We Never Imagined We Would Share Our Film at MountainFilm

Last week was a big, bold, and beautiful week for Palmer’s new documentary film MIRASOL, Looking at the Sun. We hosted our Colorado Springs premiere of MIRASOL at the Ent Center for the Arts, where we welcomed state, county, and city elected officials, donors, and friends to a powerful screening and panel discussion about the urgent conservation issues highlighted in the film. 

Then, a few Palmer staff members headed to Telluride for the Mountainfilm Festival, where they had the honor of screening MIRASOL twice to sold-out audiences. Kristie Nackord, vice president of external affairs, reflected on the experience.

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Mountainfilm is one of the most prestigious film festivals in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain West. Using the power of film, art, and ideas, Mountainfilm's mission is to inspire audiences to create a better world. Held every Memorial Day weekend, the festival brings together a community of filmmakers and change makers, showcasing documentary films that celebrate adventure, activism, social justice, the environment, and the indomitable spirit.

It was beyond inspiring to be nestled within this majestic landscape and festival, sharing the humble story of MIRASOL, and experiencing many other incredible films about people and places across the globe who are doing remarkable things for their countries, communities, and the earth.

During our Sunday evening screening at the beautiful, historic Sheridan Opera House, I had the honor of sharing the words of Ben Knight, the film's renowned director, with the audience.

“I was feeling the sting of not being at Mountainfilm for the first time since I was 19 today. I’m 46 now. Gonna leave that math alone because it feels sad. But I was curious about my film count so I wrote them all down. MIRASOL is my 20th film at Mountainfilm, the little weekend in May that gave me the courage to tell stories for a living. MIRASOL isn’t a big fancy film, it won’t win an award this weekend, and you won’t see it on Netflix. It's a humble film about humble people — but in my opinion, it's as important as anything else you'll see this weekend. For me, that's been the beauty of Mountainfilm since day one—a chance to see films you won't see anywhere else. An opportunity to engage with a cause or subject you had no idea could put a lump in your throat or a goosebump on your arm. Thank you MountainFilm for screening every film I've ever made and thank you dear Opera House audience for the generous gift of your time and attention, it means the world to me.”

When we first conceived the idea of MIRASOL, we never imagined we would be sharing this film at a festival like Mountainfilm. The support and opportunity provided by the festival, surrounded by Oscar-winning filmmakers, visionary leaders and artists, and a community that has gathered together for over 46 years to celebrate the indomitable human spirit, is something we are deeply grateful for and will never forget.