)
The Farmer
Michael James Brown
Through years of simple living, David Van Dame spent over 35 years of his life dedicated to chasing turns in the Cottonwood Canyon and harvesting powder. (USA, 2021, 3 min.)
North Shore Betty
Travis Rummel, Darcy Hennessey Turenne
Betty Birrell has been biking the fast, flowy, wooden roller coasters of British Columbia for nearly 30 years. She’s a pioneer and legend who pushes limits and instills her love for the outdoor lifestyle in her son. At 73, Betty continues to reinvent herself and inspire younger generations with the belief that life is just one big playground. (USA, 2022, 12 min.)
The Ocean Solution
Darcy Hennessey Turenne
Bren Smith isn’t just redefining ocean farming, he’s literally turning it upside down. After experiencing a string of pitfalls in conventional fishing, Smith decided to reimagine the future of aquatic farming by asking the ocean, “what should our relationship be?” He found his answer and returned to the sea with a new method of restorative ocean farming that produces a sustainable food source, restores the ocean, fights the climate crisis and mimics nature’s penchant for biodiversity. (USA, Canada, 2021, 15 min.)
Breaking Trail
Jesse Roesler
Emily Ford sets out with a borrowed Husky sled dog, Diggins, to complete the 1,200-mile Ice Age Trail in the midst of winter. Not only is she the first woman to attempt the feat, but she is also the first LBGTQ+ person of color to embark on the adventure. As her story gathers momentum in local, national and international press, Emily learns she’s become a figurehead to encourage those who don’t feel like they belong in wild places — especially people of color — to spend more time in nature. (USA, 2021, 30 min.)
Write Your Line
Augey Marc, Collet Andy
A young boy dreams of becoming like his favorite athletes. (France, 2021, 3 min.)
Total show minutes: 138
I Am Salmon
Whit Hassett
Connecting humanity with salmon and the sea through the subtle art of poetry and Gyotaku (fish rubbing), Duncan Berry shares his experience as a longtime environmentalist and former captain of a salmon troller. In adopting the perspective of this transcendent fish, the beauty and power of the Oregon coast becomes the canvas through which the evolution of the salmon is illustrated. (USA, 2022, 3 min.)
Annapurna 78’
Jim Aikman
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. (USA, Nepal, 2022, 8 min.)
Wood Hood
Alexander Cullen
From the hood of Rockaway, Queens, 15-year-old Devon finds a safe place and brotherhood in the woods along the Appalachian Trail, thanks to the Camping to Connect mentorship program. For urban kids of color historically unable to access natural places, we witness the joy and growth that is possible when kids have an opportunity to find that “quiet place.” (USA, 2022, 16 min.)
Sheri
James ‘Q’ Martin
Sheri showcases the beautiful story of how one woman and her family revolutionized the outdoor gear industry. –LH (USA, 2022 24, min.)
Flow (with Sam Favret)
Maxime Moulin
Skier Sam Favret embarks on an adventure of epic proportions, traversing the slopes of a closed ski resort on a majestic bluebird day. Moulin takes us on a cinematic aerial and symphonic journey as we are enveloped in powerful skiing and the complete unreality of such a serene landscape.
Elevated
Palmer Morse
In an effort to make the outdoor and rock climbing industry more inclusive, deaf climber Sonya Wilson shares her testimony in overcoming barriers and gaining acceptance while hosting climbing retreats with both hearing and Deaf outdoor enthusiasts. Through the trials and traumas of her childhood, Wilson has become elevated — adopting the belief that being Deaf is a gift that does not make you less than. (USA, 2022, 15 min.)
The Trails Before Us
Fritz Bitsoie
Nigel James’s parents and grandmother are immensely proud that he brought mountain biking to their remote corner of the Navajo Nation. His grandmother, Lorraine Herder, is gratified to see old horse trails restored and repurposed. Mountain biking reminds his father Marvin of the sacred bond between the Diné people and horses. Whether they traverse the landscape on horseback or on bike, the journey connects the Diné to their land and traditional culture. (USA, 2021, 13 min.)
Malik
Max Lowe, Chris Murphy
From disparate backgrounds seemingly worlds apart, Malik Martin and Conrad Anker bridge whatever divide our society has erected between them through brotherhood and heartfelt connection. Martin says of their atypical commonalities, “Conrad lost all his homies in the mountains, and I’ve lost all my homies in the hood.” This film is a testament to the maxim that we can sometimes find the most meaning in the unlikeliest of friendships. (USA, 2022, 13 min.)
Bacon ‘N’ Laces
Director: Stephen Michael Simon
In Bacon ‘N’ Laces, a blind single father of three manages a classic diner outside of New York City. This father’s love for his children, his perseverance to defy the odds that come with his blindness and his appreciation for classic sneakers is a dose of joy. This short film is a playful portrait of a dad and his children who refuse to be limited by their struggles. (USA, 2021, 19 min.)
Powder Snow Hokkaido
Jake Cohn, Charlie Cohn,George Knowles
The essence of Hokkaido skiing is as pure and unique as each snowflake that falls on this Japanese Island. –LH (Japan, 2021, 3 min.)
Total show minutes: 137
This event is possible thanks to generous event sponsors and businesses who donate raffle prizes. If you are interested in supporting this event in 2023, fill out our sponsor interest form or consider donating a prize to the raffle! Links below:
