Wasatch Mountain Film Festival - A Utah Must
Until last year, the only ‘Film Festival’ I had ever attended took place at my house, binge-watching Netflix, by myself. It was great - no crowds, no transportation hiccups, no potential for disaster. Always predictable and plenty festive for me, sometimes I even splurged and bought a bottle of wine. One time I made a charcuterie board.
Fast forward to April 2019 when I started looking into the darned things. There were so many to choose from, most looked gimmicky, others crazy expensive, but I stumbled upon one that stuck out - Wasatch Mountain Film Festival. Growing up in Park City, I have always had an appreciation for natural beauty and outdoor sports. This Festival seemed to combine my love for the outdoors with a unique and eclectic voice, plus they were local. I bought a ticket to a single screening (only $15) and partially defeated the cynic in me.
Let me tell you, Wasatch Mountain Film Festival will surpass your expectations. I ended up buying tickets to three more screenings and saw short films on underwater landscape photography, a blind man’s white-water kayaking journey through the grand canyon, a Native American tribe’s sacred race, ski culture in Japan, Grizzly Bear protection advocacy in Yosemite, and a Nepalese Mountain biker - all screened with other impactful films. I was captivated. Wasatch Mountain Film Festival was thoughtful, something I never expected in a film festival.
I have yet to find an organization whose advocacy for inclusion, accessibility and stoke is so well reflected in their film line-up. I laughed, I cried, I perspired (I’m afraid of heights) and I left inspired. Many outdoor films tug on heart-strings, but these were different. Every film I saw was sincere. Every film was worth talking about.
Not to mention the quality of films they screen - Wasatch Mountain Film Festival attracts world-renowned directors like Jimmy Chin, Chris Burkard, Ben Moon, and more. Everything was top-notch. I’m definitely going back.
If you attend the March 30 - April 4 Wasatch Mountain Film Festival in 2020, here is what you can expect.
- A Killer Venue - Clubhouse SLC
- 12 Film Screening Blocks
- 73 Films You Could Tell Your Mom About
- Day-Time Events (Sustainability Panels, Filmmaker Q&A’s, Women in Film Day, etc.)
- Bar with Specialty Cocktails
- Free Ski Rentals to Pass-Holders During the Festival
- A Saturday-Night Concert
Put the laptop away and see the world. I never expected to be a film festival attendee, but here I am. Wasatch Mountain Film Festival is one you don’t want to miss.
