Driving Sweep

US, Short Documentary, 2023, 10 min

Boulder Premiere

Riverguide Katie Veteto learns how to single-handedly pilot a 4,000-pound rubber sweep (cargo boat) down the steep, rocky rapids of the Salmon River in Idaho. Rule One: Avoid sandbars…

Directed by Greg Cairns

Transcendence

US, Short Documentary, 2023, 30 min

Boulder Premiere

Seemingly out of nowhere, Adrien Costa — the rising golden child in American pro cycling — leaves the sport, only to find himself stuck under a rock with his life on the line. Now, forced to let his mind and body slow down, he trades his wheels in for a climbing harness and sets out to redefine himself, searching for balance and identity as an athlete in the sports he loves. This film follows his path from recovery to the cutting edge of adaptive climbing, working his way up to an epic first ascent in the North Cascades with Pacific Northwest legend Mark Allen.

Directed by Michelle Smith

TE ARA the path

New Zealand, Short Documentary, 2023, 49 min

Colorado Premiere

At 33 years old, Holly, a Māori wahine (brave woman), has survived addiction and is climbing the maunga (the mountain that challenges) to help in her recovery. Holly has her sights set on Everest, but before she can get there, she needs to take a significantly smaller step. Holly has no alpine training and has never summited a mountain before, so she seeks the help of New Zealand’s Lydia Bradey who has summited Everest. In TE ARA the path, Lydia coaches Holly to the top of the towering, ice-covered Tititea Mountain in their own Waipounamu (South Island, New Zealand). At the documentary’s heart is the heroic resilience of a young Māori wahine, who is determined to reconnect with her wairua (spirit), starting in her own backyard.

Directed by Alexis Smith