COFFEE TALKS

Saturday and Sunday, 8 AM–9 AM

Mountainfilm kicks off the mornings with our popular Coffee Talks bringing together guests of the festival for engaging discussions. Bring a cup of joe and join us as we dive into climate change, diversity, community organizing, environmental advocacy and heartfelt conversations.

LOCATIONS/HOSTS

#1 RUSTICO RISTORANTE: JULIA CAULFIELD

#2 WILKINSON PUBLIC LIBRARY: SARAH STEELE (SAT) AND JEDIDIAH JENKINS (SUN)

#1 FREEDOM OF PRESS

#3 MOUNTAIN LODGE: JON TUKMAN

#4 AH HAA SCHOOL: SARAH STEELE (SUN) AND JEDIDIAH JENKINS (SAT)

#5 HOTEL TELLURIDE: LAURA COLBERT

SATURDAY

Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are critical to a functioning democracy, and in the US these rights are enshrined in the First Amendment to the Constitution. Freedom of speech has been recognized as a human right. The media’s role as a watchdog is critical to exposing government wrongdoing. Join JL Pomeroy, co-director of Die Laughing, and journalist Angel Ellis, main subject of Bad Press, for a conversation about what happens when these essential freedoms are stifled. Set in Cairo, the entertainment hub of the Middle East, Die Laughing follows comedians as they walk the line between humor and caution, knowing every punchline could land them in jail. Ellis is a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and a journalist at Mvskoke Media. Bad Press follows her mission to restore free press to the tribe in 2021 after a small faction of politicians had dismantled it.

#2 WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?

It has been Mark Sedon’s mission in life to never waste a day. He has extraordinary tales to tell, including some incredible accounts of survival when things go wrong. From breaking his back when he was buried in an avalanche, to watching helplessly high up on an erupting volcano, starving for five days in a shipping container in remote Papua, Indonesia, and a yacht fire and broken mast in the Southern Ocean. He has climbed Mt. Everest, then saved a Sherpa’s life high in the Himalaya, and kite skied 2,000 km across Antarctica for two months in temperatures as low as -60°C (-76°F) to climb what might be the most remote mountain on earth. The talk will cover the highs and lows, the laughs and humility of Sedon’s audacious adventures.

#3 FOOD AND FIELDS: MOVING TOWARD A CLIMATE-SMART WEST

Agriculture, land management, food distribution and processing, and food waste are all major sources of climate-warming emissions. That presents opportunities for climate solutions at every step in the food system, from land managers to individual consumers. Join us for an empowering, fact-and fun-filled conversation about the role of food and fields in moving toward a climate-smart West.

Participants include San Miguel County Commissioner and owner of Tomten Farm Kris Holstrom , Woodwell Climate Research Center soil scientist Dr. Jon Sanderman and alpinist and filmmaker Dani ReyesAcosta . Opening and closing remarks by Woodwell Climate Research Center scientist Dr. Jenny Watts and Director of Protect Our Winters Jake Black .

Moderated by Dr. Heather Goldstone of Woodwell Climate Research Center

#4 RE:WILDING WITH THE PATROL TEAM

Get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the six-year effort that captured the story of conflict beef, infringement of Indigenous rights and the resultant effects of deforestation. Patrol tells the story of how rising global demand for beef threatens a rich biodiverse environment, as well as the ancestral lands of the Rama Indians and Afro-descendant Kriols, who have called the IndioMaíz Biological Reserve in Nicaragua home for generations. Panelists will share how they’ve personally been affected by the making of this film, what it means for the future of Indigenous peoples in Nicaragua and what you can do to stop deforestation in a world that desperately needs healthy wild places. Panelists and film subjects

Armando John is a Rama forest ranger and Dr. Christopher Jordan is a researcher, conservationist and the Latin America Director at Re:wild. Camilo de Castro, the co-director of Patrol, is a filmmaker, journalist and environmental activist. Brad Allgood , the film’s codirector, is a filmmaker focused on character-driven stories related to conservation and natural history.

Sunday Saturday

#5 MEET THE ARTISTS: ART AND NATURE

What does it mean to be an environmental artist? Eric Hanson is a digital artist and filmmaker who is known for his pioneering work in virtual reality. He has created a number of VR experiences that are highly immersive and interactive, using cutting-edge technology to push the boundaries of what is possible in this medium. Ryan Neil is a world-renowned bonsai artist known for incorporating modern techniques and design principles into this traditional art form. Neil’s philosophy is to view bonsai not only as an art form but also as a means of creating a connection between people and the natural world. Beth Moon’s work has been described as both meditative and ethereal, with a strong emphasis on the relationship between time and the natural world. Her images often depict natural landscapes and ancient trees, with a focus on capturing the beauty and complexity of nature. R. Nelson Parrish’s work uses abstract forms and vibrant colors to evoke the energy and movement of natural phenomena, such as wind, water and light. His work has been described as a meditation on the natural world.

#1 HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN CREATE A FUTURE BOTH UTOPIAN AND DYSTOPIAN

The advanced chatbot GPT-4 is impressive, fun and cool, but the artificial intelligence engine also has a propensity to be confidently wrong in its predictions, sometimes hilariously so. As Sue Halpern has written for The New Yorker, the new generative pre-trained transformer has the ability to both enhance and diminish our lives. Technologies like iPhones, social media and artificial intelligence have become a ubiquitous part of society before we have even decided whether we want them to be. This talk will focus on some of the most compelling questions of our time: How does our thinking about ourselves, each other and the natural world change when computers are blurring the line between reality and fantasy? Writer and director Ondi Timoner (The New Americans: Gaming a Revolution) will give us a glimpse into a world where finance, media, extremism and avatars meet. Halpern and Timoner will be joined by Jon Kasbe and Crystal Moselle (Sophia) to explore this new world and how journalism can unmask and decode it.

Sunday

#2 RE-ENCHANTMENT: WRITERS’ SESSION WITH BROOKE WILLIAMS, JEDIDIAH JENKINS AND OTHER SPECIAL GUESTS

Much is written about the “disenchantment of the world” — which started with modernity and the commodification of nature. We could not clear-cut forests to build civilization while believing in tree spirits, for example. Disenchantment made way for the commodification of carbon to burn and fuel the world, which now threatens life on Earth. Assuming it’s true that disenchanting the world plays a role in our current problems, then perhaps “re-enchanting” the world might be part of the solution. This session will explore how we can use our truest, most personal stories to re-enchant our lives. Jedidiah Jenkins is a writer best known for his autobiographical memoir, To Shake the Sleeping Self, a journey of self-discovery about biking from Oregon to Patagonia. Brooke Williams is an author who has spent his life advocating for wild places and writes about his adventures exploring both the inner and outer wilderness.

#3 NEW ACTIVISM, OLD WISDOM: EXPLORING THE EVOLUTION OF GRASSROOTS ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS

This coffee talk will explore the evolution of grassroots environmental activism and how methods have changed over the last 30 years with leaders from Telluride conservation group Sheep Mountain Alliance and environmental activists. The event will bring together activists from around the world to discuss their experiences in fighting for what’s right, from securing conservation for Telluride’s Valley Floor to working on a national level to fight climate change. Joan May is a Sheep Mountain Alliance board member and former county commissioner. Art Goodtimes is a former county commissioner, potato farmer, basket weaver, mushroom enthusiast and Sheep Mountain Alliance founder. These longtime local activists will be joined by a representative from the local Collaborative Action for Immigrants organization.

#4 THE REDFORD CENTER: STORIES OF HOPE IN TIMES OF CRISIS

In the face of constant environmental and humanitarian crises and an alarmist news cycle, finding any hope for our future can feel nearly impossible. However, what we don’t often see are the millions of leaders and communities driving solutions even in the face of systemic injustices, ecological disturbances and political obstacles. How do you tell a genuinely hopeful environmental story in the face of these threats? Join us in a talk with The Redford Center-supported filmmakers Andrew Nadkarni ( Between Earth & Sky ), Meg Griffiths and Scott Faris ( Impossible Town) and Alina Simone ( Black Snow ) to discuss how their films featured at Mountainfilm spotlight resilient and inspiring leaders in the environmental movement, highlighting the importance of giving audiences stories of hope even in the midst of crisis.

#5 WATER IS FOR FIGHTING

Water is life. Water is for fighting. Water flows uphill toward money. When you touch the water in the West, you touch everything. The cliches are many, as are the challenges. But solutions are elusive. Building on our speaker series about the imperiled Colorado River, this talk will feature journalist Heather Sackett , TikTok creator Teal Lehto, Director of The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Freshwater Lab Rachel Havrelock , and hydrologist Rory Cowie. Panelists will discuss how they use images, video and the power of the pen to educate about the water crises we face and spur the public into action.