The 19th Annual Backcountry Film Festival is put together by the Winter Wildlands Alliance (WWA). It will be screening a collage of short documentaries and ski movies about the pursuit of objectives and ideals in the mountains, artistic vision, friendship, and how the snowsports community is adapting to a changing environment.

We are yet to set the date for the 2024 festival: it will happen in Melbourne in late April or early May.

We normally start with some speakers from local backcountry groups and feature a couple of short locally made backcountry films, then get into the WWA program.

Local films

36o South

36 south cover image‘A team of 4 head into the Australian backcountry, looking for the steepest terrain the red continent has to offer – challenging popular beliefs of what skiing and snowboarding looks like in Australia.

Directed by Divya Gordon. Featuring Tim van der Krogt, Chris Wills, Divya Gorden, Aaron Dickfos and Lewis Foster. Filmed by Divya Gordo and Aaron Dickfos.

Made with support from Arcteryx Australia, Weston Backcountry, Sungod, Mountain Designs, Bridge Road Brewers and On Track Meals Produced by Rampage Media, Chris Wills and Tim Van Der Krogt.

The trailer is now on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTIsvmZnIUI

If you have a film you would like to submit for the festival, please get in touch: cam.walker@foe.org.au

The Winter Wonderlands lineup

The total runtime for the WWA 2023-24 season is 120 minutes.

The films in the WWA season are listed below (you can find more detail here).

What If?

6:00 minutes

Human-Powered Film Grant Award Winner (2023)

By Josh Goldsmith

A countdown into the mind of a backcountry skier as he contemplates the delicate balance between risk and reward; confidence and apprehension.

CON ARTIST

12:00 minutes

By MBG Motion Pictures

Three female freeskiers find themselves on a transcendental journey, crossing the lines of reality and the subconscious mind in a heist for self-identity.

Beloved Whitebark: Stalwart Witness

6:33 minutes

By Creative Ascents Films

Having worked to protect whitebark pine in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for the last 23 years, Nancy Bockino invites you to get to know this charismatic tree in the alpine. Learn about why whitebark is important and its present perilous situation. Nurture your own connection to the alpine and its inhabitants.

109 Below

13:42 minutes

By Stept Studios

A tale of resilience, grit and elite rescue volunteers going out of their way to save the lives of strangers, 109 BELOW traces how an attempted rescue on Mount Washington in 1982 changed not only the course of two climbers’ lives – but also the lives of the rescuers who attempted to save them, and the future of prosthetics, forever.

Beyond Begbie

13:36 minutes

By Zoya Lynch

Climbing Mt Begbie is a “right of passage” for every hiker, climber, sledder, and skier who chooses to make Revelstoke their home. While this peak has created an entire contemporary culture in Revelstoke, its name and story only represent colonial history, with no reference to the Indigenous heritage of this land. Is it the outdoor community’s responsibility to help change this?

Have An Adventure

20:00 minutes

By Colby Elliot

A human powered think piece that follows a collection of skiers as they explore familiar terrain in search of new adventure around Utah’s famous backcountry. Join John as he follows in his father’s tracks to turn new corners and explore the canyon he grew up in. Along the way John explores his father’s skiing philosophies while considering ways to nurture the rapidly changing culture of a growing ski community.

Bloom

14:20 minutes

By Kyle Hilken

Sierra Schlag navigates the world after losing her father on 9/11, exploring her grief and identity as a Japanese-American while also finding herself under the cloak of depression. While she navigates these complexities, Sierra finds a way to connect with her dad and heal through skiing.

burn. // A Ski Film

11:22 minutes

By Kellen MacDonald

The story of how forest fires are impacting large swaths of terrain in the western United States and Canada. In the wake of the fires, certain areas are transformed into beautiful playgrounds for skiers and snowboarders.

Racha

10:00 minutes

By Andy Hardy

Through stunning cinematography and powerful storytelling, this film takes you on a journey of discovery, where the love of skiing leads to an unexpected education, and a story that demands to be told.

The Redline Traverse (Short)

6:33 minutes

By Steve Seime

Jenna Kane and Greg Cunningham take on the Redline Traverse, the tallest and longest ski tour in the Sierra Nevada. They pay tribute to the pioneers of the route, the spirit of the tour and, of course, ski.