Eastern Sierra Mountain Film Festival opens today
5th Annual Eastern Sierra Mountain Film Festival
OCT. 2 -5
Announcing 4 days of some of the best Environmental and Mountain Culture Films on the Festival Circuit!
Screenings at 7pm at
USFS Auditorium 2510 Main St.
next to the Visitors Center
Tickets are Free – Donations are Appreciated
CLICK HERE FOR FULL FEATURE LINE-UP
Opening Night!
ASHIMA
Wednesday Oct. 2 at 7:00pm
Director Kenji Tsukamoto
Ashima is an intimate portrait of 13-year-old elite rock climber Ashima Shiraishi and her quest to stamp her name in the record book as the world’s youngest climber to climb a V14-graded boulder problem. Accompanying Ashima on her journey to South Africa’s Golden Shadow is Poppo, an eccentric, hermit-like, retired avant-garde dancer, who also happens to be her father. Emotional and rooted in character, Ashima is a love letter not only to climbing, but to immigrant parents and the realization of the American Dream. ASHIMA TRAILER
CRAGGIN’ FILMS
YAMNUSKA: The Ragged Edge
Thursday Oct. 3 at 7:00pm
Director John Price
Follow modern-day adventurers Vikki Weldon and Quentin Roberts as they embark on a climbing journey through time, celebrating the rich history of one of Canada’s most iconic cliffs, Mount Yamnuska.
Run Time 77 mins. YAMNUSKA TRAILER
CRAGGIN’ FILMS
JAMROCK: The Birth of Jamaican Rock Climbing
Thursday Oct. 3 at 7:00pm
Director Gareth Leah
“Jamrock” follows the remarkable journey of Kai Lightner, a 12-time national climbing champion and the visionary founder of “Climb for Change.” The film delves into the heart of Jamaica’s emerging climbing community, where passion and determination thrive despite limited resources and recognition. As a sport historically dominated by white individuals, Kai seeks to challenge stereotypes and foster inclusivity by bringing the thrill of rock climbing to a diverse range of enthusiasts.
Run Time 17 mins. JAMROCK TRAILER
CRAGGIN’ FILMS
IAN
Thursday Oct. 3 at 7:00pm
Director Matt Raimondo
“IAN” is a short cinematic portrayal of the incredible 72-year-old Australian rockclimber Ian Elliott. Defying age stereotypes, Ian’s technical skills, strength, and endurance shatter societal norms and highlight the extraordinary potential of older athletes.
Run Time 8 mins. IAN TRAILER
ENVIRONMENTAL FILMS BLOCK
CHASING TIME
Friday Oct. 4 at 7:00pm
Director Jeff Orlowski – Yang & Sarah Keo
Over the course of the 15-year Extreme Ice Survey project, photographer James Balog and his team brought some of the world’s first and most compelling visual evidence of climate change to the global stage as he depicted the rapid melting of glaciers around the world. CHASING TIME is a meditative exploration of time and mortality, following James and his crew as they bring the decades-long project to a close, cataloging more than one million images in the process. The short documentary reunites James and the Emmy-winning team behind CHASING ICE to capture the end of the epic undertaking and spotlight the power of an intergenerational effort to seed hope and inspire action toward a sustainable future. Run Time 39 Mins.
ENVIRONMENTAL FILMS BLOCK
A FIGHTING CHANCE
Friday Oct. 4 at 7:00pm
Director Rob McAllister
The Klamath Basin on the California-Oregon border has historically been home to a vast array of interconnected wetlands. These wetlands have long provided vital benefits for wildlife and people. Over time these wetlands have almost entirely been lost through damming and draining. “A Fighting Chance” answers key questions about why conserving and restoring wetlands is so important, what we can learn from the birds that depend on them, and how local communities can be part of the conservation solution. Run Time 12:30 Mins.
ENVIRONMENTAL FILMS BLOCK
TO SEE THE SKY
Friday Oct. 4 at 7:00pm
Director Kyle Dudgeon
What is considered to be the largest flying bird on Earth, the Andean condor rarely flaps its wings, meaning it relies on its knowledge of rising and falling air to navigate the vast landscape in which it resides. Sympson’s life work has attempted to understand this knowledge and how exactly it is acquired, while gathering decades of baseline information on the relatively unexplored species along the way. An exciting character-driven story with its roots in conservation, To See the Sky promises a cinematic adventure through one of the world’s most cherished places. Run Time 24 Mins.
Closing Night!
A GOOD WOLF
Saturday Oct. 5 at 7:00pm
Director Ramey Newell
A Good Wolf examines a 40-year conflict over a single tract of land adjacent to Denali National Park — a volatile struggle between state and federal authorities, fur trappers and wildlife advocates and competing human interests on public lands. Armed with thorough data, biologists and activists bring a new proposal to state authorities, hoping to regain protections for wolves near the park boundary. However, local trappers are adamantly opposed. Hanging in the balance are some of America’s most iconic animals and wild places. Run Time 92 Mins.

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