CHAMPIONS OF THE GOLDEN VALLEY (81 min) Afghanistan/Germany/US
Director: Ben Sturgefilm Producers: Katie Stjernholm, Baktash Ahadi, Doug Blush
Description:
The ancient mountain city of Bamyan, Afghanistan is once again on the edge of a great change. Skiing has been introduced to the area, sparking an unlikely yet joyful athletic revolution. Two teenage potato farmers from rival ethnic groups vie for the crown of an exhilarating ski race, led by a local Olympic-hopeful coach who sees a deeper truth in the sport as a tool for building camaraderie and resiliency within the community. But the stakes of those lessons become existential when they endure the shocking collapse of their country to the Taliban, displacing many across the globe as refugees, and forcing them all to face a future they could never have dreamed of.
Biography:
Ben ‘Sturge’ Sturgulewski, founder of Sturgefilm, grew up in Alaska’s Aleutian Chain, inspiring a life dedicated to the exploration of the world’s wild side, and the people who call it home. Infused in all aspects of filmmaking as a director, cinematographer, editor, and writer, he’s worked in definitively rough and awe-inspiring conditions around the globe — bringing a unique cinematic perspective to a wide range of filmmaking mediums, be it documentary, narrative, action sports, or commercial production.
Katie Stjernholm has had the privilege of creating documentaries, commercials and impact campaigns for a range of clients including: National Geographic, BBC, the Smithsonian Institute, Arc’teryx, Exposure Labs, and the Discovery Channel. Her film Edges screened at over 50 festivals worldwide, winning the Grand Jury Award for Best Short Documentary at Heartland International Film Festival. She is the founder of the production company and consultancy Tideshift Studio.
Baktash Ahadi is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, facilitator, and human rights activist. His family fled during the Soviet invasion in 1984, starting a new life in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. His films, including Retrograde, have screened at many film festivals. These films have won dozens of jury and audience awards, Cinema Eye Honors nominations, short-listed at the Oscars, and the Peabody Award.
Doug Blush is an award-winning editor, director, producer and writer whose filmography includes Oscar-winning Icarus, Oscar-winning 20 Feet From Stardom, andOscar-nominated The Invisible War. He has also been a vital contributor to many Emmy, Grammy and Peabody award-winning films and TV shows. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
