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the film fest | 2022

the film fest | 2022
festival recap and online audience voting
a film festival specifically designed for creatives in the running space.

30 films were submitted, and 14 were selected to move forward to the panel of judges: darcy hennessey turenne (filmmaker), erica stanley-dottin (tracksmith), alexi pappas (runner, filmmaker, writer), julie freeman kummer (like the wind magazine), simon freeman (like the wind magazine), and brenden clarke (photographer, filmmaker).

on december 8th, at motivny, new york, we presented the 14 films and the judges selection. the festival was hosted by daniel winn.

the top films per category as rated by the judges were:

shorts (under 20 minutes):⁠
1st place – from the shadow of a mountain by alex massey⁠
2nd place – a runner’s high by isidro hurtado⁠
3rd place – joan & drew by johnny pace⁠

sprints (under 5 minutes):⁠
1st place – urban oasis by ryan scura⁠
2nd place – worst buried treasure by matthew lucier⁠ and matthew lejune⁠
3rd place – runz’n the hood 91350 by avih n’dabian⁠

the overall winner: urban oasis. ⁠

there is also an audience vote. voting is now closed. the winner will be announced soon and will receive a $1000 USD prize.

thank you to all filmmakers who put their work forward for the film festival!

urban oasis
A journey through the contrasting urban and natural spaces within San Francisco’s 49 square miles.

Directed by: Ryan Scura
Produced by: Paddy O’Leary
Cinematography by: Ian Scura, Ryan Scura, Tony DiPasquale, Dylan Ladds
Edited by: Ryan Scura

from the shadow of a mountain
Markelle Taylor started running as a way to turn his life around. Today he runs free in the oldest trail race in America, on a mountain which was once unreachable

An Entropico Film 
Director, Alex Massey 
Executive Producer, Harry Hunter
Director of Photography, Rob Schanz
1st Camera, Albert Strietmann
Producer, Livia Biedermann
Post Producer, Annabel Mills 
Editor, Sarah Panzetta
Colorist, Marcus Timpson
Sound Engineer, Jacob Turier
Motion Designer, Zanen Flynn
Graphic Designer, Isabella Whittaker-Inserra
Shot on Kodak Super8, Processed by Pro8MM

Special Thanks:
Markelle Taylor 
Gene Cohn Courtesy of Lucretia Little History Room, Mill Valley Public Library
Raymond Coyne/Courtesy of Lucretia Little History Room, Mill Valley Public Library. © The Annual Dipsea Race
Courtesy of Lucretia Little History Room, Mill Valley Public Library

worst buried treasure
Worst Buried Treasure is the exploration of the memories buried deep inside of you through the mind of Roel Gonzalez. Roel, a retired 12+ year Army Infantry soldier, experienced many things that no one should ever have to go through. Out of necessity, he buried these memories as far back into his mind as he could. He began using substances to try to keep them there as he fell further and further. After being medically retired from the Army, Roel started running for himself once again. Over the course of his thousands of miles through trails, and ultra marathons, he has start to finally face the pains and memories of his past through the most extreme of running experiences, slowly figuring out who he is now.
Created from pre pro to final cut in the course of 2 weeks on location in San Antonio, TX. Co-directors Matthew LeJune and Matthew Lucier want to share their gratitude for those who have chosen and choose to fight for our freedoms, as well as remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice on and off the battlefield. You can help support those struggling with addiction through Pay it Forward SA. They provide recovery support and sober living facilities for both men and women to help them rebuild their lives after they complete drug and alcohol rehab providing them a significantly improved chance of staying clean & sober than with drug rehab programs alone through commUNITY.

Credits
Runner- Roel Gonzalez
Co Director/DP- Matthew LeJune
Co Director/DP- Matthew Lucier
Sound Design- Grant Claytor
Animation- Aidan Cameron

runner’s high
“Runner’s High” explores the widely-held perception that athleticism and cannabis are at odds. It follows Thai Richards and the Brooklyn-based community he co-founded, Rage & Release, on their journey to change this perception.



The greater social and political movement fueling some form of cannabis legalization in over two-thirds of states brought attention to cannabis’ legitimate therapeutic benefits, both medical and recreational. Through Rage & Release,  Thai strives to redefine an intersection currently restrained by two dissonant goals – reactive treatment and indulgent escapism – and pave a new, singular path centered on proactive well being and purposeful living.



He plans to erase the stigma associated with cannabis use among the athletic community, replacing it with an experience-based understanding of the power that the combination of athleticism and cannabis has to enhance both physical and mental health.



“Runner’s High” is a story of perseverance and purpose. Conviction and contradiction. And, pardon the pun, the highs and lows of a passionate pursuit to share what one’s heart and mind know to be true for the betterment of the human condition.

DIRECTED BY: ISIDRO HURTADO
CO-DIRECTED BY: ANTHONY ROBERTS, TOM STIEFERMANN
AD: ZACH SHIFFRIN
EDITOR: TYLER EDWARDS, JACK CEARNAL
COLOR: TYLER EDWARDS
AUDIO: CHAYAN SANCHEZ, FEDERICO PEREZ 
SOUNDS BY: NICK TORONTALI
CAST:THAI RICHARDS
KENNY WHITE, CJ, AUNTIE KIM, AUNTIE BOO,RAGE & RELEASE MEMBERS

runz’n the hood 91350
Steve is a young man who lives in Grigny, the poorest city in France. The quest for success is strewn with judgments, doubts, good and bad encounters. Through Steve’s actions, an inner voice lists the obstacles and the challenge to overcome them by himself to find the key to his success.

Through our film we wanted to pay tribute to the fight in the blocks that Ladji Doucouré (Double world champion in the 110m hurdles and relay 4*100 in 2005) is leading. Ladji co-founded “GOLDEN BLOCKS” in the town of Grigny to take the stadium race out and straight to the heart of the blocks.

WITH @SPEEDYLATEMPETE AND ZESTÜ CREWS 
A FILM BY AVIH N’DABIAN AND KEVIN GUYOMARD
MUSIC BY ZETSÜ_OFFICIAL91.
VIDEO EDITING BY KEVIN GUYOMARD.
VOICE OVER, AVIH N’DABIAN AND CORTO LAYUS,  
TRANSLATION, CAMILLE VANDENDRIESSCHE.
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY, KEVIN GUYOMARD.
WRITTEN BY KEVIN GUYOMARD AND AVIH N’DABIAN PRODUCE BY AVIH N’DABIAN.
SPECIAL THANKS TO MATTHIEU LAYAHE AND LADJI DOUCOURÉ FOR ELEVATING KIDS FROM THE HOOD WITH “GOLDEN BLOCKS”.

joan and drew
What happens when a star runner can’t quite get his groove back? He calls mom.

Follow along with elite runner Drew Hunter as he and his mom Joan talk about their special bond not just as mother and son but as coach and athlete.

Film by Johnny Pace
Special thanks to The Hunter Family, Tinman Elite, and Pacers Running

why the marathon is 26.2 miles
The marathon is 26.2 miles which is … weird.

A film by Mallory Rhymer

into the archives
Archival footage showcasing the raw and real emotions that I’ve encountered in and out of sport.

Edited and Produced by Matthew Rankin

dominic arpin
Dominic Arpin is an ex-live-journalist who converted to running after his cancer in 2013. He is passion driven individual and whom running helped him in his most difficult times.

Jérôme Binette / Dominic Arpin
Translator: Carmen Gloria Figueroa Sotelo

burden of time
A love letter to running. An ode to navigating the highs and often soul crushing lows of days gone by. An exploration and visualization of our longing for connection and of the parallel lives that can be forged unbeknownst to us. But as everything always eventually comes back around full circle, in the end Burden of Time is a celebration. A celebration of human perseverance. Of the long awaited return to track sessions and Sunday long runs. Of being reunited with community again. Of our longing for connection finally coming to fruition.

Featuring: Maria Buchbinder & Solomon “Soli” Demeku
Written and Directed by: Xenia Alexandra
Cinematography by: Dustin Miller
Edited by: Jonah Sublette (Legion Post)
Composed by: Michael A. Muller
Words by: Ross Chestnut
Color: Jacob Mckee (Forager)
Sound Design & Mix: Sam Costello (Legion Post)
Voiceover: Rio Lakeshore
Special thanks: 
Kodak Film Lab Atlanta
20/20 Camera
Samantha Deleo

more battles to come
How do you respond to heartbreak? When a high school cross country team comes up just short in their quest for the state meet, they reflect on on what it means to run as a team. “More Battles To Come” is both a season recap and a snapshot of a singular moment in time, combining footage from the season filmed by an assistant coach with raw, emotional interviews filmed in a hotel conference room just after the season ended.

A Film by Christian J. Surtz
Director, DP, Editor – Christian J. Surtz
Producer – Andrew Lifka
Additional Cinematography – Peter Clancy
Production Assistants – Kristina Pudlewski, Brendan Scanlan

run for my life
Odyssey House is an addiction treatment and supportive housing agency that has been a part of the social fabric of New York City communities for over 50 years.

Each New Yorker who finds their way to Odyssey House to receive life-saving services has the opportunity to train with the Odyssey House running team – Run for Your Life. One such client is Tim, who credits the program with bolstering his treatment experience.  

Odyssey House clients who participate in Run for Your Life experience the physical benefits of long-distance running. But even more impactfully, they feel a deep spiritual connection to a community of athletes who are all similarly embarking on their recovery journey. The Run For Your Life community is a powerful example of living the values of communal uplift. The bonds built in this unique club mirror and shape each runner’s recovery journey.

Addiction takes a physical, mental, and spiritual toll on a person’s life. Leaning on the running community to build oneself back up while fully immersed in the fight for their lives is the astonishing accomplishment we aim to amplify with this film. Highlighting the athletic achievements of Odyssey House runners like Tim allows us the opportunity to frame recovery as an outstanding accomplishment worthy of pride. This framing helps us break the stigma of addiction while encouraging compassion for anyone striving for something big while battling their demons.

Director: Natalie Brasington
Executive Producer: Isobelle Surface
Producer: Natalie Brasington
Coordinating Producer: Carolyn Abrams
Director of Photography: David Johnson
Editors: Natalie Brasington & David Johnson
On Set Sound Mixer: David Johnson
Colorist: David Johnson

together through heartbreak
The ‘sprint’ film I have titled ‘Through Heartbreak’ is a short film I created for the University of Toledo Men’s Cross Country team. The D1 Men’s Cross Country program had never placed higher than 5th in our conference until 2021 when we were the MAC Runner-Up. After finishing 2nd in 2021, we vowed to return and win the program its first conference title. This short film covers the immense emotions the men’s team felt as they competed, and inevitably came up short of a conference championship, once again finishing now as the 2022 MAC Runner-Ups.

Xavier Gallo – Cinematographer
Zach Whitney – Drone Pilot

simple pleasures
A quirky ride about the intertwined relationship between eating and running.

Director: Ed de Carvalho
Starring: Murray Robertson & Ed de Carvalho
DP – Louis Brandt
Illustrations & Animation – Joe Neathway
Music & Sound Design – Jonny Higgins
Colourist – Tim Wreyford

about the author
ciele athletics and trials of miles
also special thanks to the supporters of the 2022 film fest: tracksmith and like the wind magazine
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