TRANSCENDENCE
AWARDS
Best Climbing Film (Ladek Mountain Film Festival), Best Cinematography (Oregon Documentary Film Festival), Special Jury Mention (Ulju Mountain Film Festival), Best Mountaineering Film (Festival Gorniskega Filma), Official Selection (Climbing Film Tour)
SYNOPSIS: After walking away from professional cycling to pursue climbing, Adrien Costa suffered a devastating accident that began his journey as an adaptive athlete. This film follows his path from recovery to the cutting edge of adaptive climbing, working his way up to an epic first ascent in Washington’s North Cascades with PNW legend Mark Allen.
30 minutes
Directed by MICHELLE SMITH
Produced by JIM AIKMAN
Cinematography by JIM AIKMAN & CHRIS ALSTRIN
Produced by LUKE WEBSTER
Presented by SALEWA, WILD COUNTRY, CLICK MEDICAL, MOUNTAIN BUREAU
Streaming on OUTSIDE WATCH and WATERBEAR IN 2024!
Red Rock Revolution
Following an unlikely courtship, Jorge and Joanne Urioste arrived in Las Vegas, Nevada in the 1970s, long before it was a mecca of rock climbing in North America. When the rest of the country was focused on Yosemite Valley, the Uriostes began developing long, moderate climbs on Red Rock Canyon's impeccable sandstone, defying climbing norms and charting a new path for the sport. Their routes remain the most classic in Red Rock, drawing climbers from all over the world.
8 minutes
Directed by JIM AIKMAN
Produced by JIM AIKMAN & PETE TAKEDA
Photography from the URIOSTE COLLECTION
Annapurna ‘78
Arlene Blum led the groundbreaking first American and first all-female ascent of Annapurna in 1978. Despite dangerous avalanches and tumultuous conditions, the team was determined to prove that “A Woman’s Place Is On Top.” And though they surely did, this groundbreaking ascent is also laced with tragedy. In this installment of the AAC’s Legacy Series, Arlene reflects on the triumphs and tragedy of their ‘78 ascent of Annapurna.
8 minutes
Directed by JIM AIKMAN
Produced by GRAHAM ZIMMERMAN & PETE TAKEDA
Cinematography by DYANNA TAYLOR
Photography by ARLENE BLUM
What’s in a Name?
After immigrating from Brazil to the United States as a teenager, Maiza Lima worked to find her place in American culture and climbing. Now living in rural Montana where she is one of the only female climbers in her town, Maiza has come to realize that there are many parts of climbing culture she does not want to conform to. She discovers that she must define her own portion of American climbing, community and place to make more space for people like her.
14 minutes
Directed by JULES JIMREIVAT
Produced by JIM AIKMAN & JULES JIMREIVAT
Cinematography by JULES JIMREIVAT, TARA KERZHNER & JIM AIKMAN
Executive Producer GRAHAM ZIMMERMAN
Presenting Sponsor REI CO-OP
Supporting Sponsor MARMOT
Link Sar
“Link Sar” is a short film about an elite American alpinist navigating his relationships and motivations while attempting to climb and survive one of the world’s most challenging unclimbed peaks: Link Sar, in the high mountains of Pakistan.
18 minutes
Directy by GRAHAM ZIMMERMAN
Produced by JIM AIKMAN
Sponsored by TIN CUP MOUNTAIN WHISKEY
Distributed by EPIC TV
An Imperfect Advocate
In the rarified air of the world’s wildest mountains, alpinist Graham Zimmerman has seen firsthand the effects of human-driven climate change on the world. He has seen glaciers recede, winters become shorter, and weather patterns become more volatile. As his eyes have been opened to the irreversible damage that humans are doing to the planet, he has been forced to acknowledge that he is complicit in destroying these places that he loves. Despite his own carbon footprint, Graham decides that he must take action and joins Protect Our Winters, an advocacy group that enlists him in the fight against Climate Change. In doing so, he starts down the path of advocacy in an increasingly turbulent world. A world that will challenge him in many ways, not least of all, by asking if he can accept his imperfections to become an effective advocate.
21 minutes
Directed by JIM AIKMAN
Produced by GRAHAM ZIMMERMAN
Executive Producers MARIO MOLINA & BRYAN COLE
Distributed by OUTSIDE TV
The American Alpine Club’s
LEGACY SERIES
GEORGE LOWE
Glen Denny
JACK TACKLE
BETSY WHITE
TOM HORNBEIN
A passion-project of AAC Past President Jim McCarthy and Tom Hornbein—themselves mountaineering legends by any standard—the American Alpine Club’s Legacy Series pays tribute to the visionary climbers who made the sport what it is today and stands as a commitment to securing their legacies.
Films produced and directed by BEDROCK FILM WORKS
Podcasts written and hosted by JIM AIKMAN
Lost Temple of the Inca
NOW STREAMING ON DISNEY+
For decades, legendary archeologist Dr. Johan Reinhard has been searching for the lost temples of the Inca Empire in Peru, but one has remained hidden: Ausangate, named after one of the most sacred mountains in the Empire. In 2011, environmental scientist Preston Sowell picked up where Dr Reinhard left off: While looking for threatened high-altitude species in the Peruvian Andes, Sowell discovered ruins and artifacts submerged beneath the waters of a remote lake at the headwaters of the Amazon River that he thinks are the lost temple of Ausangate. Featuring Dr. Reinhard, this film follows Sowell’s journey of discovery, loss and adventure as he seeks to prove the cultural significance of this sacred place in order to protect the lake’s watershed from environmental devastation.
52 minutes
Directed by JIM AIKMAN
Produced by GRAHAM ZIMMERMAN
Co-Produced with OFF THE FENCE
Executive Producer DEBBIE HINNIGAN
Featuring PRESTON SOWELL & JOHAN REINHARD
Distributed by THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL
For more information on the film, including a trailer, please contact the Bedrock Team.
Aniakchak: A Wild Love Story
Graham and Shannon are experienced athletes in alpine climbing and ultimate frisbee, respectively. But the adventurous couple is on a quest to try new outdoor sports together. In 2017, they tried mountain biking for the first time. This time they're giving packrafting a go.
29 MINUTES
Directed by GRAHAM ZIMMERMAN & FOREST WOODWARD
Produced by JIM AIKMAN & GRAHAM ZIMMERMAN
Director of Photography TOMMY PENICK
Produced for REI and NRS
Winter’s Edge
Laura Green wakes up every morning and goes to the mountains of the Pacific Northwest to keep skiers safe through backcountry avalanche forecasting and avalanche mitigation at Mt Hood Meadows resort. But this winter, Laura’s dear friend was caught in an avalanche, and suddenly these dangers hit close to home. Following this brush with mortality, Laura has a renewed commitment to her duty in the snow.
10 MINUTES
Directed by SEAN O’CONNOR
Produced by JIM AIKMAN & GRAHAM ZIMMERMAN
Co-Produced with STORY GORGE
Camera by JIM AIKMAN, SEAN O’CONNOR & CHRIS GARVEY
Client and Distributor: REI CO-OP
Premiered online in February, 2019.
Lightner
After dominating the world of indoor climbing as an adolescent, 18-year-old Kai Lightner sets out to take his skills to the next level and ascend the ranks of adult climbing in order to gain a bid for the 2020 Olympics. The film follows Kai and his mother Connie to a National Cup Bouldering Competition in New Mexico and explores Kai’s growth as an athlete and individual.
12 MINUTES
Directed by JIM AIKMAN
Produced by GRAHAM ZIMMERMAN
Produced for the "Uninterrupted Presents" series at Uninterrupted.com
Co-Produced with DIRTY ROBBER
Produced by VICTOR BUHLER
Camera by JIM AIKMAN & GRAHAM ZIMMERMAN
Editor KEVIN BARTH
Line Producers ANDREW SACHS & LAURA STODDARD
Series Created by LEBRON JAMES
For more information and complete credits, visit the film's IMDB page!
Premiered online in December, 2017.
Hold Fast
Conrad Anker is one of the greatest and most notorious professional mountain climbers in history. But at 54, his career in the big mountains is winding down, especially after suffering a heart attack on a climb high in the Himalayas. His friend Alex Wildman is a novice big-wall climber and cardiac nurse with his own history of traumatic illness. Together, they team up to support each other on a climb up Yosemite's El Capitan in Yosemite Valley.
56 MINUTES
Directed by JIM AIKMAN
Produced by GRAHAM ZIMMERMAN
Produced for the "Religion of Sports" series on the Audience Network
Created by GOTHAM CHOPRA
Executive Producer TOM BRADY
Story Producer CYNTHIA PALORMO
For more information and complete credits, visit the film's IMDB page!
Premiered on the Audience Network in November, 2017.
Alpinists at Large: Siguniang 1981
In 1981 Jack Tackle, Jim Donini, Kim Schmitz, Jim Kanzler, and Greg Thomsen traveled to the newly opened mountains of central China to attempt the South Face of then unclimbed Mt Siguniang. Retreating from the mountain in defeat, the team engaged in outrageous hijinks that, until recently, were too embarrassing to share publicly. This film gathers the four surviving members to learn about their experiences in China in 1981 and highlight their hilarious account with animated images from the expedition.
12 MINUTES
Directed and Produced by JIM AIKMAN & GRAHAM ZIMMERMAN
For THE AMERICAN ALPINE CLUB
Very Special Thanks to STEVE SCHWARTZ
Premiered at 2017 Kendal Mountain Film Festival
Engaging the Curve
As a couple, Ultimate Frisbee world champion Shannon McDowell and professional climber Graham Zimmerman decided they needed a new sport that they could learn together, on an even playing field. What they found was the adventure of a lifetime and a deeper appreciation for their adventurous relationship - and a lot of wipeouts! Follow along as they engage the learning curve and leave the training wheels at home.
12 MINUTES
Directed by GRAHAM ZIMMERMAN
Produced by GRAHAM ZIMMERMAN & JIM AIKMAN
Director of Photography JIM AIKMAN
Edited by JIM AIKMAN
For REI
Premiered Summer 2017
Above the Fray
Beth Rodden is one of the greatest climbers in history. Her reflection on a terrifying expedition to Kyrgyzstan and motherhood brings her to the discovery of a balanced life.
7 MINUTES
Directed by GRAHAM ZIMMERMAN
Produced by GRAHAM ZIMMERMAN & JIM AIKMAN
Director of Photography JIM AIKMAN
For OUTDOOR RESEARCH & OSPREY
Premiered in April 2017!
The Seven Summits
Colin O’Brady was a professional triathlete on the global circuit until 2016, when he decided to attempt an audacious and quite different goal - to reach the highest point on each of Earth’s seven continents, in record time. Under the mentorship of the record’s previous holder, Vern Tejas, Colin learns there is more to climbing mountains than the physical challenge, and that anything is possible with the support his community.
22 MINUTES
Directed by JIM AIKMAN
Produced by GRAHAM ZIMMERMAN
For OUTSIDE TELEVISION'S DISPATCHES SERIES
Premiered in March 2017!
Uncle Billy
Billy Kauhelauli’i grew up during a turbulent time in Hawai’i’s history, when its cultural identity was under serious threat. Despite these obstacles, Billy maintains links to his past through the arts of his ancestors. Follow Billy with his throw-net and surf board as he reflects on the past, present and future of his beloved Hawaiian Kingdom.
5 MINUTES
Directed by JIM AIKMAN
Cinematography by ANDY MASER
For OUTSIDE TELEVISION'S DISPATCHES SERIES
Premiered in February 2017!
Jeff Lowe’s Metanoia
The story of legendary climber Jeff Lowe's rise to the top of his sport before a devastating fall from grace that precipitated perhaps the boldest solo mountain climb in history: Metanoia, on the North Face of the Eiger. Twenty years later, Jeff faces a terminal disease with the same courage and grace that characterized his career as a climber.
FEATURE LENGTH
Directed and Edited by JIM AIKMAN
Released Winter, 2014 - Banff Mountain Film Festival
Awards - Domzale Mountain Film Festival (Grand Prize), Ladek Mountain Film Festival (Grand Prize), Bilboa International Film Festival (Grand Prize), Diablaret International Alpine Film Festival (Grand Prize), Eho Mountain Film Festival (Grand Prize), Kendall Mountain Film Festival (Best Mountaineering Film), Vancouver International Film Festival (Jury’s Award), Trento Mountain Film Festival (People’s Choice Award), New Zealand International Mountain Film Festival (Best Mountain Culture Award), Zakopane Film Festival (People’s Choice Award), Boulder Adventure Film Festival (Make Your Own Adventure Award)
Martin's Boat
In the 1950’s when the Bureau of Reclamation proposed two dams in the Grand Canyon—one at Marble Canyon and the other at Bridge Canyon—the late Martin Litton made sure the Sierra Club didn't acquiesce. Martin believed the best way for people to understand how important it was to preserve the Grand Canyon was to have them experience this secret world from the river, but not in just any boat. Martin pioneered whitewater dories on the Colorado River in the 1960’s and started a proud tradition of naming the boats after wild places that had been lost or compromised by the hand of man. Martin’s Boat is a film that honors the legacy of Martin Litton and follows the newest boat in the Grand Canyon Dories fleet, the Marble Canyon, on its maiden voyage down the legendary Colorado River through the grandest canyon on Earth.
20 MINUTES
Directed by PETE McBRIDE
Edited by JIM AIKMAN
Released Winter, 2016 - Wild & Scenic Film Festival
Awards: Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival (Best Short Film), Lookout Wild Film Festival (Best Conservation Film)
High and Hallowed: Everest 1963
Profiling the bold and visionary efforts of the 1963 American Mount Everest Expedition, the film examines the sheer commitment, step-by-step struggle and lasting impact of the first American ascent of Mt. Everest and the pioneering first ascent of the West Ridge.
Five decades later, High and Hallowed: Everest 1963 journeys back to Everest to discover if the essence of risk, adventure and the unknown that drew the first Americans to the summit still exists on Everest today.
50 MINUTES
Co-Directed and Edited by JIM AIKMAN
Released Spring, 2013 - Telluride Mountainfilm Festival
Awards - Boulder International Film Festival (Best Colorado Film 2014), New Hampshire Film Festival (Best Short Documentary), Torello Mountain Film Festival, (Best Mountain Film), Mt Hood Independent Film Festival (Best Adventure Film), Boulder Adventure Film Festival (Best Climbing Film)
Fast and Light
A short comedy piece lampooning climbing culture in Yosemite Valley.
5 MINUTES
Directed by JIM AIKMAN, Produced by GRAHAM ZIMMERMAN and AUSTIN SIADAK
Released 2015, 5Point Film Festival