20th Annual Backcountry Film Festival

Presented by Winter Wildlands Alliance, the 20th Annual Backcountry Film Festival celebrates the power and spirit of humans in winter. Out of 320+ films submitted, the Backcountry Film Festival film selection committee has chosen this year’s very best stories of backcountry adventure and snow cinema by human-powered athletes, brands, activists and adventurers.

Grab your friends, come on out and immerse yourself in a night of films that celebrate the power and spirit of humans in winter. Adventure, travel, ski culture, ice, pain, suffering, laughter, DEEP POWDER!—you’ll find it all in this year’s lineup. Ticket proceeds benefit Wasatch Mountain Institute.

Wine and beer available for purchase.

Film Line-up:

Surviving Our Story (24:33 mins)
Filmmakers: Connor Ryan and Isaiah Branch Boyle
For two skiers caught in back-to-back Colorado avalanches, surviving the accident is only the beginning of the journey to reclaim their lives and find their way back to the snow.

Drawn In (7:33 mins)
Filmmaker: Jessa Gilbert and Justin Taylor Smith
Artist Jessa Gilbert finds inspiration, lines in the snow, and a beginning at the bottom of the world.

A Rose for All (6:00 mins)
Filmmaker: Chris Kitchen, KGB Productions
Half an hour from downtown Reno, Nevada, lies a public gateway to wild snow. But can we make room for everybody?

Sven – A Life in Front of the Lens (16:05 mins)
Filmmaker: Gabe Rovick, F4D Studio
Veteran cover boy Sven Brunso may just be the most photographed man in backcountry skiing. Will he ever give up?

The Glide (3:00 mins)
Filmmaker: Luc Mehl
After several close calls in avalanches, Winter Wildlands Alliance’s Alaska-based ambassador Luc Mehl wanted to explore some different terrain. Here’s what he found.

A Line in the Snow (14:02 mins)
Filmmaker: Ryan Rumpca, Manifested Moose Media
Professional arctic explorer Annie Aggens, her daughters and their four-legged friends go winter camping in the wilds of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters.

The Power of Four (7:33 mins)
Filmmaker: Forest Barton
Spandex, skinny skis, struggle and redemption in the headwaters of the Roaring Fork.

Novelty Lines (4:42 mins)
Filmmaker: Anthony Cupaiuolo, First Tracks Productions
Splitboarder Claire Hewitt-Demeyer pushes the limits of human-powered type 2 fun for a surprising first descent.

On Thin Snow (9:22 mins)
Filmmakers: Jonah Rafael and Kalef Steinberg
Avalanche scientist Brian Lazar digs into the increasingly variable snowpack in Colorado to see what climate change means for backcountry skiing.

NISEI (7:36 mins)
Filmmakers: Iz La Motte, Sierra Schlag
In the tension between her Japanese and American heritage, pro-skier Sierra Schlag finds graceful lines through deep powder.

Song of Ice (2:26 mins)
Filmmaker: Arthus Kauffeisen
Last but definitely not least, to send you merrily on your way, a final lyrical dance through
frozen mountain landscapes with very earnest voiceover.