The 31st annual Mountainfilm festival in Telluride, Colorado, will take place on May 22-25. What began as an event for mountain climbers to watch movies about mountains has since evolved into a four-day tour de force of documentaries, gallery exhibits, and high-profile lectures evaluating some of society’s most pressing issues, from world water and energy issues to access to food. And if testimonies from last year’s festival-goers are any indication, Mountainfilm is sure to inspire once again. Watch the video below to see the festival for yourself.
What is Mountainfilm? from Mountainfilm in Telluride
The Evolution of Mountainfilm
About a decade ago, in the face of a number of growing global concerns, the festival board decided it was time to expand beyond the parameters of showcasing only adventure films. Thus, a concerted effort was made to transform Mountainfilm into a venue for openly evaluating environmental and cultural issues through a broad range of artistic mediums. The concept would be anchored each year by a themed symposium. In 2007, the festival’s topic was energy; in 2008, it was water. This year, Mountainfilm is focusing on the crucial role that food plays in our society. The festival's directors have sought out an array of experts to lead discussions, such as author Bill McKibben and National Geographic Magazine executive editor Dennis Dimnick.
The result is an atmosphere which festival director David Holbrooke describes as “electric.” And that’s not just because the town of Telluride sits high in the San Juans and is prone to lightning storms, but because this “part film festival, part think tank, part jamboree” draws together a group of individuals all primed to make a contribution—and in the word’s of Gandhi—to be the difference they wish to see in the world.
And this is what executive director Peter Kentworthy and David Holbrooke had hoped for by continuing to lead Mountainfilm through the largely unchartered territory of philanthropic adventure film festivals. And no matter if patrons choose to fully immerse themselves or just come for the free breakfast talks and gallery walks, Holbrooke hopes that they are changed in some way by the experience. “We hope that people come away with a sense of commitment to have a positive impact on the planet and a better understanding of what they can do to help,” Holbrooke says.
Symposium and Special Guests
The opening day symposium will address the increasingly complicated question of how to sustainably feed a population that will potentially reach nine billion by 2050. Esteemed environmentalist and author Bill McKibben is the keynote speaker in a panel comprising twelve scholars and writers. The group will explain the implications these numbers have on our food supply and how we can survive and thrive despite them.
Mountainfilm’s impressive list of special guest attendees also includes two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nicholas Kristoff, American climbing legend Jim Whittaker, nature photographer James Balog, and Richard Holbrooke, United States Special Envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Films
Mountainfilm will show 80 films over four days, including features, shorts, and the highly anticipated world premiere of Ken Burns’s The National Parks: America’s Best Idea. Six years in the making, the film documents the personal sacrifices and struggles of those fighting to save the land they love. After devouring some of the film’s eye candy shots, it won’t be difficult to see why their causes meant so much to them.
Other films include Food, Inc., a survey piece highlighting many of the festival’s key issues, topics such as soil quality, genetic engineering, and urban agriculture. The Garden is an Oscar-nominated film which probes the latter in greater detail, following a group of farmers as they try to establish a community farm in South Central Los Angeles. Far from being limited to food topics alone, the festival’s reach is deep: Samsara is a classic adrenaline-packed mountaineering film; Reporter documents the power of journalism in humanitarian crises; and Carts of Darkness sheds light on a seldom seen side of poverty.
Prices
Mountainfilm offers a variety of options so you can customize your festival experience. Film tickets can be bought separately or you can grab a do-it-all package. Early bird deals end May 1, so get yours soon.
Day Trips
If you’re headed out to Telluride for the festival, you might want to consider extending your stay. After all, you have a nest of thirteeners and fourteeners if you’re in the mood to bag a peak. Or you can choose from a litany of biking, hiking, and whitewater opportunities, all within about an hour’s drive from Telluride.
Here, climbing addict-turned-mountain guide Drew Ludwig offers some quick hit suggestions for day trips before, during or after your stint at Mountainfilm.