The Most Inspiring Adventure Films Right Now

How does Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind person to summit Mount Everest, use sound to “see” his next hold when rock climbing? What does it feel like to slackline between a pair of hot-air balloons floating thousands of feet above the earth? And how does Quannah Chasinghorse’s connection to traditional ways of experiencing the natural world help her balance her work as a model, conservationist, and indigenous right activist?

The answers to these questions and many other revelations from the leading edge of outdoor adventure come to life in 21 vibrant films on June 1 and 2  at the Outside Festival in Denver. A first-of-its-kind event, the Outside Festival is a celebration of outdoor culture featuring live music, speakers like Diana Nyad and Jimmy Chin, three climbing walls, bouldering competitions, gear demos, a kids’ zone, yoga, and numerous interactive exhibits from popular outdoor and wellness brands. It takes place in downtown Denver’s Civic Center Park, with the film lineup screening across the street at the Denver Art Museum.

Curated by producers and editors from Outside TV, the film program shines a light on emerging filmmakers and storytelling by athletes and adventurers from LGBTQ+, BIPOC, Latino, disabled, and other underrepresented communities. The films range in length from 7 to 90 minutes, with live panel discussions and filmmaker Q&A’s.

Watch the trailer for the Outside Festival film program.

Here’s the don’t-miss lineup and trailers for the film program at the Outside Festival on June 1-2, screening both days from 1p.m to 7 p.m.

For ticket, lineup, and other information, visit TheOutsideFestival.com. Outside+ members receive exclusive access to VIP concert viewing, food and drink at a private hospitality tent, and other benefits at the festival.

Saturday, June 1

Feature Film: Wade in the Water

Wade In The Water: A Journey into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture reclaims the 1,000-year-old tradition of Black surfing. Braiding historical accounts with modern-day testimonials, the film dismantles the racial barriers of conventional surf culture, delves into the overlooked history of Black surfing’s legacy, and honors its current movement—inspiring the next generation of Black surfers. This showing includes a discussion with director David Mesfin.

Film Shorts: Adventure

Descendance: In a sport known for its lack of diversity, Dennis Ranalter has defied the odds and risen to become an exceptional freeride skier recognized and respected around the world.

Georgia Astle Flip The Switch: Mountain biker Georgia Astle explores what can happen when you’re able to silence your thoughts and put matter over mind to achieve great things.

Finding Our Wild: Sid Gopinath and his father embark on a weeklong camping trip to explore Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Rocky Mountain National Parks. Along the way, they talk about Prabha’s immigration experience, how memories are made (and forgotten) over the course of a lifetime, and what it means to watch each other grow older.

Walking On Clouds: Walking on Clouds reveals the breathtaking and dizzying highline crossing between two hot air balloons above the city of Praia Grande, Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Slides On The Mountain: With the right guides, a little push, and buoyant optimism, two teenage brothers from the Líl̓wat Nation realize a journey to ski Ts̓zil — a sacred mountain on their territory.

Film Shorts: Journeys

Soundscape: Soundscape features Erik Weihenmayer, a global adventure athlete and author who is fully blind, as he ascends a massive alpine rock face deep in the Sierra Nevada.

Wading For Change: For conservationist and angler Jr Rodriguez to become “like the pictures he saw in magazines,” he had to leave behind what he loved the most.

Waterfall Hunters: Waterfall Hunters follows three Costa Ricans—Javier, Jimmy and Miguel—as they seek to find, document, and inspire others to preserve invaluable ecosystems and habitats in the Costa Rican jungle.

Jamie: Jamie Logan—a pioneering alpinist—has climbed some of the most dangerous climbs in the world, but nothing felt as life-threatening as admitting that, at age 69, she wanted to begin living as a woman.

Sunday, June 2

Feature Film: Ashima

One of the world’s youngest elite rock climbers, Ashima Shiraishi spent her formative years breaking numerous age-based climbing milestones, spurred on by her number one fan and coach, her father, Poppo, a retired Butoh dancer and avant-garde performer with no formal climbing experience. When these New Yorkers travel to South Africa to conquer a V14 boulder problem, father and daughter must face their interpersonal struggles in tandem with the challenging ascent. This showing includes a discussion with director Kenji Tsukamoto.

Film Shorts: Community

Breath of Gloster: Peyton Thomas created the Equitable Action Run Toward Health to give a voice to the community of Gloster, Mississippi, in a grassroots fight against the wood pellet biomass industry. Breath of Gloster illustrates the dangers that this industry poses to human health, and tells the story of a race that was about more than just miles.

Outside in Five: Over 100 million of us don’t have outdoor spaces close to where we live. So REI Co-op is partnering with community-led organizations like the Friends of Anacostia Park to help get more people Outside in 5 minutes or less.

Gath & K’iyh: Listen to Heal: In Alaska, the community comes together to create music with Yo-Yo Ma as a critical part of collective healing and radical hope for the future.

Miles to Go: In 2022, as several states across the country passed anti LGBTQ+ legislation, trans trail runner Perry Cohen refused to sit idly by. By forming a trail running team of trans men with an aim to compete in states passing hateful legislation, Perry and his team express the freedom to be themselves on and off the trail.

Inward: This is a film about Atlanta-based artist Michi Meko, a postmodern cartographer and artist who lives within the parallels and meridians of two distinct worlds—the Urban and the Rural.

Film Shorts: Discovery

Walking Two Worlds: Fueled by an unwavering love and responsibility for the land, Hän Gwich’in 20-year-old Quannah Chasinghorse and her mother Jody Potts-Joseph are taking a stand to defend their sacred homelands, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Apayauq: This short chronicles Apayauq Reitan’s historic quest to become the first openly transgender woman to compete in the legendary Iditarod sled dog race across Alaska.

Film Shorts: Resilience

Tread Setters: On October 5th, 2022, a group of para-cyclists and adaptive athletes set out to ride Utah’s White Rim Trail in a day with the hope of creating awareness around people with disabilities and growing a more inclusive cycling community.

The Right to Joy: After surviving a near fatal cougar attack while cycling, Izzy Sederbaum overcame anxiety and anti-trans hate by rediscovering the joy of biking and promoting diversity and inclusion in the sport.

109 Below: A tale of resilience and grit, this short traces the aftermath of an attempted rescue on New Hampshire’s Mount Washington in 1982.

Outside is grateful to our partners at Mountainfilm, Boulder International Film Festival, and Mountains of Color Film Festival for their support in curating this lineup.