Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season

Universally recognized as the greatest female skier ever, Lindsey Vonn went on a remarkable journey that was defined by unexpected twists and turns and dramatic peaks and valleys in its final chapter. LINDSEY VONN: THE FINAL SEASON intimately recounts the iconic skier’s last competitive campaign while looking back on her transcendent career, from child prodigy to decorated Olympian to global superstar.

Snows of Grenoble

Film about the 10th Olympic Games in Grenoble in 1968. Using a subjective camera, Ertaud and Languepin take the pulse of the Games, cutting out the eyes and slowing down the movement when necessary. The dominant figure at the Grenoble Winter Games is Frenchman Jean-Claude Killy, whose three gold medals matched Toni Sailer's 1956 feat. The filmmakers bet on his winning streak, and include commentary from him as he prepares for each race. Another athlete, Marielle Goitschel, is treated insightfully on screen and wins the women's slalom. Ice dancing fans will appreciate the coverage of winner Oleg Protopopov and his partner Ludmila Belousova. President Charles De Gaulle was present for the spectacular Opening Ceremony.

Streif: One Hell of a Ride

While the ski racers leave Kitzbühel for the next World Cup location, the members of the Kitzbüheler Ski Club (KSC) are already starting preparations for next year’s race. “Streif – One Hell of a Ride” documents this work – both the spectacular and the small tasks – over the course of one year. At the same time, the film follows five athletes – Aksel Lund Svindal, Max Franz, Hannes Reichelt, Erik Guay and Yuri Danilochkin – in their respective native countries, during their summer training and in their free time. As the 2014 Hahnenkamm Race approaches, these two narratives become more and more interwoven, interspersed with stories from the event’s past – until the athletes arrive back in Kitzbühel.

Snow Birds

This Pete Smith Sports Champion short visits Southern California where it quickly moves from orange orchards to the mountain snow playground at Big Pines L.A. County Camp for some winter sports including sledding, skating, and ski jumping.

Skidmakaren i Gielas

Documentary about the making of a pair of skis using old methods, from the scouting for the perfect tree to finished product.

Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer

British documentarian Nick Broomfield creates a follow-up piece to his 1992 documentary of the serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a highway prostitute who was convicted of killing six men in Florida between 1989 and 1990. Interviewing an increasingly mentally unstable Wuornos, Broomfield captures the distorted mind of a murderer whom the state of Florida deems of sound mind -- and therefore fit to execute. Throughout the film, Broomfield includes footage of his testimony at Wuornos' trial.

The Art of Recreation

Created by Sampo Vallotton & Laurent De Martin, this unexpected short movie is a visual manifesto of their first winter with the new Simply. tools. This movie came together organically as they were surrounded by talented filmmakers and photographers whom they can proudly call friends.

Spook House

Filmed in the white working-class suburbs of Detroit, Spook House reveals a community reveling in the macabre. Front lawns are transformed into cemeteries, kitchens become mausoleums and dismembered ‘bodies’ are prepared for cannibal feasts. Cameron Jamie’s camera tracks the celebrants as the nights become longer and darker.

Ski-Flying

Hans Thirring, a theoretical physicist at the University of Vienna, is skiing down a mountain slope wearing cape-like attire. The cape, designed by Thirring and called the Thirring mantel, is made of parachute silk and acts somewhat like a parachute to provide its wearer reduced speed while shushing down the slopes. But it also provides lift so that the skier is lighter on his skis, almost weightless. This "flight" somewhat mimics the experience felt by those participating in the relatively new sport of ski-flying (also known as ski jumping), which must have exacting conditions (i.e. little wind, hard packed snow) to ensure safety. Even in ideal conditions, ski-flying is a dangerous sport, especially if the landing is not executed properly.

La Roche

The ascend and mental battle of Marc Rochat into the elite world of Slalom skiing.

Abandoned

A crew of backcountry skiers set out to explore Colorado’s lost ski areas in hopes to find adventure amongst the ruins. Instead, they discover the truth behind what made these areas close their doors for good and illustrates what skiing used to be like before mega resorts and climate change wreaked havoc on independently owned ski areas. Through heart-wrenching interviews with former owners, ski patrol, and historians, The Road West Traveled uncovers what it’s like to be a skier in Colorado's backcountry and what it means to go from lost to found.

Fire On The Mountain

From the mind of Chris Benchetler comes TGR's latest short film collaboration. Improvisation is the silver thread that weaves this crew together. Just as the Grateful Dead did not fit their music into an established category, this short film finds a cast of some of the world’s best athletes on a spontaneous journey of skiing, snowboarding, surfing, and music, complete with a soundtrack comprised of only Grateful Dead music.

The Fab Five

Depicts the story of Jalen Rose and his other Fab Five teammates, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson. Called by some “the greatest class ever recruited,” the five freshmen not only electrified the game, but also brought new style with their baggy shorts, black socks and brash talk. “The Fab Five” relives the recruitment process that got all five of them to Ann Arbor, the cultural impact they made, the two runs to NCAA title game, the Webber “timeout” in the 1993 championship and the scandal that eventually tarnished their accomplishments.

Through the Banks of the Red Cedar

In 1963 at Michigan State University, Head Coach Duffy Daugherty chose 23 black men to play on the college team. From this move came legends Gene Washington, Bubba Smith, George Webster and Clinton Jones. Director Maya Washington, Gene Washington’s daughter, charts the legacy of her father’s career and influence, along with the impact the events of 1963 have shown in the present day.

Warren Miller: Ticket to Ride

A ticket can get you anywhere in the world, from the chairlift at your local ski area to the top of Talgar Peak in Kazakhstan. It can put your heart in your throat as you fly over a knoll faster than you have all year, and it can put your mind at ease when you find yourself alone in a snow-covered Aspen grove with clear blue sky above and crisp cold air all around. A ticket is the end of reality and the beginning of a journey. And we've got one for you.

Super Frenchie

From humble beginnings to becoming the top athlete in his field, extreme athlete Matthias Giraud weighs his passion for skiing and BASE jumping against the grounding effects of raising a young family.

Yooper Creoles: Finnish Music in Michigan's Copper Country

When the immigrants came to America, their cultures entered the "great melting pot." In Michigan's Upper Peninsula Finnish immigrants mixed their musical traditions with many other cultures, creating a sound that was unique to the "Copper Country."

Petit Suisse

How to Fix a Primary

Follows the story that is shaking up Democratic Party politics nationwide, highlighting the role of power and money in a system many believe is broken but can be fixed.

Mackinac Island

This Traveltalk series short begins in Chicago, where the narrator and his crew board a cruise ship. After a 20-hour trip up Lake Michigan, they arrive at Mackinac Island, near the southeast tip of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. On the island, we see many of the attractions for which it is famous. These include Arch Rock, Old Fort Mackinack, and a hotel owned by Chauncey Depew. No automobiles are allowed on the island. Transportation is limited to bicycles and horse-drawn carriages.