Today, Sender Films and Big UP Productions revealed the highly anticipated film titles to be featured at this year’s REEL ROCK 12 Film Tour. In it’s 12th the award-winning film festival, that brings the best climbing and adventure films of the year to live audiences all over the world, has become the must-attend event for the climbing community.
REEL ROCK 12 will premiere four new short films that will deliver heart-thumping action, big laughs, and pure inspiration. Starring Margo Hayes, the first woman to climb 5.15; Brad Gobright, an up-and-coming free soloist with a donut addiction; the return of Chris Sharma to the deep-water soloing stage; and introducing Maureen Beck, a one-handed crusher who’s going to knock your socks off.
“The REEL ROCK Film Tour continues to grow and evolve each year,” says REEL ROCK co-founder Peter
Mortimer. “The films have always brought the climbing world together, but with the ever-increasing number of events now accompanying the screenings, climbing greats and fans alike can compete, network, socialize and give back to the community.”
The tour kicks off with action-packed premiere events in NYC, Seattle and Boulder in early November and will be followed up with local screening events in over 500 locations worldwide.
Here are the four titles announced for REEL ROCK 12:
Break On Through (16 mins)
In high-end modern rock climbing, 5.15 is the top of the difficulty scale, a grade achieved by only a few men and never by a woman. Margo Hayes, a little known 19-year-old from Boulder, Colorado, is determined to change that. To be closer to the world’s hardest routes, she has moved to Europe, where she trains and climbs with the goal of succeeding on two of the most iconic 5.15s in France and Spain. But pushing her body and mind to the absolute limit, she risks injury and failure in her quest to be the first.
Above The Sea (16 mins)
Chris Sharma remains the world’s greatest practitioner of deep water soloing — climbing ropeless above the sea. Ten years after his generation-defining ascent of a majestic arch, Chris returns to the Mediterranean island of Mallorca where he discovers a beautiful, sweeping wall with small holds running up its face. If he can link the moves, and endure the numerous heart-stopping plunges into the sea, he will establish what may be the world’s hardest deep water solo climb.
Safety Third (25 mins)
For most climbers, it’s safety first. But Brad Gobright is definitely not most climbers. Fueled by day-old donuts and unhindered by a fear of falling, this young talent is pushing the limits of scary trad and free solo ropeless climbing. Having survived a few big scares, Brad is determined to make his boldest ascent yet — a first-ever free solo of a heart-stoppingly exposed and difficult route.
Stumped (20 minutes)
Maureen Beck may have been born missing her lower left arm, but that hasn’t stopped her from going hard. She pushes her “stump” to the limit, takes whippers on 5.12, and crushes overhanging boulders, while shotgunning beers between burns. But she is not here to be your inspiration. “People say, ‘Look, a one-armed climber, now I have no excuses.’ I’m like, dude, you never had any excuses in the first place.” A fascinating profile of a fascinating rock climber.
Special thanks to the REEL ROCK 12 sponsors: The North Face, Petzl, and Yeti.