Wade Davis Announced as Mountainfilm 2024 Guest Director
Mountainfilm is proud to welcome explorer, author, cultural anthropologist and ethno-botanist, Wade Davis as the guest director for the 2024 festival.
Davis is the author of 23 books, including the well-known The Serpent and the Rainbow. Widely considered one of the world’s leading scientists and explorers, he is one of 20 Honorary Members of the Explorers Club.
Davis has long been a part of the Mountainfilm family and has a rich history with the festival, attending in 1998, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2014, and is one of the most dynamic and fascinating speakers to ever grace the stage. As guest director, he will help guide the festival’s programming, and participate in presentations and conversations throughout the weekend. \
Davis attributes Mountainfilm with helping kickstart his career.
“Mountainfilm made my life. It’s where I first connected with National Geographic and where I met many of my life-long friends and colleagues,” he said. “I feel like I am coming home.”
Festival Director Suzan Beraza said, “One of my favorite early Mountainfilm experiences back in the ‘90s was listening to Wade Davis speak. After that I never missed a presentation by Wade. He is an absolutely riveting storyteller and a strong ally for threatened cultures.”
Davis received degrees in anthropology and biology as well as his Ph.D. in ethnobotany from Harvard University. He spent over three years in the Amazon and Andes as a plant explorer, living among 15 indigenous groups while making some 6,000 botanical collections.
From 2000 to 2013 Davis served as Explorer-in-Residence with the National Geographic Society. He has written for National Geographic, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Outside, Men's Journal, Condé Nast Traveler, Scientific American, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and numerous other international publications. Wade’s recent essay, “The Unraveling of America,” first published in Rolling Stone, attracted five million readers and generated 362 million social media impressions.
“Mountainfilm is incredibly honored to welcome esteemed explorer Wade Davis as our guest director for the 2024 festival. Wade’s curiosity knows no bounds and fuels his powerful and inspirational storytelling. This is a festival not to miss!” Sage Martin, Executive Director.
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About Mountainfilm: Established in 1979, Mountainfilm is dedicated to using film, art and ideas to inspire audiences to create a better world. Working at the nexus of filmmaking and action, its flagship program is the legendary Mountainfilm festival in Telluride, Colorado, a one-of-a-kind combination of films, conversations and inspiration. 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.