Squaw Valley Institute Presents Mountainfilm in Telluride Festival

Two Events Highlight Films

Olympic Valley, Calif. – Squaw Valley Institute is bringing Mountainfilm in Telluride on Tour to Lake Tahoe for two film shows. All captivating, adventure and nature-related films addressing the limits of the human spirit, the films format include both shorts and longer length films. On the first night, Thursday, December 16, will feature an exclusive VIP event at Galley Keoki in The Village at Squaw Valley with private screenings of five films, along with the opportunity to meet and socialize with Justin Clifton, Director of Mountainfilm on Tour. Wine and appetizers are included in this limited-seating engagement. Tickets are $50. The second evening will feature six top Mountainfilm movies at Resort at Squaw Creek. Once again, Justin Clifton will host the evening, sharing insights into the remarkable collection of films. Tickets for the December 17 event run $20 for the general public, $15 for Tahoe/Truckee locals with ID, and $10 for Squaw Valley Institute Members. Tickets are available at www.squawvalleyinstitute.org. If tickets are available at the door on the night of the show, they will be offered at $20.

Doors open at 6:30 PM for the VIP event at Gallery Keoki; the show begins at 7:30 PM. For the show at Resort at Squaw Creek in the Grand Sierra Ballroom, the doors open at 6:30 PM with a no-host bar offered; the show begins at 8:00 PM. An after-party takes place in Sandy’s Pub at Resort at Squaw Creek on December 17.

Sponsors for the event include the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association and North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce. Venue sponsors include Resort at Squaw Creek and Gallery Keoki.

The film line-up includes:

Films on December 16

The Edge of Never - “What would Trevor ski?” That was the question on bumper stickers around the world after ski legend Trevor Peterson died in Chamonix in 1996. Nine years later, his 15-year-old son, Kye, is brought to Chamonix to tempt fate by skiing the same couloir that killed his father. The film, by director William Kerig, features an impressive roster of big-mountain skiers, such as Ansleme Baud, Doug Coombs, Stephane “FanFan” Dan, Mike Hattrup, Glen Plake and Kasha Rigby.

Last Paradise - Director Clive Neeson, armed with footage from 45 years of extreme sports pioneers in the wilds of New Zealand, has made a film about the unique time when such outdoor sports as bungee jumping were created. We’re showing just one of these amazing stories from the film: It involves Telluride local Jeff Campell, skiing, glaciers and Levi’s jeans.

The Blue Line - Take a rope, stretch it taut across a yawning gorge, and then walk across it while tethered only by a leash and harness. This is the formula for high lining—an intense and highly exposed sport that athlete Robin Avery and friends practice over a precipitous canyon in this short film about heights, exposure and the relationship between man and a thin blue line.

Point of No Return - Only 24 people have reached the summit of Mt. Edgar in China’s Sichuan Province, but none approached via the east side of the 22,368-foot mountain. Top-flight alpinists Jonny Copp and Micah Dash, followed by cameraman Wade Johnson for the Sender Films First Ascent series, were attempting a new route. As the group hiked toward base camp, they expressed concern about the warm weather. "It's scary," Jonny said on camera. "I've been on a lot of expeditions with Jonny," Micah said, "and that's the first time I've ever heard him refer to something as 'scary.'" They were right to be unnerved. After three weeks in base camp with little progress, they decided to abandon the ascent and retrieve some gear they’d stashed higher on the mountain. As they proceeded, a massive avalanche let loose, killing all three of them. Point of No Return tells the compelling story of these accomplished men and is also a testament to the talented Sender Films team who produced a clear-eyed film about their lost friends.

Alone On the Wall - Today, many climbers ascend Yosemite’s famous Half Dome in just a few hours. But how would they fare all alone with no partner, no rope and just a thousand feet of air between them and the ground? Meet Alex Honnold. He’s 23, tall, unassuming and kind of goofy. He’s also a calm, collected super-athlete who is pioneering new territory by free soloing big walls. Alone on the Wall, one of Sender Films’ First Ascent series, follows Alex as he completes two ground-breaking projects: free soloing Zion’s Moonlight Buttress and Yosemite’s Half Dome. In the world of climbing, free soloing is rare, and in the world of free soloing, nobody else attempts such big walls. His climbing is exceptional, but it’s his composure, focus and utter calm that make such an impression.

Films on December 17

Queen of Trees - This is the extraordinary story of a relationship between two unlikely creatures: a regal African fig tree and a nearly microscopic wasp. The Queen of Trees shared a Best of Festival award at Mountainfilm in 2006, and we bring it back because few films demonstrate the intricate and essential relationships of a specific ecosystem as well or as beautifully.

Mouse That Soared - Step right up and see the hair-raising adventures of a flying circus mouse! Witness the story of how an orphan foundling learns lessons in life and flight from his adoptive songbird parents. Come one, come all to this high-flying tale of beating the odds!

11 Degrees - You might not think of Scotland as the place to link turns, but despite a warming climate, a little Scottish ski resort continues spinning the motor on its rope tow. Skiers keep descending on one small swatch of browning snow. And whatever the conditions, Scottish humor and enthusiasm shine in the ski attendant, a mild-mannered man of the mountains.

As It Happens – At the beginning of this terrific short, Renan Ozturk (director of the award-winning Samsara at Mountainfilm 2009) addresses how disconnected an expedition and a film can be, which happens simply because of the time that elapses between the two. So he and mountaineer Corey Bradshaw “go rogue,” as they call it, and file video dispatches from their attempt at the first ascent of Nepal’s 6,000-meter Tawoche Himal. The film takes these individual pieces and ties them together in one well-made film that lets a challenging trip unfold as it happens. This talented director also has two other films in this festival: Khumbu Climbing Class 2010 and Living the Dream.

Facing the Waves – Bobby Vaughn is one of those characters who could originate from central casting in Los Angeles. Tough and charismatic, he’s a former gang member who has gotten into some trouble in the hood. Simultaneously, he’s an entrepreneur and helped build the cap company Von Dutch into a national brand and, of course, a surfer. But what makes this documentary by director Lee Quinby particularly compelling is that, after legal issues forced him out of L.A., Bobby has now taken root in Rockaway Park, NYC. He’s started a new surf clothing line in New York called FTW, which has a variety of meanings, some of which are unprintable, but one of which is Facing the Waves. It’s clear in this film that the waves represent a life force for Bobby as they rise and fall, much like this dynamic young man himself.

Eastern Rises - The Kamchatka peninsula in the Russian Far East may as well be at the end of the earth. Its enormous, wild landscape is threaded with rivers, swimming with massive mouse-eating trout and swarming with bugs and bears. In other words, this place is the Holy Grail for truly obsessed, halfway insane fly fishermen. Felt Soul’s Ben Knight and Travis Rummel last brought Mountainfilm audiences the story of Alaskan salmon at risk in Red Gold, and this film reunites the filmmakers with Frank Smethurst (the star of their short Running Down the Man) as he and other anglers head to Kamchatka during the summer of 2008. In this gorgeous film, fishing is poetry; Bigfoot lurks in the fog; and fishermen risk life and limb in decommissioned Cold War helicopters to explore rivers that have never been fished before.





Squaw Valley Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting programs having artistic, cultural and educational values. The Institute presents lectures, performances, forums, exhibitions and classes in the unique mountain environment of Squaw Valley, North Lake Tahoe, Truckee and surrounding communities, bringing together visitors, residents and friends in the truest sense of community.

Mountainfilm on Tour is dedicated to educating and inspiring audiences about issues that matter, cultures worth exploring, environments worth preserving, and conversations worth sustaining.