As a way of bringing you the best of Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival submissions throughout its history and present day, we have teamed up with the Orpheum Theater to bring you an exciting Summer and Fall Showcase Series. These Series will feature the best of our cultural, environmental and adventure-related films and have special guests to share their stories.
September Showcase – The Weight of Water
September 5 | Doors at 6:30pm | Show at 7:30pm
We are excited to bring The Weight of Water back for an encore screening as part of the Colorado River Days. Get there early to save yourself a seat!
Synopsis: This is the story of a blind man taking on an absurdly improbable challenge: kayaking the Grand Canyon. Erik Weihenmayer balances his fear of drowning with his fear of remaining paralyzed in a prison of darkness. He desires the elusive state of being that so many of us seek, to be engaged in the present. “It’s so hard to be fully in the moment because there’s so much fear, there’s so much anxiety, it’s like a person looking through a window at an experience rather than being in the experience.” – Erik Weihenmayer
August Showcase – Biking
August 22th | Doors at 6pm | Show at 6:30pm
Our August showcase features all things biking! Come cruise the world with us and see all the amazing journeys our bikes can take us on. A portion of the proceeds for the night go to the Flagstaff Biking Organization, which works to promote bicycling as a safe and attractive means of transportation and recreation in Northern Arizona.
A Professional Display of No-handed Bike Moves (3:06)- By Ninian Doff.Quirky music video performed to “Golden Tree” by Martin Brooks.
The Silent Shredder (5:00)- By Joey Schusler. Armed with a wry smile and cunning skill on the bike, he is a man of few words. He prefers to let his riding do the talking. Richie Rude is the Silent Shredder.
Skidsville (2:07) – By Mike Hopkins. Diamondback welcomes you to Skidsville. Population: All of us. A project steeped in nostalgia, smelly shoes, misused hockey cards, a lack of helmets, a love of bikes, and A LOT of skids.
Siblings (3:03) – By Mike Hopkins.Over the years, we gained a lot of wisdom together, trying to best each other and take on the world. Through it all, bikes have fueled our adventures, sparked our imaginations, and continually reminded us of what’s most important: We’re all family.
Life of Pie (11:30) – By Ben Knight & Travis Rummel. In 2002, mountain bikers and entrepreneurs Jen Zeuner and Anne Keller moved to Fruita, Colorado, in search of cheap rent, world-class single track, and free time to ride. Over 15 years later, the two unconventional women have helped reshape one of the state’s most conservative towns, uniting the community through advocacy, inclusivity, and damn good pizza.
Danny Daycare (4:10) – By Danny Macaskill. He may be the world’s best trials rider but Danny Macaskill’s babysitting skills are questionable. When some friends ask the trials cyclist to watch their kid, Macaskill takes their two-year-old babe on a wild adventure around Scotland.
-intermission-
Return to Earth (45:00) – By Darcy Wittenburg. Time is either spent wisely, or it is just spent. Second after the second; minute after minute; moment after moment… they’re all there for the taking. All you need is a simple machine that defies boundaries and knows no limits. This is Return to Earth, the ninth feature from award-winning adventure filmmakers Anthill Films. A cinematic journey that will immediately transport you into that feeling of total immersion you get on a bike ride. Fly through the lush coastal jungles of Oahu. Feel the dust from Utah’s otherworldly landscapes. Lose yourself in the untouched mountains of Patagonia. Connected by true to life examples set by some of the sport’s biggest athletes, unsung shredders and up-and-coming youth, Return to Earth proves that when we lose track of time, we can make the most of it.
July Showcase – Breaking Barriers
July 25th | Doors at 6pm | Show at 6:30pm
Join us at our July Summer Showcase presented by the Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival and the Orpheum Theater, featuring a myriad of films highlighting the strength of the human spirit to break cultural, physical, and mental barriers.
Space to Explore – 14 min. Natalie Panek has spent her life focused on her biggest dream – to be the first to set foot on another planet. Natalie is an aerospace engineer, a pilot, an influencer, an avid explorer, and has made it to the top 100 of astronaut candidates. On an outdoor adventure to the Mars-like terrain of Moab, Utah she searches with her friend to reconcile life’s stumble, redirections and challenges in the pursuit of space travel. Their jobs are to design the next Mars rover, but cutting a path in a Razer 4×4 might be the closest they get to a crewed mission to Mars. In the face of sky-high arches and pinnacles, breathtaking views, and a canopy of stars, it’s easy to see the limitless of adventure on Earth.
YoJani: A Cuban Skate Story – 2 min. You have to be creative to find good places to skate in Havana, Cuba. Perhaps no one understands this better than Yojani Perez Rivera. While most skateboarders are overcoming obstacles in the form of ledges, rails and security guards, skateboarders like Yojani in Cuba struggle to even find a board to skate on. Political and economic conditions mean that imported boards are scarce and materials to make your own are just as hard to find. This, however, did not deter Yojani who has become a pioneering figure in the Cuba skate community. Against the background of the old city, a young and vibrant community of skaters is thriving with Yojani at the helm.
The Last Green Thread – 17 min. In 2018 three friends set out on an expedition into the most rapidly developing landscape in Central Florida, traveling the narrowest and most imperiled wildlife corridor in the state.
Craig’s Reaction- 24 min. Since a 100 footfall in 2002 that took his right leg and left him with spinal injuries, Colorado climber Craig DeMartino has led one hell of a life, including lauded First Disabled and In-A-Day Ascents on El Capitan. But it’s his day-to-day story that really makes an impact.
Intermission – 20 min
Dignity at a Monumental Scale- 8 min. When images of everyday Navajo life began appearing at a monumental scale on abandoned buildings, roadside stands and water towers across the Four Corners region, it was a surprise for many in the community to discover it was the work of Chip Thomas aka “Jetsonorama,” a long-time resident known by many as a healer of another kind.
Wild Ice – 3 min. “Backcountry skating” is the practice of hunting for wild ice, whether on a river, lake, glacial lagoon, or inside an ice cave. Filmed in southcentral and southeast Alaska over the course of two winters, “Wild Ice” features nordic bladers, hockey players, figure skaters, and a few adventurous puppies. Shot locations include Kenai Lake, the Portage Lagoons, Turnagain Arm, Wasilla Lake, Sheridan Glacier, Byron Glacier, and Portage Glacier.
Escape – 8 min. JaBig, a Montreal-based DJ, is on a quest to beat the record for the longest continuous bike ride in a single country. Join him on the last day of his ride to discover what happens when you stop listening to all the reasons why you shouldn’t, and listen to the voice inside you, telling you to go.
Free Falling – 26 min. In the wake of his friends’ deaths, Danny Weiland sets out to break the World Record for most human-powered BASE jumps in 24 hours. Unassisted by machines or vehicles, Danny will attempt to jump off of the Perrine Bridge over 60 times and then climb the 486 feet out of the canyon, including over near-vertical sections of the cliff where a wrong move could be fatal. The sheer number of jumps needed means that he must climb more vertical feet than the summit of Mount Everest. For Danny it isn’t just a brutal test of skill, it is a tribute to fallen friends and a promise of transformation. As he describes it, “I will be a different person when this is over. It’s like a snake shedding its skin, and that’s what’s exciting.”
June Showcase – Climbing
June 27th | Doors at 6pm | Show at 6:30pm
Join us for our first showcase of the season featuring our favorite climbing films from the past year. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Northern Arizona Climbing Coalition.
Silence – 17 min. What does it take to climb the world’s hardest route? The 17-min movie documents Adam Ondra, a professional rock climber from Czechia, as he made a piece of climbing history when he climbed his project in Norway in September 2017. The route called Silence received a new grade of 9c (5.15d). Directed by Bernardo Gimenez.
Choices – 21 min. Steph Davis chose climbing. The law student left school in her early twenties and followed her passion for the sport, earning a number of climbing achievements from Yosemite to Patagonia. For a while, she called her car home before eventually settling in Moab, Utah, and discovered her second passion: BASE jumping. Although she‘s suffered many losses, including the death of her husband Mario Richards in a wingsuit accident, she‘s never regretted having chosen her unconventional way of life—a life full of extraordinary choices proving that what seems to be a wrong decision at first can be the right one. Directed by Teresa Hoerl.
Two Nineteen Forty-Four – 7 min. On a cold, misty morning in late October 2017, after 11 previous attempts, climbers Brad Gobright and Jim Reynolds broke the standing speed record (formerly held by Alex Honnold and Hans Florine) on The Nose of El Capitan, in Yosemite National Park, with an unbelievable new time of 2 hours, 19 minutes, and 44 seconds. Experience their record-breaking climb in this genre-bending timelapse by Tristan Greszko. Directed by Tristan Greszko.
Liv Along The Way – 22 min. Since she first summited Mont Blanc as a teen, Liv Sansoz knew she would make her life in the mountains. She was twice crowned World Champion in sport climbing, and eventually expanded her professional horizons to mixed climbing, ski mountaineering, and base jumping. In 2017, at 40 years old, Liv set out from her base in Chamonix, France to attempt to climb all 82 4000m peaks in the European Alps in a single year. As she’s learned several times throughout her life, things don’t always go as planned. Directed by Mike Douglas.
Real Rock ‘An Urban Climbing Experience’ – 11 min. In the last 100 years, humans have discovered no new mountains. But . . . we’ve built so many new buildings. As the last remaining first ascents are claimed on the mountains of the world, there’s only one direction climbing can go: to the cities. Directed by Drew Herder.
Inwards – 12 min. Bernd Arnold is one of the exceptionally gifted climbers of the 20th century. For two decades he made up some of the world’s hardest first ascents. Names like “Riders on the Storm“ or „Royal Flush“ in Patagonia are only some of them. Most of his routes he set up in the notorious german area of sandstone towers – Saxonian Switzerland. Some of them even barefoot. In an emphatic short the 70 years old climbing pioneer bridges between success in climbing and inner experiences. From the roots of childhood to distant mountain regions and friendship he draws a line back home to present days. Directed by Ulf Wogenstein.
Notes from the Wall – 34 min. 19 days on a 1200-meter-high vertical wall in Torres del Paine, Patagonia. An honest and profound story of an ascent spiced up by rough weather conditions, technical climbing and live music. directed by Siebe Vanhee, Nicolas Favresse, and Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll.