The Santa Barbara Women Of Achievement Awards Luncheon

This is hands down one of my very favorite awards events of the year! I've been photographing for the Santa Barbara Chapter of the Association For Women In Communication for more years than I can count and the "Women Of Achievement" Awards Luncheon never ceases to inspire and draw some of the biggest movers and shakers in Santa Barbara. 

The Association For Women In Communication's 2015 Santa Barbara Holiday Party

Association For Women In Communication's Santa Barbara Chapter
2015 Holiday Party

I love this time of the year and especially connecting with fellow AWC-SB friends in celebration of the holidays! Please feel free to share the link to this page on FB with your friends as well. Just cut and paste the address to this page from your browser and share on FB. 

Happy Holidays to you and congratulations to "Member of the Year" Lynn K. Jones and "Nonprofit of the Year" Villa Majella.

In Celebration Of The 2015 Santa Barbara Writers Conference

In Celebration Of The 2015 Santa Barbara Writers Conference

Owner: Monte Schulz

Co-Directors: Nicole Starczack and Erin Dougherty Munsch

Director Of Volunteers: Grace Rachow

I've lost track of how many years I've been involved with the amazing Santa Barbara Writers Conference as both a writer and as a photographer....has it been 12? 13 or 14 years now that I dedicate a full week to immersing myself in the microverse that magically appears in the heart of Santa Barbara every June. It's a week that is packed with inspiration from fellow writers, publishing experts, literary agents, editors, publishers, and award-winning novelists, poets, and non-fiction writers. 

In short, it's a week to remind each of us that--as writers in what can be a very solitary pursuit--we are not alone and that we are stronger and become better when we surround ourselves with excellence and a community of our peers who are also striving for excellence. 

I have made lifelong friends from around the country through the conference, have found writing mentors who continue to inspire me, and built up a community of fellow writers with whom I can exchange inspiration and critiques throughout the year. 

Over the years my relationship with the conference has grown into becoming one of their main event photographers as well as running the Annual Talent Show with my co-host Margaux Hession and long-time friend and Mentor Matt Pallamary. The Talent Show continues to be a great way of just relaxing and celebrating a very long and exhausting week.

It's a month's worth of celebration, inspiration, interaction with mentors, fellow writers, editors, agents, and internationally renowned novelists and non-fiction authors.

Simply put: It's an incredible, magical, and mind-expanding week. Writers come for encouragement and feedback but end up coming again and again largely b/c of the "family" feel of the conference and for the friendships that we all make.

Big thanks to Grace Rachow, our heroic Director of Volunteers, and all of my hard-working fellow volunteers who have spent many years putting their love, sweat, and tears into helping Nicole, Erin and Monte run the conference so smoothly! Between us all, we have a wonderful team and SBWC "family!"

And now I'll put on my "photographer's hat" and let the photos speak for themselves. Looks fun, doesn't it?! ;-)

Enjoy the slideshow! Slideshow below may take a minute to load…but it's worth it! ;-) Once it's loaded, click on grey arrow in middle of window. If music doesn't come on within a second or two, just refresh your browser window and click on the "play" arrow button again. 

To watch with a full size screen, just click on the rectangular icon in lower right hand corner of screen. 

Feel free to leave "like" this post above, leave your comments below, and share this link with your friends. 

PLEASE NOTE: As I wasn't on official photography duty this year, all of the following photos below were taken with my point and shoot Lumix and a few were taken with my iPhone.

Lisa & John's Tahoe Wedding Celebration

*Feel free to leave your comments and congratulations for Lisa and John on the thread below the slideshow. Thanks!

One of the sweetest highlights of my summer (and probably my year!) was traveling to Squaw Valley, Tahoe this summer to photograph an incredible multi-day celebration of Lisa and John's wedding. I met Lisa's family several years ago when I photographed them on a celebratory family trip to Santa Barbara. Many years later it's been an equal pleasure to meet the rest of her and John's extraordinary families.

In short, this is a love letter to Lisa and John and both of their gracious, kind-hearted, down to earth, and big-hearted families who came in from all parts of the country to celebrate their union. It's a special privilege to feel so included in a celebration the way that Lisa and John made me and my honey feel. It's an inspiration to me to know two such lovely people and to be made to feel like "family" during a very intimate occasion.

I was deeply touched by the way that Lisa and John included their five beloved kids and "blended family" in their nuptials and in a very well thought out slideshow and ode to their family. The love between a couple like Lisa and John  and the love they share with their families is exactly what the world needs more of. 

I look forward to watching their love and their families continue to grow over the years and hope to continue having the opportunity to photograph them all over the years…no matter the location! ITALY, ICELAND, MALAYSIA?! Where will your next celebration be? I'm so there! ;-)

As a special thank you to Lisa and John and their beautiful friends and family, and because they live spread out around the country, I have put together not one but FOUR SLIDESHOWS of their celebration in Tahoe earlier this year. I'm hoping you all have as much fun watching this as I have had putting these together for you all!

Much Love & Many Thanks,
Rachel 
www.rsthurston.com

*To watch the slideshows in full screen mode, just click on the rectangle icon in the lower right hand corner of the slideshow window. Voila!

**If the music doesn't play with the slideshow, just refresh your browser window and click "play" (arrow icon in middle of the screen) again. 

Cummins-Dulchinos Family & Bride & Groom Photo Slideshow: 


Cummins-Dulchinos Wedding Ceremony & Cocktail Hour


Cummins-Dulchinos Wedding Dinner & Reception


BONUS: Cummins-Dulchinos Wedding Rehearsal Dinner



*IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VIEW THE WHOLE GALLERY OF PHOTOS (many of which are not in these slideshows) PLEASE CLICK HERE: http://rsthurston.zenfolio.com/cumminsdulchinostahoewedding

2014 Santa Barbara Writers Conference

For well over a decade, the Santa Barbara Writers Conference (owned and directed by dear friends Monte Schulz and Nicole Starczak) has come to punctuate my year in a most wonderful way. It's a place where I can wear two hats….that of a writer and that of a photographer.

I have made lifelong friends from around the country through the conference, have found writing mentors who continue to inspire me, and built up a community of fellow writers with whom I can exchange inspiration and critiques throughout the year. 

Over the years my relationship with the conference has grown into becoming one of their main event photographers as well as running the Annual Talent Show with my co-host Margaux Hession and long-time friend and Mentor Matt Pallamary. The Talent Show continues to be a great way of just relaxing and celebrating a very long and exhausting week.

It's a month's worth of celebration, inspiration, interaction with mentors, fellow writers, editors, agents, and internationally renowned novelists and non-fiction authors.

Simply put: It's an incredible, magical, and mind-expanding week. Writers come for encouragement and feedback but end up coming again and again largely b/c of the "family" feel of the conference and for the friendships that we all make.

Big thanks to Grace Rachow, our heroic Director of Volunteers, and all of my hard-working fellow volunteers who have spent many years putting their love, sweat, and tears into helping Nicole & Monte run the conference so smoothly! Between us all, we have a wonderful team and SBWC "family!"

And now I'll put on my "photographer's hat" and let the photos speak for themselves. Looks fun, doesn't it?! ;-)

Enjoy the slideshow! Slideshow below may take a minute to load…but it's worth it! ;-) Once it's loaded, click on grey arrow in middle of window. If music doesn't come on within a second or two, just refresh your browser window and click on the "play" arrow button again. 

To watch with a full size screen, just click on the rectangular icon in lower right hand corner of screen. 

Feel free to leave "like" this post above, leave your comments below, and share this link with your friends. 

Sloane Reali, YOU ROCK.

* Feel free to leave your comments and love for Sloane at the end of this post~

Working with Sloane Reali, on any level, is a total blast. I first met her many years ago when we were neighbors and have never forgotten her…she is a fantastic ball of energy and unfailingly positive and radiant. It was a total delight to see her in her element, working as both a vocal coach both privately and to groups (at The Santa Barbara Guitar Bar) as well as the intrepid leader of a group of vocal students at The Rock Shop Academy. Full of positive feedback and support for her students, I honestly can't imagine anyone else being in the position she's in. 

You can see how much her students (from young kids to older adults) really warm up to Sloane and feel comfortable and equally inspired by her presence. It's truly a beautiful thing to witness! And as a long-time vocalist and musician, I can truly appreciate her ability to nurture men and women's talents from such young ages no matter what level they may be starting at. I can only imagine how far along I would be musically if I had had a teacher like Sloane when I was younger. It's impressive as well how many resources there are for young kids when they are musically inclined….both The Santa Barbara Guitar Bar and The Rock Shop are fantastic local businesses supporting both amateur and professional musicians of all ages. 

Sloane, you're a total delight and I can't wait to see you and your students performing one of these days! Please give the young ones my best! They were an inspiration to me as a fellow vocalist myself.

Check out more of what Sloane does here: http://vocalcoachingbysloane.com


These are just a few of my favorite photos from our multiple shoots together…ENJOY!

The Ever Talented and Indomitable Karen Custer Thurston

"We ought to dance with rapture that we might be alive... and part of the living, incarnate cosmos."  ~D.H. Lawrence

My mother--the indomitable and multi-talented--Karen Custer Thurston continues to be one of my very favorite people to photograph. Over the years she has hired me to capture various aspects of her long-time career as a fitness trainer, instructor, Turkish-Egyptian Dance Instructor, Choreographer, Performer, and Bollywood choreographer and teacher. 



It has become a tradition that we do every couple of years….and each time I photograph her it's a unique and magical experience. As we are mothers and daughters, there's always lots of hem and hawing over what we each think her make-up and outfits will look like but we've developed a fantastic symbiosis and over the years she has ultimately learned to trust my artistic vision and judgment. 

I think these photos speak for themselves. My mother is one of the most beautiful people I know both inside and out. Her spirit and strength are radiant and she has a magnetism that the camera always seems to love. She has also taken incredible care of her health and her body…many people have seen photos of her over the years and think that I have somehow photoshopped a little extra, making her slimmer and giving her bigger muscles. 

But make no mistake, my friends. This is all very REAL and the muscles and incredible definition she has are all her own. Thanks to being a daughter of farmers and then a very, very hard working fitness trainer and dancer her whole life she has become a role model of men and women of all ages to be in the best possible health and shape that they can. 



I am so incredibly grateful to be on this journey with her and have no doubt that it's only a part of a much longer and wonderful journey we have together. 

Mama, you have been and will always continue to be an infinite source of inspiration to me and I am so honored to be on this journey with You. 

xoxo Raquelita
Hija De La Chihuahua

Enjoy both of the slideshows! I had so many wonderful photos from two parts of our shoot together (fitness and then dance) that I decided to do two separate slideshows and celebrate these two aspects of her career. 

If the music doesn't come on when you first click on the "play" (triangle/arrow) then refresh your browser and click play again.

You can obtain full screen mode by clicking on square icon in lower right hand corner of slideshow screen. 

Beth and Forrest's Engagement Photos

  ♥••*´¨`*•.☆• Beth and Forrest's Engagement Photos •☆.•*´¨`*••♥


*Make sure to check out the slideshow at the end of this blog entry. Click on the "arrow" to play it.

Love has no desire but to fulfill itself.  To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.  To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving.  ~Kahlil Gibran

Kind. Thoughtful. Down to earth. Funny. Loving. Compassionate. These are just a few of the qualities that come to mind when I think of either Forrest or Beth…both of whom are extraordinarily good people! It's wonderful to know them both and even more magical to see them together as a couple.

I was delighted to have the opportunity to photograph them for their engagement. We had so much fun that the sunset came all too soon….

I am so happy to know you both and even happier to see two really good people find each other and create a life together.

Wishing you the greatest happiness as you build your life togethere! You both deserve it!

With Love and Blessings~
Rachel 

*Make sure to check out the slideshow below! If the music doesn't come on when you click on the arrow "play" button then refresh your browser window and try again. You can also leave comments below. Enjoy!

Carolyn and David's Family Portrait

Carolyn and David's Family Portrait Session
Santa Barbara, CA

"When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses."  ~Joyce Brothers

I first met Carolyn over the holidays at our AWC Annual Holiday Party and was delighted to meet a fellow Midwesterner who has recently relocated to Santa Barbara. I have a special place in my heart for Midwesterners and have many close friends here in SB who hail from the flatlands of the U.S. like me. There's a common heritage that we share that's unique and familiar and, from my experience, Midwesterners tend to be pretty down to earth, kind-hearted and authentic people.

I was delighted when she and her husband wanted to put together a photo shoot for their family's reunion out here in their beautiful new home.

Life is truly short and it seems to be speeding up for me every year. I have lived 1,000s of miles from much of my family now for over two decades so I cherish every moment I have with them.

It was a delight being there to celebrate Carolyn and David's time with their family who were visiting from around the country. It's a precious thing to spend time with the people we love no matter how many zip codes exist between our homes.

Sending you and your family my love and blessings this year! I hope we can make this an annual tradition. 

Cheers,
Rachel

Photo Shoot With Children's Book And Fiction Author JZ Bingham

*Please make sure to check out the slideshow below!


I first met JZ earlier this year at the Santa Barbara Writer's Conference and was quickly drawn to her warmth and candor. I've made some really wonderful friends with fellow writers over the last ten years of my involvement with the conference and it has been a special treat getting to know Jasmine (as her friends call her). Besides being a talented author of a hot-off-the-press series of The Salty Splashes Collection of Children's Books, she's a stunning, radiant woman on the inside and out.




Before our shoot she kept warning me that she's traditionally been uncomfortable in front of the camera and doesn't consider herself photogenic. As soon as I started shooting her, it was immediately apparent that she's quite the opposite. She's stunning in person and a total natural in front of the camera. 


This was so much fun to do with her. She wanted to show some other more candid shots of herself as the multi-dimensional author that she is. 

I'm blown away by how her radiance comes through in these photos…the light was sublime. It was a magical shoot and I can't wait to photograph her again!

You can check out her websites here….and her books, of course, make wonderful holiday presents as well!

Let's do this again, Jasmine!

JZ Bingham Author Website
Salty Splashes Collection of Children's Books

*Enjoy the slideshow below! If the music doesn't come on at first, then refresh your page and click "play" again.
To make the slideshow full screen, simply click on the lower left hand icon (rectangle) and Voila! ;-)

AWC-SB's Annual Holiday And Awards Party At Municipal Winemaker

*If you enjoyed this slideshow please "like" and share it with your friends both in and outside of AWC-SB! 

Big congratulations to AWC-SB Member Of The Year Winner Lisa Angle of "Ninety Degrees Media"  and Nonprofit Of The Year "Storyteller Children's Center."

Happy Holidays to you all!

Alpha's Diamonds & Denim 60th Anniversary Celebration!

*Make sure to enjoy the slideshow right below! 

Location: Santa Barbara Carriage House Museum

Saturday, November 2 2013

I've been working with Alpha Resource Center for the past three or more years. They are one of my favorite SB organizations to work with b/c of the heart they put into everything that they do. It's impossible to attend or participate in one of their events without feeling buoyed by the love and support in this community.

Their 60th Anniversary Celebration "Diamonds and Denim" was no exception. From Gabe and Jerry Donovan's beautiful rendition of "Upside Down" by Jack Johnson to watching an entertaining auctioneer--Zachary Krone--spin his magic and rally for some very generous sponsorship from major Alpha Supporters to enjoying a super fun dance set…it was difficult to not smile and feel celebratory!

I think the photos say it all…Alpha is truly giving so much to this community and you can feel the sense of "family" when you attend their events. I'm grateful to be a part of the Alpha "Family" as their photographer and as a proud supporter of all that they do!

Bravo to the Alpha Staff, participants, participants' families, the Alpha volunteers, and all of the generous families and sponsors who have been such a vital part of keeping Alpha going all these years. 

It's a pleasure to know each of you! I hope you enjoy this slideshow~ Feel free to leave your comments below and share this link with your Alpha friends and supporters~

Cheers, 

Rachel

r.s.thurston photography

*Enjoy the slideshow right below. Be patient and wait for the grey box to show a circle with an arrow in the middle appear. Once it appears click on it to "play." If it doesn't load, try refreshing your browser and waiting a few moments. 
*If the music doesn't come on at first, try refreshing your browser and clicking "play" again. 
**You can make the slideshow full screen by clicking on the rectangular box in the lower right hand screen of slideshow. Voila!
***Feel free to leave your comments below and share the link with your friends~ ;-)

Tia and Kaylin's Wine and Social Meetup Halloween Party!

I love October and I LOVE MILKING EVERY LAST DROP OF HALLOWEEN! This year was no exception. Among a few other wonderful gatherings, I had the pleasure of attending Tia and Kaylin's SB Wine and Social Meetup Halloween Party at 240 Studio (a beautiful space run by fellow photog Michelle Lee).

I really enjoyed mingling with some wonderful people...a mixture of familiar faces as well as many new peeps to the SB Scene. Big Thanks to Tia, Kaylin, Michelle and their many helpers for a wonderful, Halloween-ey evening!

I took so many fun photos from the night that I coudn't resist putting them into a slideshow! Enjoy and feel free to share this link with your friends~

BEST FILM FESTIVAL EVER!! ;-) The Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival 2013

My Brilliant, World-Traveling Mother discovered this incredible gem of a film festival about ten years ago and brought me onto shortly thereafter. Over the past several years we have watched this lil ole home-grown film fest grow into a 5-day affair featuring movies from 70 countries.

Today we are absolute adventure travel film junkies. The Flag Mountain Film Fest features almost all documentaries on outdoor adventure, cultural and environmental causes, as well as humanitarian issues. You can go to a ridiculous number of movies for a ridiculously little amount of $. Each 3-hour session costs only $10 but you can buy a Film Fest VIP Pass (just love the way it sounds actually!) like The Thurston Girls and get into every session you want for five days as well as attend multiple special events.

How much does the VIP Pass cost? $60. That’s it!

We attended a total of 30 hours of films and special events during a four day period. Every year I come out of the film festival feeling like my LIFE BATTERY HAS BEEN RECHARGED! ;-) In addition, we've become friends with a couple of the film festival directors as well as some of the filmmakers whom we have met over the years.

By the end of the week it feels like we have traveled the world and had a taste of these amazing “moments” of adventures, been inspired by men, women, and kids doing incredible work in the world, and been educated on issues we had no awareness of beforehand.

I basically come out of it wanting to go do AWESOME THINGS IN THE WORLD!

This year’s highlights for me spanned everything from young Norwegian guys doing  Arctic Surfing in a recycled shelter to spending Christmas without Chinese Goods to climbing Pakistan’s K2 to trying to break the world record for rowing across the Atlantic Ocean.

I’m hoping many of these movies will make it to other film festivals where you live. Most of these films are also available to purchase through the filmmakers. A select few will be picked up by tv networks like HBO and PBS.

Here are just a few of our favorites from this year…..Because many of the sessions were occurring simultaneously we weren't able to see all of the films offered but we did manage to about 80% of the films this year. 

Fav Adventure Films:

“North Of The Sun”

46 Minutes, Norway, 2012

Directors & Producers: Inge Wegge, Jorn Ranum

This is one of my favorite docs from the festival this year b/c it’s a hybrid (part-surfing, part-environmental) and b/c it has the three elements of a truly wonderful film. Great story, great characters, and fantastic video work.

North Of The Sun follows two young Norwegian guys who decide it would be fun to camp out in the Arctic during THE WINTER on a remote beach without any tents or supplies. They make a pact to subsist on free expired food from groceries and to build a shelter out of only items they can find washed up on shore.

Sound a little masochistic? It is yet the two guys seem to keep upbeat through the darkness of an Arctic Winter and will surprise you with their inventiveness.

Beautifully filmed as well from both the ground and the air (one of them just happens to be a bada$$ paraglider as well…is there anything they can’t do?!). ;-)

“Naked Ambition”

87 Minutes, UK, 2012

Director: Joe Wihl

Producer: Oliver Gray

Rowing across the Atlantic. Another two guys (why does it always seems to be the young guys?) charged with testosterone attempt to beat the world rowing record for crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

Like many great adventure tales, you see these guys go from being a little cocky and sure they will be the world record to many days later realixing they won’t but just looking forward to making good time and having a great story to hoping they will just survive the trip.

Rowing unsupported across any great ocean is a fine line between keeping your boat light but having enough food and supplies to sustain the trip. If you run into bad weather it can cost you time and possibly, your life.

“K2: Siren Of The Himalayas”

75 Minutes, USA, 2013

Director: Dave Ohlson

Producers: Jason Reid, Andy McDonough

Mom and I are gluttons for mountaineering movies...maybe it's b/c we love high altitude and pushing our bodies to the extreme but we also know that we're not masochistic enough to get into extreme mountaineering yet are drawn to it nonetheless. 

We especially enjoyed this film on the world's most dangerous and mercurial mountain.

"K2" weaves together archival footage from The Duke of Abruzzi's expedition on K2 along with footage from a 2009 summit attempt by some of the most skilled mountaineers in the world while skillfully examining the difficult and humbling decisions that mountaineers must face in giving up summit bids in order to stay alive. This film showing was also a special treat as three of the guys behind the film were there in person to talk about the trials and tribulations of distilling a story down to its essence....after editing through100 hours of footage.

“MaidenTrip”

81 Minutes, USA, 2013

Directors: Jillian Schlessinger, Emily McAllister

I love bigwater expeditions…whether they’re on the world’s longest river or across one of the Great Oceans. Maidentrip follows Dutch teenager Laura Dekker’s attempt to break the world record for the youngest person (and woman!) to sail around the world solo. She started the trip at 14 years old.

It’s no wonder that people were up in arms. It’s scary to imagine a 14 year old driving a car let alone womanning a sailboat alone. Yet she proves herself to be among history’s strongest sailors…not only does she have the technical skills to do it but she is at her best and calmest alone and facing the ocean’s worst. It’s when she’s around people that you see her nerves start to fray.

Accompanied by a beautiful musical score by Ben Sollee? And subtly done animation by The Moth Collective, Maidentrip is an enjoyable and gentle ride. The one issue with following someone like  Dekker at sea is that a solo trip around the world almost appears easy and effortless. Which I know it isn’t. It might have been helpful to have other sailors talking about how scary it can be at sea or how difficult some of the situations can be.

Yet Dekker seems to be having her own sort of slumber party on the boat without much mention of how close you can be to death when you’re alone at sea.

I still very much enjoyed the film. Makes me want to go try it out.

Hopefully it won’t encourage many 10 year olds to try it, too.

*Other Noteworthy Adventure Films to check out….

“The Ridge” 81 Minutes from Spain

Favorite Environmental Films:

“Growing Cities”

90 Minutes, USA, 2012

Director: Dan Susman

Producers: Dan Susman, Dana Altman, Andrew Monbouquette

Super fun road trip following Susman and his buddies as they travel around the U.S. looking at how normal folk are turning unused public lots in large cities into farmable land that both provides job opportunities for urban dwellers while providing healthy, organic fruits and veggies to locals while simultaneously connecting people with the earth and improving the aesthetics of vacant lots. Really enjoyed this one!

“Musicwood”

81 Minutes, USA, 2012

Director: Maxine Trump

Producer: Josh Granger

An elegantly rendered film on a complex battle over the rights to use and/or protect one of the largest unbroken stands of temperate rainforest in the world…situated in remote Alaska. The leader of Greenpeace rallies the world’s top three guitar makers to travel to Alaska to try to convince the indigenous leaders of a corporation to move from clear-cutting to a more sustainable form of logging.

*OTHER NOTEWORTHY ENVIRONMENTAL FILMS TO CHECK OUT:

"The Human Scale" 77 Minutes from Denmark

“Tiny: Story Of Living Small” 63 Minutes from the USA

“Bidder 70” 73 Minutes from the USA

Favorite Cultural Films:

“The Only Son”

78 Minutes, The Netherlands, Belgium, 2012

Director: Simonka de Jong

Producers: Carolign Borgdorff, Suzanne Van Voorst

This is one of the best films I have yet to see which illustrates that difficult clash between a family that is transitioning from a subsistent agrarian culture to an urban and global one.

“Xmas Without China”

63 Minutes, USA, 2013

Director: Alicia Dwyer

Producers: Alicia Dwyer, Tom Xia

This is a fantastic look at a cultural juxtaposition….an American Family trying to celebrate a month of Christmas without any products from China and the filmmaker’s  (Tom Xia) Chinese-American Parents embracing an American Christmas. A provocative and often humorous look at what it means to be an American and Chinese-American, America’s dependence on Chinese products, what Christmas means to us culturally, and how blurry line can be between cultural and national identities can be.

“I Learn America”

92 Minutes, Australia, 2013

Director & Producer: Nicholas Covelli

A very endearing and heartfelt film following the lives of several teenagers trying to navigate their way through high school as immigrants from extremely disparate backgrounds (Latin America, Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East). In addition to facing the normal challenges of teenhood, they are faced with their own mix of additional personal and cultural challenges (ranging from extreme religious upbringings to gender identity and languages barriers). 

“Vultures Of Tibet”

21 Minutes, USA/Canada, 2013

Director: Russell O. Bush

Producers: Elisabeth Oakham, Annie Bush

Doing any film on Tibet within the boundaries of China is a difficult and dangerous undertaking yet an important one if at the very least to document how the Supernation is impacting ancient Tibetan traditions within its borders.

Bush took three years to carefully take undercover footage (with the blessing and help of Tibetan monks and refugees) of a sacred ritual and how corrupt govt officials are selling tickets to Chinese Tourists to watch it without Tibetans’ approval.

Bush delicately conveys the ritual and its participants and outside voyeurs in a respectful and careful manner. He also protected the identity of the featured monks by doing voiceovers recorded by Tibetan Refugees in Daramsala, India.

“After Effects”

29 Minutes, USA/Haiti, 2013

Director & Producer: Denise M. Stilley

After Effects Trailer from Alma Libre Productions on Vimeo.

Super heartwarming film by Flagstaff local filmmaker Stilley which highlights the relief efforts in Haiti by the non-profit Northern Arizona Volunteer Medical Corp (NAVMC). NAVMC makes regular trips to help the men, women, and children of this Caribbean Nation in the aftermath of the 7.0 earthquake which impacted 3 million people (and was estimated to have killed anywhere from 100,000 to 300,000 people). 

*OTHER NOTEWORTHY CULTURAL FILMS TO CHECK OUT:

“Blood Brother” 93 Minutes from the USA

“Tales From The Organ Trade” 82 Minutes from Canada

“Narco Cultura” 102 Minutes from USA/Mexico

“Running Blind” 31 Minutes from the USA

Favorite Extreme Films:

“Petzl Roctrip China”

23 Minutes, France, 2012

Director: Vladimir Cellier

Producer: Petzl

I have seen A LOT of climbing movies over the past ten years between films that have appeared at the Banff, Telluride, and Flag Mtn. Film Fests. Trust me on this one.

I’m always looking for some film which has a unique and refreshing approach to climbing and this one does not disappoint. Focusing on a climbing event in rural China in a giant limestone waterway arch, the film editor of “Petzl Roctrip China” is the unsung hero here (they often are!). He or she has a mesmerizing, rhythmic approach to stitching scenes and dialogue together to a fantastic soundtrack. It becomes a dj-like symphony that you can’t help but bob your head to.

There’s a small story here—which is true of many short climbing movies--but the lyrical ride is a beautiful one and takes you into the heart of a very special place in China.

“Honnold 3.0”

32 Minutes, USA, 2012

Directors: Peter Mortimer, Josh Lowell

Producers: Peter Mortimer, Josh Lowell, Nick Rosen, Alex Lowther

Okay, if you’re not familiar with the world climbing phenom Alex Honnold, then watch this film or any film on him. He’s a tall, wholesome-looking, and unassuming young American guy who just happens to be the boldest climber in the world. Among other feats, he takes on a speed record for climbing the three greatest walls in Yosemite (each of which can take up to a week to do for skilled climbers) in less than….24 hours!

It’s nerve racking to watch Honnold free climb (no ropes, folks) for much of these three climbs. The only thing missing from this is an interview with his mother sharing us how she must cope knowing the risks her son is taking everytime he climbs.

He is ridiculously good and it is ridiculously scary watching him take these chances. There is no margin for error if he slips when he is unclipped.

Does he make it?

Watch for yourself.