The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to join theaters around the globe in hosting the world tour of the She Adventures Film Tour on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 4 and 7 p.m. at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre.
Born out of a desire to showcase the strong, inspirational, adventurous women of the outdoor world, the She Adventures Film Tour presents a carefully curated selection of short films that will entertain, enthrall and enlighten.
The She Adventures Film Tour showcases a program of the most heartfelt, inspiring and entertaining films celebrating adventurous women from independent film makers around the globe.
Featuring a unique selection of films of varying lengths and styles, covering topics relevant to women in the outdoors the She Adventures Film Tour will connect with both the avid adventurer and the armchair adventurer alike.
The 2019 tour showcases Samantha Gash on her quest to run across India, a committed paddler who doesn’t let size get in the way of her passions, big wave surfing champion Paige Alms, rock climber Hazel Findlay, a crew of rad Alaskan snow bikers who know how to dream big and more.
By celebrating the female adventurous spirit, we aim to make women in the outdoors more visible. But She Adventures screenings are not just for women - they are for all of us to celebrate diversity and inclusion and the rad ladies of the adventure world.
The She Adventures Film Tour will feature the following films:
RUN INDIA
Australia, 43 minutes
Having achieved her goal of becoming the first woman and youngest person at the time to complete the Four Desert Grandslam, four 250km desert ultramarathons in a single year, Samantha Gash didn’t want to stop running – but she did want to run with more of a purpose. So she teamed up with World Vision to run across India and shine a light on the plight of Indian girls and their quest for equality and education. For 77 days she ran in the heat, the crowds and the dust. She dodged cars, buses, bikes, cows and the odd camel. “Run India” takes us along for the ride and it is a brutally honest raw account of her ups and downs along the way.
DIVIDED
Scotland, 39 minutes
Follow Lee Craigie and Rickie Cotter on the Tour Divide, a 4417km self-supported mountain bike race from Canada to the Mexican border. It is a raw and real portrayal of the places we go emotionally when under extreme duress while riding 190 kilometers a day.
THE PAIGE ALMS STORY
U.S.A., 16 minutes
Paige Alms is one of a handful of female big wave surfers in the world, but her board isn’t covered in brand names and she isn’t flush in sponsor dollars. It is only in the last 12 months that women have achieved pay parity in the prize money in surfing which is why Paige has worked jobs like construction, floor sanding and hospitality to fund her passion for riding the most ferocious waves on the planet for the past 10 years. The Paige Alms story showcases Paige’s single-minded passion and drive. Having dropped out of the surfing competition circuit because she felt like she wasn’t getting the opportunity to be judged on her best surfing, Paige focused on the big waves that inspired her most. Along with pioneers like Keala Kennelly she carved out a place for women in the big wave scene by simply showing up. On waves like Jaws where the paddle out is intimidating enough to put most surfers off, Paige’s love of big waves shines through. Paige’s addiction to riding monstrous waves and her sisterhood of female surfers talks straight from the heart.
FREEFLOW
UK, 4 minutes
Hazel Findlay enjoys an epic day of mountain running and solo climbing in the Welsh mountains of Snowdonia. Stunning shots combine with a considered soundtrack and introspection from one of the world’s best rock climbers.
MEL
Australia, 4 minutes
At 35-years of age Mel Stamell has pretty much tried it all: kayaking, climbing, caving, mountain biking, and skiing. The Canberra local isn’t your average female adventure enthusiast, she is passionate about trying new sports, pushing the boundaries and overcoming obstacles. Her diminutive stature doesn’t suit a lot of outdoor equipment so she customizes her own. With a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering, she’s taken on the challenge of building a lot of her own sporting equipment, including a fibreglass kayak. The aptly named short film “Mel” showcases both her skill and her stoke.
BLUE
U.S.A., 4 minutes
Blue is a fantastical journey into a young girl’s imagination. Fresh off training wheels, the 4-year-old Alaskan local begins to push her boundaries and explore what’s possible on her bike, her eyes naturally drifting to the mountains. We dive into a world of her fantasy and explore the mountains, glaciers and rivers of Valdez by fat bike with a crew of boundary-pushing female athletes hailing from Alaska and beyond. “Blue” is a testament to the inherent creativity, innovation and strength forged in women of the north.
The Sedona stop of the She Adventures Film Tour is made possible by a generous grant from the Arizona Community Foundation of Sedona.