Adventure Not War

2021 • USA • 12 min • Faith Briggs

Vasu Sojitra doesn’t want to be called an inspiration. For the Indian-American right leg amputee, it’s not his disability, but instead, the barriers to access the outdoors that must be overcome. His ascent and ski descent of iconic Mount Moran’s “The Skillet,” alongside other mountain athletes of color, brings solidarity and intersectionality to backcountry skiing.

2024 • USA • 81 min • Ben Sturgulewski

Representative in Attendance, Michigan Premiere, Family Friendly, Has Subtitles, Staff Pick

In the remote mountain villages of Bamyan, Afghanistan, a newfound passion for skiing attracts young athletes from rival ethnic groups to the slopes. With minimal gear and makeshift wooden skis, the determined ski coach Alishah Farhang organizes a thrilling ski race that fosters camaraderie, joy, and triumph. However, after the shocking collapse of their country, many of the skiers are displaced across the globe as refugees, and must call upon the lessons learned in the mountains of their homeland to find a way to rebuild.

2022 • USA • 22 min • Ben Sturgulewski

Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere

In the Westfjords of Iceland, where mountains meet the sea, creativity finds its ultimate human expression: a surfer on a wave, a snowboarder on a peak, a musician on a stage. Creation Theory seeks to find the parallels between sport and music, and answer the question: where does creativity come from?