Mountainfilm facts for kids

Mountainfilm is a cool documentary film festival held every year in Telluride, Colorado. It started in 1979 and happens on Memorial Day weekend. This festival shows true stories about nature, different cultures, climbing, and important social issues.

Besides showing amazing films, Mountainfilm also brings together top athletes, people who make a difference, and artists. They have interesting talks, free community events, art shows, and outdoor activities. The main goal of Mountainfilm is to teach, inspire, and encourage everyone who attends.

Since 2000, Mountainfilm has shared its films and speakers around the world with "Mountainfilm on Tour." They also have "Mountainfilm for Students," which offers free film screenings and learning materials for schools. Mountainfilm even gives out grants to filmmakers, photographers, artists, and adventurers. These grants help projects that aim to use stories and art to make the world a better place.

The Story of Mountainfilm

Mountainfilm began in 1979 in Telluride, Colorado. Back then, Telluride was changing from a mining town to a popular ski resort. Two friends, Lito Tejada-Flores and Bill Kees, started the festival. Lito was a filmmaker, and Bill loved the outdoors.

They showed about twelve films over three nights at the old Sheridan Opera House. These films were all about mountain sports, mountain cultures, and issues facing mountain areas. During the day, people could go out and enjoy the mountains themselves!

Growing the Festival

The next year, Scott Brown and Chip Kamin took over running the festival. They helped it grow until 2000. Famous climbers and explorers like Royal Robbins and Yvon Chouinard joined in. With their help, Mountainfilm became a special tradition. It brought together pioneers from many fields, like athletes, environmentalists, and scientists.

Soon, mountains became a symbol for the festival. The event grew bigger and became more famous. Its films and discussions started to cover many modern topics. The festival's motto is "celebrating indomitable spirit," which means celebrating a spirit that can't be defeated.

Inspiring Speakers

Mountainfilm has hosted many famous and inspiring speakers over the years. These speakers share their experiences and ideas with the audience. Some well-known people who have spoken at Mountainfilm include:

• Bill McKibben, an environmental writer.
• Chris Sharma, a famous rock climber.
• Wade Davis, an explorer and writer.
• Sir Edmund Hillary, one of the first people to climb Mount Everest.
• Dianne Feinstein, a well-known politician.
• Galen Rowell, a famous outdoor photographer.
• David Brower, a leading environmentalist.
• Julia Butterfly Hill, an environmental activist.
• John Grunsfeld, an astronaut.

These speakers help to educate and inspire people about important issues.

Mountainfilm Around the World

In 2000, Mountainfilm started its "Mountainfilm on Tour" program. This tour takes the best films and speakers from the festival to places all over the world. Each year, they put on over 150 shows.

More than 65,000 people attend these events across six continents! The tour keeps growing, even adding a national tour in Australia and New Zealand in 2017. This helps Mountainfilm share its inspiring stories with even more people globally.

Who Started Mountainfilm?

Mountainfilm was founded by a group of passionate people. These included:

• Royal Robbins, a legendary rock climber.
• Lito Tejada-Flores, a filmmaker and former president of the American Alpine Club.
• Bob Craig, another important figure in the climbing community.
• Bill Kees, a local from Telluride who loved the outdoors.

They also received help from Michael Kennedy, who owned Climbing magazine, and Yvon Chouinard, who founded the outdoor clothing company Patagonia.

Mountainfilm's Goals

Mission Statement

Mountainfilm's main goal is to use the power of films, art, and ideas to inspire people. They want to encourage everyone to work towards creating a better world for all.

Motto

The festival's motto is "Celebrating Indomitable Spirit." This means they celebrate the strong, unbeatable spirit of people who overcome challenges and work for good.

Vision for the Future

Mountainfilm aims to be a lively festival of films, people, stories, and ideas. It celebrates the human spirit, teaches and inspires audiences, and encourages individuals and communities to find solutions for a world where everyone can live well.

Core Values

Mountainfilm believes in several important values:

• Embracing adventure and exploring new things.
• Protecting our natural environments.
• Connecting different cultures and understanding each other.
• Building strong, supportive communities.
• Inspiring people to take action and make a difference.
• Helping new storytellers share their tales.
• Enlightening audiences with new knowledge and perspectives.