Champions of the Golden Valley (Boulder International Film Festival)

The Museum welcomes the Boulder International Film Festival back to our Stewart Auditorium for three glorious days featuring a wide variety of films from local, national and international filmmakers. For full program and festival information, please visit the Boulder International Film Festival website.

US, Feature Documentary, 81 minutes, 2024

Winner of Grand Prize and Audience Choice Award at the 2024 Banff Mountain Film Festival
In the remote mountain villages of Bamyan, Afghanistan, a newfound passion for skiing attracts young athletes from rival ethnic groups to the slopes. With minimal gear, makeshift wooden skis and a rigged tow rope, the determined ski coach, Alishah Farhang, organizes a thrilling ski race that fosters camaraderie, joy, and triumph. However, after the shocking collapse of their country and the Taliban takeover, many of the skiers are displaced across the globe as refugees. Champions of the Golden Valley captures the thrill of a sports rivalry, intertwined with a poignant portrait of a community in profound transition — parallel stories converging to explore what it means to be a champion, in all its forms. SUBTITLED

Directed by Ben Sturgulewski
Produced by Katie Stjernholm, Baktash Ahadi
Boulder Premiere