Our festival is still almost 3 months away but with Community Events starting to choose from our selection in January, we thought it would be a good time to pick out a few highlights! (This is just a few - there are loads more!)
If you haven't got your Community Pass yet you haven't missed a thing! Get a pass today and you can start watching the films from January 1st in preparation for your event which must be held between March 7th-22nd.
It really is as easy as it sounds, but if you're wavering, our how-to guide will help!
GIRL CLIMBER (1hr 22')
Directed by Jon Glassberg
Topping out our list is Emily Harrington. She's conquered Everest, 8000-meter peaks, and the competition circuit, but to cement her legacy in the male-dominated world of elite rock climbing, she attempts a career-defining 24-hour ascent of Yosemite’s El Capitan.
Caught between personal ambition and the ticking biological clock, Emily faces a near-fatal fall that forces her to confront what she is willing to risk. The film is equal parts gripping survival story and intimate portrait, revealing the determination, resilience, and humanity behind the record-breaking feats.
Among Yosemite’s legendary “boys’ club,” Emily proves she is not just the best Girl Climber — she is one of the best, period.
ASSYNT (18')
Directed by Dan Lior and Noam Nofi Genet
Assynt is one of the most stunning corners of Scotland — maybe even the world — and this film captures its peace, people, and wild beauty perfectly. Life here moves at nature’s pace, where being close to the land isn’t a choice, it just happens.
The documentary picks its subjects brilliantly, from families who’ve crofted these hills for generations to those who’ve swapped city life for quiet lochs and windswept mountains. Each story feels completely tied to the land, shaped by history, resilience, and a love for the outdoors.
Beautifully shot and thoughtfully observed, the film gives a real sense of what it’s like to live here. Anyone who’s been to Assynt will recognise it instantly, and anyone who hasn’t will leave wanting to pack a bag and experience it for themselves.
THE OLDEST MUNRO BAGGER (57')
Directed by Jay Golian and Christina Golian
Before we leave Scotland behind, we have to mention Nick Gardner’s epic Munros adventure. At 80, Nick set out to climb all 282 Munros after his wife’s dementia diagnosis — and this film follows him every step of the way. It's a story of grit, love, and pure Highland magic. The highs, the lows, the aches, the triumphs — it’s all here, captured against some of Scotland’s most breathtaking mountains.
This is less about ticking off peaks and more about the journey, the connection to the land, and the love that drives Nick forward. Everyone needs a Nick in their life.
FELLSMAN (3')
Directed by Billy Barraclough
Next up, something faster-paced and much shorter: a beautiful short film that perfectly captures what it’s like to be a fell runner in Northern England — rich colours, big skies, and a leaping man.
Fellsman follows Sonny Ashton-Fitch, a 6’6” runner from a small village at the foot of the North Yorkshire Dales, as he trains for the annual Three Peaks Fell Race. From the age of 12, Sonny has been exploring the steep, untamed contours of Ingleborough, Pen-y-Ghent and Whernside, learning to move with the fells underfoot.
The film is a vivid portrait of his relationship with the land, the sheer freedom of running across the Dales. It shows what it means to push your body, to embrace the humblest of amateur sports, and to feel completely alive in the hills. With stunning visuals and an intimate focus on Sonny, it’s a celebration of Yorkshire, determination, and the simple joy of moving fast.
THE TUNNEL (15')
Directed by Jack Armstrong
It’s still running, but in the "Upside Down"... The Tunnel takes the endurance and discipline of long-distance running underground. Each year, a few dozen athletes gather to run 200 miles inside the UK’s longest foot tunnel, facing the ultimate test of endurance and sensory deprivation. There are no headphones, no trekking poles, and no outside support — just the athletes, the tunnel, and a strict 55-hour cutoff.
The film focuses on three previous finishers as they return to take on the challenge a second time, offering a rare glimpse into the obsession, determination, and sheer mental grit required to survive this extraordinary race.
The Tunnel captures the strange, claustrophobic intensity of the event while celebrating the resilience and courage of those who take it on. It’s a gripping, unusual look at what it really means to push yourself beyond every limit.
WE ARE ALL ARTISTS (12')
Directed by Simon Ratigan
Cornish beach artist Billy Bartlett creates intricate geometric patterns on the sands of Polzeath, Cornwall. Using inspiration from sacred geometry and natural forms, Billy’s ephemeral artworks are designed to be temporary, washed away by the tide — a fleeting beauty that carries a surprisingly profound message about impermanence and presence, but which is nevertheless there long enough to delight swimmers, surfers and other visitors.
Filmed entirely in black and white, the contrast and textures highlight the meticulous detail of his designs, while giving the work a timeless, meditative quality. Beyond the art itself, the film captures Billy’s down-to-earth personality, his gentle humour, and the thoughtfulness he brings to his creative process.
SWIM SISTAS (11')
Directed by Catherine Joy White
Crossing the country to the leafy South East, Swim Sistas is a poetic, visually stunning love letter to water, sisterhood, and the enduring strength of Black women across generations.
Guided by the voice of Academy Award nominee Naomie Harris as Mami Wata — part deity, part ancestral memory — the film flows effortlessly through time. We see a young girl diving into joy, Great Britain’s first and only Black female Olympic swimmer breaking historic barriers, and a woman learning to swim at 54, confronting a legacy of inherited fear. Through these stories, Swim Sistas celebrates resilience, connection, and hope.
THIS ISN'T ME (29')
Directed by Gabriele Giuso and Brando Carasso
From one Olympian to another… This Isn’t Me follows Hamish McArthur, one of the world’s most talented boulder climbers, as he tackles a new, ambitious project in the remote Orco Valley. His life revolves around movement, precision, and control — but also around an identity shaped by performance.
Initially, the focus is purely on climbing, but as the cameras keep rolling, cracks begin to appear between Hamish’s true self and the version the production expects him to be. The film captures the tension between authenticity and representation, exploring what it means to live as a top athlete when the performance ends.
This Isn’t Me has its tongue firmly in cheek, but the message is real.
K2 - CHASING SHADOWS (1hr 7') Directed by David Arnaud and Hugo Clouzeau
Reaching even greater heights is the protagonist of this film… K2 – Chasing Shadows follows alpinist Benjamin Védrines, a rising star celebrated for his technical skill and record-breaking speed ascents, as he sets his sights on one of the world’s deadliest peaks: K2. His goal is a fast, oxygen-free climb, pushing the limits of physical endurance and human resilience.
Yet the film is about more than the summit. Beneath the icy slopes and sheer faces lies a deeply personal journey — an inner mountain that tests Benjamin’s resolve, courage, and sense of purpose. The documentary captures both the breathtaking intensity of high-altitude climbing and the quieter, reflective moments that reveal the emotional stakes behind such extreme pursuits.
A THOUSAND WORDS (57')
Directed by Dom Bush and Matt Sharman
And finally, back to where it all began — the first photographic images of Everest — and, in a way, the birth of adventure filmmaking and photography.
A Thousand Words follows filmmakers Matt Sharman and Dom Bush as they retrace the steps of legendary mountaineer and photographer Vittorio Sella, who captured the first images of Mount Everest 125 years ago.
From the dusty archives of the Alpine Club to the heart of the Himalayas, they seek out the exact spot where Sella stood in 1899 and attempt to recreate his iconic photograph on a large-format camera they’ve never used before. Along the way, the film explores the impact of the digital age on photography, showing what has been lost by the ability for everyone to create endless images.
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