DIRECTORS + PRODUCERS: SHARA ZAIA + MAX HAIMOWITZ

FEMALE DIRECTOR + PRODUCER

Shara Zaia, a writer and climber, navigates the sharp edges of identity, belonging, and mental health within the Assyrian diaspora - one of the world’s oldest, yet most endangered cultures.

DIRECTOR: JESSICA KUNZER-PEARSON + BLAKE HENDRIX

PRODUCER: JESSICA KUNZER-PEARSON + TIM KEMPLE

FEMALE DIRECTOR + PRODUCER

Tara follows an ultrarunner’s relentless pursuit of four 100-mile mountain races in a single summer—each step a tribute to her mother, lost to ALS. Set against soaring peaks and crushing lows, the film is a cinematic meditation on endurance, grief, and the will to keep moving when hope feels out of reach.

DIRECTOR: ANGELA PERCEIVAL

PRODUCER: ELIZA NOWACK

FEMALE DIRECTOR + PRODUCER

Tying in with a climbing partner means more than just sending the crux together. For renowned alpinists Ines Papert and Sarah Huenekin, the peak of their aspirations comes as they both climb past the age of 50 - pushing themselves harder while learning more about each other, as well as themselves.

DIRECTORS + PRODUCERS: SARA BEAM ROBBINS + GRANT ROBBINS

FEMALE DIRECTOR + PRODUCER

Professional backcountry skier Sierra Schlag has built a career around focus, grit, and always chasing the next big line. She takes her job — and her skiing — seriously. But behind every dialed athlete is that one friend who keeps it light.

For Schlag, that’s Waverly Chin — aka Waves — her funky, free-spirited best friend who shows up with snacks, silliness, and a reminder not to take life (or skiing) too seriously. While Schlag charges couloirs and checks off objectives, Waves is there to remind her that skiing is supposed to be fun.

That One Friend is a fun and lighthearted look at friendship, balance, and the beauty of not taking ourselves so seriously, because sometimes, we all need that one friend.

DIRECTOR: ANNA BRANNON

FEMALE DIRECTOR + PRODUCER

Ridgeline is a short documentary that chronicles composer and musician Liz Derstine’s journey as she attempts to set a new self-supported Fastest Known Time on the Pacific Crest Trail.

DIRECTOR: CORTNEY WHITE

PRODUCER: OLIVER DENTON, MARION BLANCHE + SCOTT MELLIN

FEMALE DIRECTOR + PRODUCER

Yao Miao began running within China’s sporting system with the goal of supporting her family. Facing adversity and breaking barriers, she has become a pioneer in trail running while inspiring new generations in China and beyond. A moving story about ambition, family, and the power of sport.

DIRECTOR: DANIEL STARK

PRODUCERS: JASON HAMBORG + 6IX SIGMA PRODUCTIONS

After a mountain bike crash resulted in a life-altering injury, Chantelle Grafton and her husband Warren have gone to great lengths to get Chantelle back out on the trails. “Still Rider” explores this journey, highlighting the unanticipated complexities that come with a major spinal cord injury and, more importantly, the benefits of prioritizing adaptive design for those with and without accessibility issues.

DIRECTOR: CHRIS SHANE

PRODUCER: ANGELA HAWSE

FEMALE PRODUCER

Angela Hawse is one of few women IFMGA mountain guides in the world. Over her 35 year career, she has witnessed dramatic change in the mountains due to climate change. This is her story with the backdrop of a ski mountaineering expedition she led in Svalbard in May 2025. This project was a collaboration between Protect Our Winters, Black Diamond Equipment and Polar Bears International.

DIRECTORS: JASE HANCOX + CORINNA HALLORAN

PRODUCERS: JASE HANCOX + JANINA KUZMA

FEMALE DIRECTOR + PRODUCER

For nearly two years, professional skier Janina Kuzma struggled to get pregnant—a journey that tested her relationship with control, her body, and her mind. Then, in early 2024, the moment arrived: a positive pregnancy test, but with it came a new question: how would pregnancy change her life in the mountains?

Wrestling with the fear of losing her job as a pregnant mountain guide or being judged as a professional athlete, Janina still finds peace in the mountains. Joined by The North Face snowboarder Leanne Pelosi and professional skier Evelina Nilsson, Janina ventures deep into New Zealand’s Southern Alps to discover the superhuman powers of motherhood.