On February 10th, the Charleston Music Hall hosted Telluride Mountainfilm on Tour. The event consisted of multiple short films all sponsored by outdoor companies such as Patagonia, REI and The North Face. The film was sponsored by Charleston Waterkeeper among other local organizations that have escaped my memory. In addition, Telluride Mountainfilm participates in 1% for the Planet, which pledges organizations involved to donate 1% of sales to bettering the environment. After every film or so a moderator would come out to the stage and explain the next film that was about to play. I attended the film with the College of Charleston Outdoors Club. The films, for the most part, were not merely about outdoor activities such as climbing, running, or mountain biking, which were all featured sports in the event. Rather, most of them had subtexts with more important themes that related to what the outdoors can do for people or what people can do for the outdoors. For example, one film called Wolfpack was about a couple in Colorado who, when faced with adversity of alcoholism, decided to pick up running. Running through the San Juan mountains of south eastern Colorado uplifted them and eventually led them to raise a family in the same area. Running in the mountains has given the family a way to spend time together and bond. Though it is mildly related to class, I highly recommend watching the 12 minute film here. Another film, this one more related to our class, was about the how the climbing community, and the outdoor industry more broadly, is almost exclusively all white. REI in collaboration with Brooklyn Boulders (a climbing gym from Brooklyn), created this film with the intent to make outdoor activities more racially inclusive. The film detailed the evolution of Brothers of Climbing, a group consisting of racial minorities that seeks to make the climbing community more diverse. I think this is a terrific and much needed group that seeks to address problems in the socially sustainable realm. See the short film here. Another short film called Climbing out of a Disaster, was a story about a Puerto Rican climber who, after the carnage of Hurricane Maria, used his climbing ropes and other gear to help communities remove the wreckage from their streets, homes, and whatever else needed it. This story is inspiring because of how much the climber and his friends did for his community when they were in need. See the short film here. In general, Telluride Mountainfilm not only curates and tours a film yearly, but also “endeavors to support, educate, and motivate through various initiatives,” as stated on their website. Their mission statement is to “use the power of film, art and ideas to inspire audiences to create a better world.” Some of their values are stated as “preserving environments,” “building community,” and “inspiring activism.” These values are directly related to the field of sustainability. At the end of the film, I felt exactly what Telluride Mountainfilm’s mission statement had aimed to make me feel. I was inspired by the people who were doing so much for their community and their environment. It was beautiful to see how time spent in nature can push people to do incredible things.

^proof of attendance (sorry didn’t take a pic).