Between the Mountain and the Sky Opening Night Premiere at Mountainfilm

Telluride, Colorado (March 7, 2024) – Mountainfilm is excited to announce the world premiere of Between the Mountain and the Sky, a beautiful and poignant tale that delves into the resilience of the human spirit and the profound impact of love.

The film features Maggie Doyne, the 2015 CNN Hero of the Year, a devoted CEO, humanitarian and guardian to over 50 Nepalese children. Doyne's story begins in New Jersey, where, after graduating high school in 2005, she embarks on a gap year, landing in India. When her peers departed for college, Doyne chose to stay, volunteering at a home for orphaned children for two years alongside managing director Tope Malla, a Nepalese orphan.

Eager to better understand the issue, Doyne journeyed through a war-torn Nepal to Tope’s rural village, where she met six-year-old Hima, barely surviving on the meager earnings from breaking stones to sell as gravel. Moved by Hima's plight, Doyne covered her costs for education. United in purpose, Doyne and Tope pooled resources, utilizing Maggie's $5,000 in babysitting savings to establish a children’s home, women's empowerment program, and school in Nepal.

“Every year, only a select few films fully embody the essence of a ‘Mountainfilm’ story,” said Festival Director Suzan Beraza. “As soon as we viewed Between the Mountain and the Sky, we knew that this was one such film, beautifully capturing the essence of indomitable spirit. We are thrilled to bring the world premiere of this compelling story to the Mountainfilm audience.”

Director Jeremy Power Regimbal said, “This film is all about finding hope in the darkest of times, which our world needs more than ever these days.” Regimbal and subject Maggie Doyne embark on a profound journey to redefine what it means to be a family and ignite faith in the power of love. 

“I am deeply moved by the courage and openness displayed by Maggie and her family, allowing me to document their transformative journey,” he said. “Their story encapsulates the essence of redefining family and underscores the power of resilience in the face of adversity. Making this film forever changed the course of my life for the better.”

Regimbal’s feature-film directorial debut, In Their Skin, premiered at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival. He has also worked with global brands like MasterCard, Nike, Chevrolet and CitiBank. Regimabal co-founded The Lab Magazine, a print and digital publication distributed in over 25 countries featuring conversations between Willem Dafoe, Brit Marling, Jeremy Renner, Sam Rockwell, David Fincher, Wes Anderson and Noam Chomsky. He now lives between Nepal and Canada, focusing on telling stories that matter via MPWR CONTENT.

Between the Mountain and the Sky is produced by Duplass Brothers Productions (DBP), award-winning filmmakers Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass and Mel Eslyn. DBP creates original projects for film, television and digital media. In January DBP premiered the pilot to their series “Penelope,” created by Mark and Eslyn, at 2024's Sundance Film Festival.  Their most recent release, the docu-series “American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders,” debuted at #4 in the U.S. on Netflix.  Upcoming releases include Morrisa Maltz's Jazzy, which they produced with Lily Gladstone, Nnamdi Asomugha's The Knife, and the third season of HBO's “Somebody Somewhere.” 

Mountainfilm is honored to premiere this remarkable film and looks forward to welcoming Regimbal, Doyne and other special guests from Nepal to the festival over Memorial Day weekend in Telluride, Colorado. Passes for the 2024 Mountainfilm Festival are on sale now. More information on this year’s festival can be found at mountainfilm.org.

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Media Contact: 
Jessie Vandenhouten, Backbone 

About Mountainfilm: Established in 1979, Mountainfilm is dedicated to using film, art and ideas to inspire audiences to create a better world. Mountainfilm festival brings together a community of filmmakers and change makers, showcasing documentary films that celebrate adventure, activism, social justice, environment and indomitable spirit. Mountainfilm also reaches audiences year-round through its worldwide tour and Mountainfilm for Students, an educational outreach initiative for youth. Mountainfilm has the power to change lives. To learn more, visit www.mountainfilm.org. To join the conversation, please read Mountainfilm’s news and follow Mountainfilm on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.