It’s a glorious almost-summer day here in Pennsylvania. As I watch the neighbors load up the kids to head down the shore for this Memorial Day weekend…I wish that I was joining my friends up in the mountains. This weekend in Telluride, Colorado is the wonderful, transformative film festival, Mountainfilm. It’s one of those festivals where the setting is integral to your experience. Watching films that celebrate the great outdoors in this beautiful mining town in the mountains is phenomenal.
You’ll want to be sure to take in a film outdoors in the Town Park (Base Camp). There’s nothing like experiencing an outdoor adventure film full of chills and thrills on a big screen as you cuddle in your sleeping bag sipping hot cocoa. Because, yes, the sun may be warm, but the evenings will be chilly! As you plan your Mountainfilm adventure, I hope you pencil in time for more than films. The program is exceptional, as it is every year, but there are also talks, seminars and even, an Earth-themed disco hosting by drag queen, Pattie Gonia!
Part of the transformative nature of attending a festival is the connections you can make. You will meet interesting people standing in line waiting for a film, while you’re enjoying an ice cream in the sun at the Ice Cream Social or riding the gondola discussing the amazing program you just experienced. The most important thing to remember is to be open to discovery.
I recommend trying to see a Shorts Program, an Outdoor Adventure film, and a Documentary. One great way to experience the festival is to pick a venue and see all the films that screen there. Or create chunks of time to experience different aspects of the festival: go to a Coffee Talk, follow that with a shorts program, then go have a coffee and talk to fellow festival goers. Listen to suggestions from people you meet and be open to going to programs knowing nothing about the subject matter.
I’m excited to watch the features “Between the Mountain & the Sky”, “A Good Wolf”, “One with the Whale”, “Ashima”, and “We Can Be Heroes”. There are opportunities to support the organizations that are tied to many of the social causes presented at the festival.
My personal favorites have always been the shorts programs. It takes incredible skill to distill a story down to its core elements and still retain that sense of wonder or urgency that can move or inspire an audience. There are some incredible shorts every year and this Mountainfilm program is packed with fascinating films.
You may find something that resonates with you on a deeply personal level if you’re open to discovery. I was amazed and moved while watching my first short. I found so many elements of the story connected with my life that I wanted to watch the film a second time right away. “A Symphony of Tiny Lights” is a 30-minute film in the Originals Shorts Program.
As a California native who was blessed to grow up in the Bay Area, I’ve always admired those that champion environmental causes. I don’t remember ever hearing about the subject of this eye-opening documentary, John Francis. Directors Dominic and Nadia Gill, use archival footage, interviews and news footage to present this evocative tale of one man’s quiet crusade. Known as the Planetwalker, Francis, who was from Philadelphia, walked across the United States and has sailed all over the world.
“A Symphony of Tiny Lights” premiered at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, where it won an artistic vision award. The film tells the incredible story of John Francis. After witnessing the carnage wrought by an oil tanker spill in the San Francisco Bay, the young man decided to forgo cars. He would walk. Frustrated by the conversations about his motivations, Francis decided to stop speaking.
Silent for 17 years, John Francis founded Planet Walk, a non-profit environmental awareness organization. He earned a B.S. degree from Southern Oregon State College, a Masters degree from the University of Montana-Missoula, and a PhD from the Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He even taught college classes while remaining silent.
Communicating through his own form of sign language and his banjo music, Francis went on to become a well-known environmentalist with a personal mission to spread kindness. Dr. Francis refers to kindness as “the special sauce” and his words of wisdom are simple and profound. One of the wonderful things about film festivals is that you can hear from the filmmakers themselves at the screenings. I wish I could be in Telluride this Saturday to meet Dominic and Nadia Gill. And what joy to get to hear Dr. Francis speak, as he’ll also be in attendance.
If you’re lucky enough to be in Telluride right now, you can see this film and experience it for yourself. You can watch this brilliant short, “A Symphony of Tiny Lights” on Sat, May 25th at 5:45pm at the Sheridan Opera House and on Sun, May 26th at 1pm at the Palm Theatre. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait for a Mountainfilm screening coming to your neck of the woods…or perhaps it will screen at a film festival near you. You can also follow Encompass Films to learn about future screenings as it travels the festival circuit.
Did watching this short film transform my life? Did it make me stop driving my car or stop speaking? Well, no. But did I immediately renew my Sierra Club membership and then wrote this review praising the film. I may not be in Telluride right now…but my words are there. This review is on the back page of the Telluride Daily Planet.
Drinks with Films Rating: 4 glasses of crystal-clear water from a stream after a long hot day of trekking (out of 5)
Drinks with films 