Mountainfilm 2025 Feature Film World Premieres
Telluride, Colorado (March 26, 2025) – Mountainfilm is proud to announce that festival passholders for its 47th annual festival, held May 22–26, will have the exclusive opportunity to screen five World Premiere feature films.
Mountainfilm, while known for its intimacy and relaxed vibe based in the majestic box canyon of Telluride, Colorado, is also recognized as a world-class, Academy Award® Qualifying Festival (Documentary Short Film category). It offers a wide breadth of powerful programming, featuring extraordinary documentary films that span genres — from mountaineering epics to human and animal rights, to urgent environmental issues. This year’s films will give audiences a potent dose of inspiration filled with action-packed, thought-provoking films that also address some of the most critical issues of our time.
In homage to Mountainfilm’s roots as a festival dedicated to climbing and mountaineering films when it first began in 1979, this year’s lineup will feature the premiere of three films that capture the spirit of its early years. Trango, directed by Leo Hoorn and produced by Mountainfilm’s Presenting Sponsor, The North Face, follows ski mountaineers Christina “Lusti” Lustenberger and Jim Morrison, joined by Nick McNutt and Chantel Astorga, as they test their resolve at 6,000 meters — pushing through risk and relying on the strength of teamwork to achieve the first-ever ski descent of the Great Trango Tower.
In Girl Climber, directed by Jon Glassberg, renowned climber Emily Harrington defies expectations — and gravity — by taking on the challenge to free climb El Capitan in under 24 hours, all while confronting the relentless pressure to prove herself in a male-dominated sport. Old Man Lighting, directed by Dawn Kish, shares the story of John “Verm” Sherman, a legendary rock climber turned bird photographer, as he sets out to once again tackle the climb that has long eluded him — Yosemite’s famed boulder problem, Midnight Lightning.
Mountainfilm will also premiere two powerful films that explore the relationships between humans and nature. Cecil, directed by Arthur Cary, explores the tangled complexities and conflicting perspectives between trophy hunters, dedicated wildlife protectors, the West’s view of Africa, and the local communities most affected — as it all comes to a head around Cecil, Zimbabwe’s most famous lion. The Last Place on Earth, directed by David Booth Gardner, follows wildlife activists in Sumatra’s Leuser Ecosystem as they work to protect one of the world’s last untouched wildernesses.
“We are honored to be able to screen the World Premieres of each of these remarkable feature films,” said Crystal Merrill, Mountainfilm’s festival director. “We are overwhelmingly grateful that these dedicated filmmakers have chosen Mountainfilm as the festival to debut their work. We look forward to sharing and celebrating these films with audiences in May.”
In traditional Mountainfilm style, Q&As with filmmakers and film participants will follow screenings. While the schedule and list of attending guests won’t be announced until closer to the festival, Mountainfilm is excited to share that teams with each of these films will be in attendance, along with film protagonists Emily Harrington, Jim Morrison, Chantel Astorga, Christina Lustenberger and more.
Audiences can look forward to an incredible selection of world-premiering short films, along with a mix of North American, U.S., and Colorado premieres across both short and feature films. The full festival lineup will be announced in early May.
Passes for the 2025 Mountainfilm Festival are on sale now. More information on this year’s festival can be found at mountainfilm.org.
About Mountainfilm: Established in 1979, Mountainfilm is one of North America’s longest-running documentary film festivals, held annually over Memorial Day weekend in Telluride, Colorado. Mountainfilm is dedicated to using the power of film, art and ideas to inspire audiences to create a better world. The festival offers an immersive experience featuring a wide range of filmmakers, speakers, adventurers and activists in addition to screening cutting-edge, award-winning documentary films from around the world. Mountainfilm is an Academy Award® Qualifying Festival in the Documentary Short Film category. Mountainfilm on Tour also reaches audiences year-round through its global film program, and through Mountainfilm for Students, an educational outreach initiative for youth. Simply put, 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 Instagram, Threads, Facebook and LinkedIn.