Festival Filmmakers

2020 Festival Filmmakers

TOM ATTWATER

Tom is originally from Wichita, KS, but now lives in Missoula, MT. In the past he has worked seasonally as a backcountry instructor and river guide. He graduated from the University of Montana in 2016 with a BFA in Media Arts and Digital Video Production.

JOSH BERMAN

Josh started his career in the New York City production scene while earning a degree in Film Studies and Photography from Dartmouth College, from which he graduated with honors in 2001. When a knee injury sidetracked Josh’s pursuit of skiing professionally he stepped behind the lens and founded Level 1 as a vehicle through which to produce his first films. While his original plan was to pursue a more traditional filmmaking career in NY or LA, he instead forged his own path following the snow to Colorado and has been shooting, producing, directing, and editing award-winning ski films and outdoor commercial work over the past two decades for clients around the globe.

TITOUAN BERNICOT

Freediver and photographer Titouan Bernicot grew up surrounded by the ocean. When he realised that his office, playground and sanctuary was under attack, he launched Coral Gardeners, which has been garnering support rapidly around the world. I grew up on Ahe, a small atoll in the North of the Tuamotu islands. My parents had a pearl farm there. Since I was a child, I have spent most of my time in the water, so I created a deep connection with the ocean. Coral reefs have given me everything in life, from the waves we surf to the fish we eat.

AMANDA BLUGLASS

Amanda Bluglass’ films and commercial work have featured on the BBC, Oprah Winfrey Network, Channel 4, Huffington Post and The Atlantic, with commissions from clients as varied as NASA, London Olympics, Samsung, Etsy, the National Trust and Photobox. She’s also an Associate Lecturer in Media Arts at Plymouth University, UK. Her first career, spanning 12 years in BBC radio/TV news saw her working with national correspondents for the Six, One and Ten o’clock News. Since embarking on freelance directing in 2006, she’s won numerous festival selections and awards for her documentary portraits and experimental films.

ANTHONY BONELLO

Anthony brings a honed style of storytelling that transports viewers beyond geography to convey the feel of a place and it’s people. The founder of b4apres Media, he independently directed and produced the documentaries AZADI:Freedom and STAND which have both won numerous awards internationally while screening in over 30 countries. Anthony has worked with Switchback for a number of years and joined the team exclusively in 2013 for their first feature documentary SNOWMAN. In 2015 Anthony directed the award winning Salomon Freeski film Eclipse. Anthony is also a published freelance writer and photographer.

CHRIS BURKARD

Chris Burkard is an accomplished explorer, photographer, creative director, speaker, and author. Traveling throughout the year to pursue the farthest expanses of Earth, Burkard works to capture stories that inspire humans to consider their relationship with nature, while promoting the preservation of wild places everywhere. Layered by outdoor, travel, adventure, surf, and lifestyle subjects, Burkard is known for images that

are punctuated by untamed, energized landscapes and peak moments of adventure. He has accumulated an audience of over one million followers to become a globally recognized social influencer. Burkard is often central in synthesizing the creative projects he is involved in, across stakeholders. His holistic and visionary perspective has earned him opportunities to work on global, prominent campaigns with Fortune 500 clients, appear as a TED speaker, develop specialty product lines, teach national and international photography workshops and publish a collection of books, including a children’s book. Along with his team, Burkard is based out of his full-scale production studio and art gallery near his hometown in Central Coast California. At the age of 33, Burkard has established himself as a global presence and influencer, accomplishing a prolific portfolio, connecting people from around the world and producing some of the most recognized creative work of our time.

FITZ CAHALL

Co-founder and Creative Director at Duct Tape Then Beer, Fitz started his career as a true dirtbag writer / naked subsistence hunter. He has an appreciation for fine (and not-that-fine) beers, behavioral economics, his wife and two sons, and helping others realize their creativity.

DAVID CHANG

David’s love for filmmaking began early in his youth when he was gifted a miniDV handicam for a school project. As smaller cameras grew into production grade cinema cameras, his passion for storytelling and cinematography grew much faster. Now with extensive experience in documentary, commercial, and narrative video production, David has been immersed in a variety of projects all over the world.

ANNE CLEARY

Anne Cleary is a filmmaker based in Seattle, Washington. She has directed and produced over 60 short films and is the first female director at Crankworx. Cleary grew up with a father who was obsessed with photography and filmmaking and believes the camera is one of the best ways to tell a story. She worked on The Recipe (2019), a ski movie featuring Ingrid Backstrom, and co-directed Superbloom which focuses on the feeling and experience of being outdoors.

ANALISE CLEOPATRA

Analise Cleopatra is a visual artist, designer and new filmmaker from Miami, FL. Born to a Trinidadian mother and a Jamaican father, she is incurably curious which she feeds by being a perpetual student of art & history. After living in Oregon for the past several years she has returned home to Miami where she has lovingly reunited with her family and entered her newest chapter as the Visual Brand Manger for Velocio Apparel. “I make the inanimate; emote”

RC CONE

RC moved from the flatlands to the big sky country when he was 18. Graduating from the University of Montana with a degree in Environmental Studies and a concentration in Photojournalism profoundly shaped his worldview and sense of aesthetic. Working with amazing companies such as Patagonia, Orvis and Howler Bros on a collection of adventure documentaries cemented RC’s love for outdoor cinema and the connections it creates. He and his camera have travelled around four continents and dream everyday of new adventures.

CHRIS CRESCI

Chris Cresci gained an appreciation for wild things and the outdoors during his childhood in Walla Walla, Washington. Today, he splits his passion between getting out — climbing, hiking and trail running — and working as a filmmaker and cinematographer. Cresci has worked on a number of environmental film projects that often focus on the themes of conservation and the human connection to the natural world. He is the founding member and director at Rainhouse Cinema.

BRENDAN P. DAVIS

Brendan Davis is a photographer and filmmaker based in Boulder, CO, but often on the road living and running out of his mini-van. His work follows personal journeys on paths between adventure and humanity.

Festival Filmmakers continued

JAMIE DINICOLA

Jamie is an activist, writer, and award winning filmmaker based in Brooklyn, New York. As a queer transgender man, Jamie has made storytelling the cornerstone of his queer and trans activist work. Jamie wrote, directed, and produced the short narrative film Spot, which was created with an entirely transgender cast playing non-transgender specific roles. Spot has screened in festivals around the country and was the winner of “Best Short Screenplay” at the 2017 Rahway International Film Festival. Jamie was recently featured in Huffington Post’s “10 Trans Filmmakers You Should Know.”

IAN DURKIN

Ian Durkin is the lead curator at Vimeo and a filmmaker and just moved to Rhode Island.

JO ANNA EDMISON

Jo Anna Edmison is a filmmaker and photographer from the South Bay of southern California. She experiments heavily with analog practices within her art and is constantly inspired by the beach culture that surrounds her. While studying Art and Design at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Edmison was able to continue her love for capturing the timeless essence of what it means to be surrounded by California culture. Currently, she is working on projects that all revolve around film as well as music. She is the video director of Cal Poly radio, the manager of a funk and soul band, and a freelance photographer for various companies. Edmison is also passionate about breaking gender barriers within these fields and portrays this throughout many pieces she has created.

KATIE FALKENBERG

Katie Falkenberg is a documentary filmmaker and photographer based in Los Angeles. Raised in Ohio, she began her career in Washington, D.C., covering the White House and other national news. Since then, assignments have taken her to the mountains of Pakistan, the jungles of eastern Congo, the coalfields of Appalachia, and many places in between. Her greatest passion now is working on environmental conservation and outdoor-themed photo and video stories that raise awareness and understanding, or spark interest and inspiration. Falkenberg is a Pulitzer Prize finalist in Feature Photography, and a recipient of the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for Domestic Photography. She has twice been named Multimedia Photographer of the Year by Pictures of the Year International (POYi), and the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), and two of her short films have been named Official Honorees in the Webby Awards. When not working, she can be found surfing, fly fishing, or painting.

ADAM FOSS

Adam Foss grew up in the foothills of the Alberta Rockies where from age 14, he became deeply rooted in mountain bowhunting. His passion for wild places has led him to travel around the globe, pursuing outdoor adventures on six different continents. In addition to being an accomplished bowhunter and ambassador for outdoor brands like Sitka, YETI and Gerber, Foss has developed a career as a professional photographer and filmmaker. For almost a decade he has worked with his wife and producer Frankie Foss making films and content from their Kelowna-based company, Foss Media. The focus of Adam’s work over the years has been to redefine the way we tell stories around hunting, to push the boundaries of the typical hunting narrative into uncharted territory. Trophies are not a gauge of success for Foss. Instead, Adam is focused on the process of the hunt — spending challenging days in the mountains, forming long-lasting friendships, stewarding public lands, and conserving legendary big game species. Serving on multiple conservation boards — including a past position with WSF membership committees — he is currently a founding director of the Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance. Foss aims to protect and promote the hunting heritage, wild animals and wild places and to continue to tell the hunting stories that resonate at the human level for both hunters and non-hunters alike.

DANA FRANKOFF

Dana Frankoff is a filmmaker in Northern California who has helped make academy award-winning films come to life. Her directorial debut, “Voice Above Water” is a short documentary that combines her passion for protecting the ocean and storytelling. Her overall goal as a filmmaker is to tell emotional stories that motivate people towards living a sustainable lifestyle and help make the world a healthier place.

PERRY GERSHKOW

For me, my passion for filmmaking all started as a kid. My father, being a documentary editor, was my biggest inspiration. I remember spending days with my dad at his office in San Francisco, hanging out next to him, watching him edit for hours on end. When I was 19, I bought my first camera, a canon t2i. At this point, I was living in central California, going to school, and surfing with my friends. I started filming my buddies surfing, skating, hanging around the house, road trips, you name it. Taking this footage and bringing it onto my computer and editing it was what changed everything. I started shooting weddings, kickstarters, birthdays and helped out on any shoots I could. I wanted to ingest as much knowledge as I could, and as fast as I could. I remember making my first surf film when I was 23. I didn’t really have any idea at that time where it would take me, but it was what jump-started my career in retrospect. I put myself out there, and in the end, that’s what created my success. Seven years later, I own a plethora of high-end camera equipment, I get to travel the world and shoot surfing, commercials, documentaries, branded videos, get to work from my house in San Francisco, and lastly, I love what I do.

JOSH GREENWOOD

Josh Greenwood grew up in Colorado in a family of Black pioneers. His directorial film work has been featured on VIMEO STAFF PICKS as well as the SIDEWALK and BANFF Film Festivals. Josh also helps run the Lower East Side Film Festival every year as their programming director. Josh is a rock climbing athlete and coach and is currently based in Brooklyn.

HAYDEN GRIFFITH

Hayden Griffith is a curious minded creature raised on the South Coast of NSW, Australia. He’s spent a lifetime being immersed in the wild which has given him the gift to work best where most people don’t. Among other things, he’s also a zoologist, wild about natural history and responsible for producing content for science and communication to schools around the world both through film and live classes. With a deep respect for narrative and a chronic spirit of adventure, Hayden strives to push the limits of photojournalism & film through aerial, land and sea environments.

LINDSEY HAGEN

Lindsey Hagen is a Director, Executive Producer and Creative Director and with a focus on cause related storytelling. I believe strongly in the power of human connection and I try to share stories that unite us through emotive, vulnerable narratives. As a participant in the media my role is to imagine possibility, ignite curiosity and inspire action.

AIDAN HALEY

The realization came to Aidan Haley on his portaledge on the side of a massive piece of granite — he was not destined for greatness in alpinism — at least not in the most conventional sense. This moment pushed Haley behind the lens and began what has become a respectable career in the adventure filmmaking industry.

MARIN HART

As a writer, director and producer of short films and promotional and commercial videos, Los Angeles-based Mairin Hart craves nothing more than being on set and taking what’s in her mind and bringing it to life — whether that’s in a music video or a behind-the-scenes look at a brand. She feels that working hand-in-hand with her subjects is essential, a quality that’s seen in her film TranSending.

Festival Filmmakers continued

RYAN HEFFERNAN

Ryan Heffernan is a commercial director, advertising photographer and partner at Talweg Creative, a full-service advertising agency based out of Santa Fe, New Mexico. He works with fellow filmmakers and Talweg Creative partners Grayson Schaffer and Kahlil Hudson in documenting the iconic characters and personalities of the American West. Heffernan has worked for clients that range from YETI and REI to Adobe Systems and Outside magazine.

WILL HEWITT

Will Hewitt is a producer, director and co-founder of Scottish based production company Melt the Fly. Established for the sole purpose of producing creative documentaries, Melt the Fly tells stories from a different perspective, it now has a slate of docs ranging from shorts to feature broadcasts. The two person co-directing team consist of Will Hewitt and long time collaborator, Austen McCowan. Prior to pitching original docs Will cut his teeth developing short-form factual content for History channel UK.

KIRK MUIR HORTON

Kirk Muir Horton is a Boulder, CO based filmmaker. His films have taken him around the globe and challenged him to tell stories that make audiences laugh and cry all at once. His films have played at Telluride Mountainfilm, Banff Mountain Film Festival, 5Point Adventure Film Festival, and toured worldwide with various festivals. When he’s not working on films he is probably watching Liverpool FC, or scheming ways to buy a puppy.

KAHLIL HUDSON

Kahlil Hudson was born and raised in Juneau, Alaska. He currently works as a professor at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe and showcases the iconic characters and personalities of the American West at Talweg Creative, where he partners with fellow filmmakers Grayson Schaffer and Ryan Heffernan. Hudson has worked on features and commercials for clients like Discovery, Showtime, MTV, History Channel and Yahoo!

REBECCA HYNES

Real people, real life and real stories ignite Rebecca Hynes’ work as a filmmaker. Based in Bend, Oregon, she has been working in the film industry for more than 15 years. Hynes has a broad scope of experience that informs each project she undertakes, often referring to herself as a “hybrid” producer. She believes that there is not one single way to tell a story and that sometimes you might be led to a different place than you expected.

COLIN JONES

Together with Darcy Wittenburg and Darren McCullough, Colin Jones co-founded Anthill Films, renowned for its mountain biking films. Based out of Squamish, British Columbia with original members of The Collective, a group of mountain bikers, filmmakers and photographers that shoot films, ride bikes and take photographs, Antill Films finds itself at the heart of a vibrant mountain biking culture.

TIM KEMPLE

Tim Kemple spent his childhood climbing, skiing and hiking, and by high school he had discovered photography and video. By age 19, he had his first cover shot in Climbing magazine. Kemple strives to capture perspectives that few people would never see, using creative angles and natural light to shoot awe-inspiring moments. He has worked with The North Face, Dodge Ram, BF Goodrich, Mitsubishi, Farm Credit and Amtrak, and is fluent in virtual reality and 360 content. Kemple is one of the founders and directors at Camp4 Collective, where he thrives helming light and fast film crews.

LEWIE KLOSTER + NOAH KLOSTER

Living and working out of Brooklyn, we, Lewie and Noah Kloster, are an animation duo retreating to how animation felt before the digital age claimed king over the medium. Cardboard, construction paper, cotton balls, and magic markers fill our studio to its brim. Accompanied by our dual perspectives, we are constantly digging for contemporary stories that fit within our frenzied tactile animated worlds.

KODY KOHLMAN

It was through skateboarding that Kody discovered photography and his love for documenting the characters, scenarios and subtle intricacies of the culture that surrounded him. In his mid-twenties, Kody took a year to teach English in an isolated, rural village in Thailand, which is where the path he wanted to take his work truly developed. His focus moved in the direction of human-centric storytelling, and he applied this focus to the worlds of commercial photography and documentary-oriented cinematography.

JOSH LOWELL

Josh Lowell first started climbing when he was a skinny 16-year-old in New York. A couple years later, he began taking a video camera to crags and putting together films of his friends. That was the start of a prolific career in climbing films. Lowell founded Big UP Productions in 1997, and the company produced Rampage, Pilgrimage and King Lines. In 2006, Big UP partnered with Sender Films to found the Reel Rock Film Tour, which has developed into the biggest climbing media platform in the world with over 400 live screening events each fall.

NICK MARTINI

Born and raised in Boston, Nick’s obsession with moving images inspired migration to sunny California. As Stept’s founder and creative director, Nick has been the cornerstone for all Stept Studios generated content. Nick’s work has taken him around the globe. Whether heli-orbiting waterfalls in Iceland or mingling on the edgy streets of Venice Beach, he has told stories featuring the world’s greatest athletes, lifestyles, and brands. Nick has recently been enlisted by The North Face, Under Armour, and Oakley to produce their dynamic brand anthems. He specializes in visual based imagery and fast moving pictures– often bringing a smile to viewers’ faces. His portfolio features national TV spots, branded content, and feature-length films.

ALEX MASSEY

Originally from Sydney, Australia, now living in San Francisco and working for Avocados and Coconuts, Alex spent nearly a decade making ads for the likes of Apple, Audi and Burger King. Equipped in the arts of conceptual thinking and crafting, he shot and directed a film while running 100 miles in 100-degree heat. For fun Alex spends long days trail running in the mountains followed by longer naps on the couch. He has been known to buy more coffee table books than can be read in a lifetime.

AUSTEN MCCOWAN

Austen is a Producer/ Director with a background as a hands-on shooting PD, DoP and editor. He deeply values the generosity and trust of his contributors and is passionate about telling intimate human stories from alternative perspectives that resonate with a global audience. Austen co-founded Melt the Fly with filmmaking partner and co-Director, Will Hewitt. Here he writes, produces, directs and shoots creative documentaries.

DARREN MCCULLOUGH

In Squamish, British Columbia editor and director Darren McCullough works alongside Darcy Wittenburg and Colin Jones, his fellow Anthill Films co-founders and original members of The Collective, a group of mountain bikers, filmmakers and photographers that shoot films, ride bikes and take photographs. Today, McCullough and his team produce some of the most iconic mountain bike films.

Festival Filmmakers continued

MATT MIKKELSEN

Matt is a sound recordist, audio engineer, and documentary filmmaker. He has worked as an engineer, sound designer, director, and producer on several award winning documentaries that have screened around the world but has devoted most of his professional career to observing, recording, researching, and preserving natural soundscapes. Matt’s work was recently featured on NPR’s All Things Considered. He is the owner of Hayloft Audio and the co-founder of Spruce Tone Films. He currently travels around the country in his van recording sounds, taking photos, and telling stories along the way.

HENRY MILES

Henry Miles is a Vermont-based filmmaker who first discovered his passion for image-making at a young age, with friends, on mountain bikes. From then on, he quickly became hooked on the idea of visual storytelling and constantly works on honing in his skills as both a cinematographer and storyteller through his company, Backroad Creative.

ANYA MILLER BERG

Anya works out of Seattle, Washington with Duct Tape Then Beer as their Director of Brand and Creative Strategy. She is passionate about making people smile, working with friends, and hand drawn diagrams. Over the last 15 years, she’s used her creative superpowers for the likes of REI Co-op, Patagonia, Outdoor Research, Pepsi-Co, Phillips, and Nordstrom. In her free time, she climbs, bikes and rides the mountains of Washington state, draws baby animals and zips around the city on a scooter. Superbloom is her first personal film project.

PALMER MORSE

Palmer is an award-winning filmmaker rooted in activism who focuses on using the devices at hand in our visual and media culture that can drive our society to make change. His short films have been shown around the world, winning both awards and high praise. A Swiss Army knife of knowledge and skills, you’ll often hear him planning his next shoot as often as you’ll find him on set holding a camera or sitting in the editing room. Interested in stories of humans, our planet, and the interactions of the two, Palmer often works with organizations, non-profits, and brands in honing in on their mission in a visual format. He currently lives in Oakland, California, and is the co-founder of Spruce Tone Films.

PETER MORTIMER

Peter Mortimer, a Colorado native, started Sender Films in 1999 as a DIY climbing video production project. He was joined by his college buddy Nick Rosen in 2004, and over the last decade, the two have grown Sender into a global adventure film company. With world-class athletes, fast-paced storytelling, humor, authentic characters and high-flying adventures, Sender’s films have garnered many accolades.

HEATHER MOSHER

With a background in science and a postgraduate teaching degree, Heather found her passion in documentary filmmaking. Based in Squamish, BC, Heather combines her love of climbing and the outdoors with creative and unique visuals to bring stories from mountain communities to a wide range of people. In 2019 Heather produced, directed, filmed and edited a film called “The Weight We Carry” for CBC’s Absolutely Canadian program, and a Storyhive short called “River Runner”. She also created the climbing short film “Blood on the Crack”, now on Red Bull TV, received the 2018 VIMFF Adventure Film Grant to produce the short film “A Social Backcountry”, and has previously edited short mountain sports docs including Liv Along the Way (Salomon TV, 2018) and Kilian (Salomon TV, 2016).

MAXIME MOULIN

My passion for outdoor sports, mountains and film naturally led me to the film industry. This culture is the DNA of my vision as a film director. Today I create films for brands, athletes, or agencies. Whether in sports or in other fields such as fashion, eyewear, luxury hotels, digital, automotive, tourism. I’m working on film, documentary or advertising projects. My goal is to find the singularity in every subject, character or story and to turn it into sincere films.

NICHOLAS NATALE

Armed with a master’s degree from Harvard, Nicholas Natale has an eye for, and understanding of, the technical sides of his profession. He serves as the media technician at Harvard’s department of Art, Film, and Visual Studies, and when he’s not at work, he’s most often traveling or skiing.

ALY NICKLAS

A free-range Alaskan upbringing imbued Aly Nicklas with a deep love for wild places and wild people. Nicklas is a writer, photographer and filmmaker whose documentary films take on adventure, conservation and social impact issues. After 16 years in Colorado, Aly split for the greener hills of Portland, OR, where she makes films with her long-time creative cohort Alisa Geiser at the production collective Wolf & Scout. She lives with her best friend, Corey Arnold, their young son Wolfie and their husky pup Nooka Bear, who knows more tricks than most border collies.

RYAN O’CONNOR

Ryan O’Connor is a filmmaker based in London. In his work he mixes comedy and drama and explores existential themes through the mundane. His work has been screened at film festivals such as Docheads, Sunday Shorts, Canned and the London Short Film Festival.

TOMMY PENICK

Tommy Penick is a commercial photographer and director with a broad background across many subjects. Penick is currently available worldwide, and has a reputation amongst his friends for taking off on flights with only days notice around the world.Tommy feels equally comfortable with a camera as he does in a kayak on a Class V river, on a pair of skis lining up a cliff, or in the saddle of a mountain bike picking out technical rock lines. Tommy’s love of rustic culture and nature, synthesized with attention to detail and classic style contributes to a unique look, bringing a high-end feel to the most chaotic of environments. Specialties: Directing with sensitive and inexperienced talent, travel and tourism, outdoor sports and action sports, difficult shooting environments.

SIMON PERKINS

Simon Perkins’ interest in film started during his days as a fly-fishing guide in Montana. He carried his camera around with him and grew intrigued with trying to capture the essence of particular moments in the natural world that were out of his control. He became fascinated with story-telling on the screen and how certain practices could convey the rush and emotions of these natural, untamed moments. Simon currently lives in Vermont, where he works for Orvis, supporting the teams focused on brand content, marketing, conservation, and product. He spends the majority of his time outside of the office with camera in hand, often following his wife, five-year-old daughter, two-year-old son, and four dogs on various adventures through the woods. He is grateful to the Felt Soul Medias and Rockhouse Motions of the film world who keep him constantly captivated, inspired, and in awe.

Festival Filmmakers continued

FRANK PICKELL

An affinity for the great outdoors, mixed with an eye for photography, led Frank to adventure documentary filmmaking early in life. During his career, Frank has worked as director, dp, editor, documentary filmmaker, line cook, valet, and day laborer. He has been the driving creative force and principal cinematographer behind several adventure and outdoor documentary productions in locations as far-flung as Nepal, Tibet, India, Morocco, and Peru. Frank is a co-founder of Futuristic Films, based in Denver, Colorado. Frank enjoys skiing, mountain biking, not sitting in airports, and spending time with his wife and son in the foothills of Boulder, CO.

NICK ROSEN

As a partner, writer and producer at Sender Films, Nick Rosen has co-created some of the most popular and widely viewed climbing films and series of the last decade. Sender’s National Geographic television series “First Ascent” was nominated for an Emmy, and their films have won many awards. But Rosen’s work goes beyond the realm of climbing: He has tackled subjects that range from civil war to yoga and professional wrestling to Welsh corgis. He has also developed a career as an on-screen and voice-over talent.

GRAYSON SCHAFFER

Grayson Schaffer was a senior editor and writer for Outside magazine, spending the last decade reporting on stories across five continents — from the slopes of Everest to the unrun rivers of Madagascar. Schaffer told the story of the 1963 American Mount Everest Expedition, “Lost on Everest: A Dangerous World Waits Above Hurling Down Avalanches in White Fury,” which explores the previously unknown details of the first ascent of Everest’s West Ridge. As a directing partner at Talweg Creative in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Schaffer works alongside Ryan Heffernan and Kahlil Hudson in documenting the iconic characters and personalities of the American West.

MICHAEL STEVENS

Michael Charles Bryan Stevens is a documentary and commercial filmmaker originally from Washington DC, now based in the Elk Mountains of Colorado. Michael makes films about people, places and things. Sometimes all three at the same time. When he is not making films about his failures, or the failures of his friends, he looks to elevate issues and people fighting for things outside of themselves. He loves to collaborate, so please, stop hesitating.

OLIVER SUTRO

Oliver Sutro is a full-time freelance filmmaker and photographer. His work has been featured with many brands across the industry including Columbia Sportswear, Yeti, Stio, Julbo, Skida, Costa, OPST, Temple Fork Outfitters, and Grundens.I started making films with my iPhone. My first paid gig was shot on a canon 6d mk1 and that iPhone. I couldn’t afford anything else. If you don’t have much, you have to embrace it and get creative. A good story can even the playing field. If you have a $100,000.00 camera, but your story is bad, your story is still bad.

SANDBAGGING JIMMY CHIN DIRECTING TEAM

from left to right: Keith Malloy, Jeff Johnson, Jimmy Chin, Dan Malloy, Mark Healey.

WESLEY WALKER

Wesley Walker is an Afro-Latino Mexican-born producer and director. A Stanford University alum and former competitive long-distance runner, his work spans commercials for brands such as Tesla, Adidas & Google, music videos for Sony Music & Roc Nation artists and now outdoor documentary with a keen focus on bringing to light the beauty of culture, the majesty of Mother Nature and our need to protect and honor her. As a cinematographer as well, Wesley often lenses his own projects and goes to great lengths to bring a beautiful aesthetic to films he is blessed to work on.

ADAM WARMINGTON

Adam Warmington is a commercial and documentary director specializing in human powered storytelling. Originally from the UK, now based in San Francisco, Adam has always been fascinated by images. He has spent years in the film industry yet his true passion lies in stills, where he finds a greater challenge - to tell a story in one fraction of a second. His work aims to connect the viewer to an authentic experience, to make them laugh, cry or both. Adam lives in a redwood grove in Northern California with his wife and 2 kids.

MIKE WILKINSON

For more than 15 years, Mike has been producing and directing video production projects. Mike’s passion is creating documentary-style films related to outdoor adventure, travel, and conservation, but it can’t be all red bulls and high-fives, so he does some corporate and training videos as well. Apart from his video experience, photography has been a natural addition to his services over the last decade. Mike is an avid adventure photographer, and has had my photos published in a number of magazines and also featured by several outdoor brands.

DARCY WITTENBURG

A partner, director, producer and cinematographer at Anthill Films, Darcy Wittenburg is responsible for some of the most iconic mountain biking films around. Alongside Colin Jones and Darren McCullough, Wittenburg has directed films featuring some of mountain biking’s most well-known athletes — including Follow Me (2010), UnReal (2015)

THOMAS WOODSON

I’m a Boulder, Colorado based commercial photographer and filmmaker passionate about human powered adventures. Continuing on the principals that led me to co-found a successful design studio, I apply a formal arts background to all aspects of his process. My work has overlapped with my love of the mountains and excitement for new experiences. I hold current Wilderness First Responder and Avalanche Professional 1 certifications and am capable of expedition based work. Proficiency in ski touring, climbing and bikepacking enable self-sufficient backcountry productions. As a creative, I’m intentionally independent, but rarely working alone.

FOREST WOODWARD

Adventure photographer Forest Woodward was born and raised in the hills of North Carolina, but his career has seen him log many miles across the globe as he has captured the beauty of sports, such as surfing and climbing, as well as intimate portraits of migrant workers and street kids. Woodward seeks out stories with soul and intrepid spirits whose eyes twinkle with the allure of adventure.

CANYON WOODWARD

A native of the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, Canyon Woodward is no stranger to the outdoors. His passion for the natural world has led him to work for several political campaigns in the name of climate justice. He is an avid trail runner and a passionate potter. His devotion to connecting with the earth has led to the creation of his film Matagi Mālohi: Strong Winds, a story of climate strike in the low-lying islands of the Pacific.

KRYSTLE WRIGHT

Krystle Wright is an adventure sports photographer, cinematographer and director from Queensland, Australia, although she now lives a semi-nomadic lifestyle in her quest to capture and present unique moments from extreme sports, expeditions and adventures across the globe.