5Point Film Festival Debuts May 8-10, 2008 in Carbondale, Colorado

Film screenings, panel discussions, awards and receptions to inspire adventureWith special guests Yvon Chouinard, Erik Weihenmayer, Aron Ralston — and many more

January 8, 2008 (Carbondale, Colo.) – Unscripted and intimate in nature, the 5Point Film Festival debuts May 8-10, 2008 in Carbondale, Colorado, featuring a five-star roster of adventure films, special guests and programs to engage audiences and build passion with a conscience through the power of the moving image. All events will take place at the Carbondale Recreation Center, Thunder River Theatre and other local hot spots. The complete festival program will be announced in March at www.5pointfilm.org.

Confirmed special guests of the 5Point Festival include outdoor luminaries such as Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, blind mountaineer Erik Weihenmayer, the world-renowned rock climber Tommy Caldwell, extreme kayaker Rush Sturges, surf legend Gerry Lopez, and pioneering adventurer/author Dick Dorworth. Roaring Fork Valley personalities Aron Ralston, Chris Klug, Chris Davenport, and Lou Dawson, among others, will also be present.

Not your average film festival…Event founder and dedicated mountain chick, Julie Kennedy, explains, “Our vision is to provide a forum where filmmakers, innovators and members of the community at large can gather together, share their films and ideas, build relationships and come away transformed by the experience. It is a brief moment in time when the right people come together in the right place, supported by the right creative stimulation to make real change,” adds Kennedy. “That’s what the 5Point Film Festival is all about.”

Named for the fifth-class grading system used by climbers, the new festival is built on five guiding principles: respect, commitment, humility, purpose and balance. These same principles also form a foundation for individuals who lead lives of adventure and connect those with an elemental passion to explore.

What’s the point?The 5Point Film Festival aims to inspire adventure of all kinds, to connect generations through shared experience and respect, and to engage passion with a conscience through film.

The new festival’s expanded mission provides additional perspective: On the edge between desire and fear, between the known and unknown, is a place deep inside us all where the spirit is transformed — pushed beyond its limit by our deliberate commitment to usher in something new and original. In this soulful place we are catalyzed to learn, expand and engender newfound understanding to inspire others on their journeys. It is this spirit, this thirst for adventure that the 5Point Festival celebrates and shares with the community and filmmakers that gather for its annual Festival in Carbondale.

Sponsors who make it possibleThe 5Point Festival is graciously presented by sponsors Patagonia, Beattie Outdoor Productions, Town of Carbondale, Big Horn Toyota, The Dulaney Foundation, Alpine Bank and Timbers Resort.

Founded in 2007, the 5Point Film Festival is on a mission to inspire adventure of all kinds, to connect generations through shared experience and respect, and to engage passion with a conscience through film. The festival is made possible in part by sponsors Patagonia, Beattie Outdoor Productions, Town of Carbondale, Big Horn Toyota, The Dulaney Foundation, Alpine Bank and Timbers Resorts. Proceeds from the 501(c)3 non-profit benefit 1% for the Planet and other non-profits throughout the Roaring Fork Valley and beyond. For more information, please call Julie Kennedy, Festival Director, 970.963.2188 or visit www.5pointfilm.org.