Pattie Gonia to Host Drag Show & Dance Party at Mountainfilm

Mountainfilm is excited to present a spectacular Saturday night drag show and dance party with environmentalist drag queen Pattie Gonia. As an advocate for inclusivity and diversity in the outdoors, Pattie is known for their community building, public speaking, fabulous outfits and performing outdoor feats like climbing, skiing, surfing and hiking all in drag. 

This electrifying event, completely free and open to all (Mountainfilm pass holders will receive priority entry), is set to ignite the evening of Saturday, May 25th, starting at 8 p.m. at High Camp (Telluride Conference Center). It promises to infuse the entire weekend with a burst of energy, setting the stage for an unforgettable festival. 

"Get ready to hit the dance floor with Pattie Gonia at our Saturday night drag show and dance party!” Mountainfilm Executive Director Sage Martin said. “We're all about celebrating diversity, inclusivity and forging unforgettable connections within our community.”

Pattie is the co-founder of the Outdoorist Oath, a non-profit that gets BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ and femmes into the outdoors through community and education. She is also the founder of the Queer Outdoor and Environmental Job Board, a free tool queer individuals can use to get hired and therefore diversify the field. Together with her 1,000,000-people-strong community, they’ve collectively fundraised over $1.5 million dollars for LGBTQIA+, BIPOC and environmental non-profits, completed thousands of miles of hiking and backpacking and raised awareness about the ongoing environmental crisis through their film projects like Birds Tell Us & Everything to Lose. 

Pattie’s drag itself is a personal journey of self-identity, sustainability and queering traditional masculine outdoor narratives to explore the natural world.

“Environmental solutions are worth celebrating!” Pattie said. “We are ecstatic to be at Mountainfilm to recognize the storytelling that champions solutions for not just our planet but the people on it.”

The event will kick off with a screening of Won’t Give Up, a short film directed by Abdul Kassamali and produced by Wondercamp, featuring Pattie, acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Indigenous trans musician Quinn Christopherson. Won’t Give Up is a climate movement anthem about not giving up on this planet and not giving up on each other. To film the music video, the three artists traveled to Holgate and Exit Glaciers —  two Alaskan glaciers that are dying because of warming temperatures.

"Mountainfilm has been a staple festival and gathering space for our team since our first acceptance in 2018,” cinematographer Greg Balkin said. “It's been a longtime dream of getting to experience the festival with Pattie and we couldn't be more excited to not only share our film together, but to cheer and dance at one of the best drag performances we've seen. The effort and creativity that Pattie Gonia puts into her music, her on stage performances, and discussions around our film, Won't Give Up, is going to be a real treat for the entire festival.” 

Passes for the 2024 Mountainfilm Festival are on sale HERE. 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.