Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival (FMFF) kicked off this past week and Bookmans attended the party. Highlighting nonfiction films, The Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival offers a “cultural alternative to the mainstream commercial film experience and to celebrate, promote, nurture and teach non-fiction filmmaking.” A 4-day event showcasing films that shed light on the environment, various cultural projects and community. From films about three women’s efforts to bring the sport of surfing to Iran to a film about a man’s journey to accept what climate can’t change when it seems our planet will never recover. The Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival offers an opportunity for community members to celebrate culture and environmentally-conscience film making.

Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival Logo

Over the course of the weekend FMFF hosted sessions throughout the Flagstaff Community. Local business like the Orpheum and Bike Revolution hosted their share of films and Q and As with local directors and filmmakers. Bookmans Flagstaff sponsored the Women In Focus session, an entire session dedicated to women’s issues and female filmmakers.

Mistranslated and Into the Sea, two movies featured in the Women In Focus session, provide insight into groups that we don’t often see represented in mainstream film. Mistranslated depicts the fear of every day life for the transgender community with attention to how women are treated and how trans-people are often the target of ridicule. In Into the Sea, we witness the journey of three women whose love of sport compels them to bring surfing to a small rural community in Iran. Into the Sea showcases the importance of sports for women in general while highlighting the diversity and rich culture of Iran.

Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival

Director Rosalie Miller created The Things We Keep,
a film about one man’s annual trek into the Coconino Forrest
to collect firewood and reconnect with his roots.
Miller is pictured here with her family.

Bookmans team members attended multiple sessions to see all kinds of films. We especially liked Mile for Mile about Conservacion Patogonica. Films that hit close to home include Protect the Greater Grand Canyon Heritage about the call to President Obama to preserve the lands surrounding the Grand Canyon as a National Monument.

We learned so much about our environment, the community and our impact on the world at this year’s Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival. For a complete list of the films featured at FMFF 2016, check out Flagstaffmountainfilm.org.