19th annual Backcountry Film Festival showcases adventure and environmental stewardship

Photo: Photo by Alex Lange

PARK CITY, Utah — The 19th annual Backcountry Film Festival, a celebration of human-powered, backcountry-inspired stories, will be presented by Winter Wildlands Alliance in partnership with Wasatch Mountain Institute. The festival features diverse short documentaries and ski movies, focusing on themes like mountain pursuits, environmental adaptation in snowsports, and artistic vision.

Event Details
When: Dec. 14, 2023, show starts at 7 p.m.
Tickets: $15.00 – Buy Online
Location: Jim Santy Auditorium, 1255 Park Avenue, Park City, UT, 84060

Film Program:

What If? (6 min) dir. Josh Goldsmith
A countdown into the mind of a backcountry skier as he contemplates the delicate balance between risk and reward, confidence and apprehension.

CON ARTIST (12 min) dir. MBG Motion Pictures
Three female freeskiers find themselves on a transcendental journey, crossing the lines of reality and the subconscious mind in a heist for self-identity.

Beloved Whitebark: Stalwart Witness (6:33 min) dir. Creative Ascents Films
Having worked to protect whitebark pine in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for the last 23 years, Nancy Bockino invites you to get to know this charismatic tree in the alpine. Learn about why whitebark is important and its present perilous situation. Nurture your own connection to the alpine and its inhabitants.

109 Below (13:42 min) dir. Stept Studios
A tale of resilience, grit, and elite rescue volunteers going out of their way to save the lives of strangers, 109 BELOW traces how an attempted rescue on Mount Washington in 1982 changed not only the course of two climbers’ lives – but also the lives of the rescuers who attempted to save them, and the future of prosthetics, forever.

Beyond Begbie (13:36 min) dir. Zoya Lynch
Climbing Mt Begbie is a “right of passage” for every hiker, climber, sledder, and skier who chooses to make Revelstoke their home. While this peak has created an entire contemporary culture in Revelstoke, its name and story only represent colonial history, with no reference to the Indigenous heritage of this land. Is it the outdoor community’s responsibility to help change this?

Have An Adventure (20 min) dir. Colby Elliot
A human-powered think piece that follows a collection of skiers as they explore familiar terrain in search of new adventure around Utah’s famous backcountry. Join John as he follows in his father’s tracks to turn new corners and explore the canyon he grew up in. Along the way, John explores his father’s skiing philosophies while considering ways to nurture the rapidly changing culture of a growing ski community.

Bloom (14:20 min) dir. Kyle Hilken
Sierra Schlag navigates the world after losing her father on 9/11, exploring her grief and identity as a Japanese-American while also finding herself under the cloak of depression. While she navigates these complexities, Sierra finds a way to connect with her dad and heal through skiing—post-film discussion with Sierra Schlag.

burn. // A Ski Film (11:22 min) dir. Kellen MacDonald
The story of how forest fires are impacting large swaths of terrain in the western United States and Canada. In the wake of the fires, certain areas are transformed into beautiful playgrounds for skiers and snowboarders.

Racha (10 min) dir. Andy Hardy
Through stunning cinematography and powerful storytelling, this film takes you on a journey of discovery, where the love of skiing leads to an unexpected education and a story that demands to be told.

The Redline Traverse (Short) (6:33 min) dir. Steve Seime
Jenna Kane and Greg Cunningham take on the Redline Traverse, the tallest and longest ski tour in the Sierra Nevada. They pay tribute to the pioneers of the route, the spirit of the tour, and, of course, ski.

Backcountry Film Festival Website