Charged: The Eduardo Garcia Story, that chronicles the life-changing journey of chef and outdoorsman Eduardo Garcia after being shocked by 2400 volts of electricity in a freak accident, won the big prize – Audience Choice Award at the 16th annual Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival. Eduardo lost his hand, ribs, muscle mass, and nearly his life while hiking in the remote back country of Montana, but more important than what he lost is what he found. Through sheer resilience, his former partner, Jennifer Jane, nursed Eduardo back to health and he learned to embrace his past, his family, and his future.
My Dad Matthew, directed by John Schaffer, and Blood Road, directed by Nicholas Schrunk, won the Director’s Award.
In the short film My Dad Matthew, Elijah tells the story of his dad, Matthew, who is a “pretty normal dad” but unlike most other dads, he has a significant disability. Born with cerebral palsy and unable to control most of his body, Matthew with the use of a wheelchair, a pointer on a helmet with a letter board, and the exceptional help of others, has become a university instructor, has several degrees from Berkley, Ca., and is father to a 14 year old boy.
Blood Road follows the journey of ultra-endurance mountain bike athlete Rebecca Rusch and her Vietnamese riding partner, Huyen Nguyen, as they pedal 1,200 miles along the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail through the dense jungles of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Their goal: to reach the crash site and final resting place of Rebecca’s father, a U.S. Air Force pilot shot down over Laos some 40 years earlier.
Undercover Tourist – Thailand’s Tiger Selfie Trade, a self-shot conservation series directed by David Marx and Gavin Henderson won the Ron Tuckman Youth Award. Posing as tourists and filming undercover, amateur wildlife activists travel to some of the world’s most popular holiday destinations to investigate the illegal wildlife trade. Armed with smartphones and digital cameras the filmmakers go behind closed doors to expose the cruel and sometimes criminal businesses that are illegally exploiting animals.
2018 Award Winners
Audience Choice Award: Charged: The Eduardo Garcia Story
Ron Tuckman Youth Award: Undercover Tourist
Director’s Award: My Dad Matthew
Director’s Award: Blood Road