Mammoth Film Festival

Beyond Midnight: The Grand Traverse
(Conor Hagen, U S A, 50min)

The Elk Mountains Grand Traverse backcountry ski race cuts through forty miles of the most tumultuous and challenging terrain separating in the Western Hemisphere. This event gives 240 competitors, in teams of two, the opportunity to prove themselves against countless obstacles from the midnight start in Crested Butte, Colorado to the finish line, across the Elk Mountains, in Aspen, Colorado. Friends of Friends Productions has been working hard to bring the events that unfold in those forty miles, to the eyes and ears of the broader American public. The film provides a unique perspective that follows competitors, race organizers, and even a few spectators as they move through the 8-16+ grueling hours it takes to reach the finish line. The film has been shot under the auspices of the direct cinema style of documentary film. It establishes the athletes, not as talking heads to the viewers, but rather captures and presents the race in it’s most raw form. In this way, the film portrays the true essence of the race and the surrounding environment. This documentary provides viewers with an in-depth look at one of the most astounding endurance races in the Americas.