Interview: Filmmaker Peter Mortimer on the 2010 Reel Rock Tour

Peter Croft in Origins: The Hulk (Photos pleasantness of a Reel Rock Film Tour)

Matador talks to Reel Rock co-founder Peter Mortimer about this years films.

Now in its fifth year, a Reel Rock Film Tour has hosted a premieres of a small of a many popular rock rock rock climbing movies ever made, between them a Emmy Award-winning King Lines. The 2010 book kicks off in Boulder this September, as well as will span a small 150 shows upon multiple continents, with prize giveaways, appearances by guest climbers, as well as an pledge filmmaking competition.

To get a lowdown upon this years show, we spoke to Peter Mortimer, founder of Sender Films as well as co-creator, with Josh Lowell of Big UP Productions, of a tour.

So a Reel Rock Film Tour is streamer in to its fifth year. Got anything special programmed to celebrate?

Nothing which ties in directly with five. Except which theres starting to be 5 drive-in theatre upon a tour, we guess. we hadnt thought about that.

But no, a tours usually been growing every year. It proposed with usually about 40 shows 5 years ago, often around a horse opera US. And right divided were we do over 150 shows globally, were we do large tours in Mexico, Austria, Australia, all across Europe. we consider its some-more of a possibility for us to look back as well as be psyched about how distant its come.

Are we privately at a lot of a stops upon a tour?

I usually generally go to a couple of shows, similar to a large premiere here in Boulder.

Actually, a premiere is September 16th, as well as we have a baby due upon September 13th. So my job in a subsequent two months is removing a drive-in theatre done.

As distant as a drive-in theatre go, theres a single thing which struck me: this is a initial Reel Rock Film Tour without a underline movie premiering upon it. What was! it whic h captivated we to we do short drive-in theatre instead of features?

Well, a couple of things. You dont usually go out as well as have a feature, its got to unequivocally call you. Like when we did King Lines, we longed for to do a decisive movie upon Chris [Sharma], as well as he had his physical condition project. It was all there. When we did The Sharp End, we were like, We wish to have a movie about this side of climbing. The dangerous side, a mental side, a risk side.

So we consider for those, we have this large idea, as well as it drives you. And for a tour, neither of us were driven by a large thought this year. we consider we were unequivocally driven to have as diverse a line-up as possible this year.

Another large thing was which people love shorts at theaters. Even upon a Reel Rock Tour, in years past, weve regularly gotten great feedback upon a short drive-in theatre which weve shown.

Lets talk about this years films. Youve got The Hardest Move, with Daniel Woods as well as Paul Robinson; Origins: The Hulk; Tasmanian Devils; Fly or Die, with Dean Potter; as well as The Swiss Machine, with Ueli Steck as well as Alex Honnold.

How did a work mangle down? Did we combine with alternative filmmakers?

Well, we have a group of filmmakers. Theres Josh as well as I, Nick Rosen, whos off sharpened with Josh right now, as well as Rob Frost, who we may know, hes finished rock rock rock climbing drive-in theatre in a past. Between a four of us, we shot all of it. And we unequivocally picked a stories this year to element any alternative upon a tour.

Peter Mortimer filming Photo: Tim Kemple

The Daniel as well as Paul things is usually cutting-edge bouldering. These guys have been we do their brand new V-whatevers, as well as theres a bunch of alternative footage unequivocally removing in to their head space about w! hat it t akes to be rock rock rock climbing at which turn as well as pushing a grades.

Then a Incredible Hulk, with Peter Croft, whos kind of my rock rock rock climbing hero, as well as Lisa Rands. Weve worked with Lisa for years, though weve never worked with Peter. Theyve been rock rock rock climbing together a bunch, as well as hes unequivocally been mentoring her upon trad climbing.

We got this great possibility to go up to a Hulk, wheres hes put up four or 5 of a many appropriate mountainous routes in America, if not a world, long, multipitch 5.12s as well as 5.13s, usually all aesthetic. Its unequivocally soulful, about his relationship with a Sierra as well as his rock rock rock climbing life. Hes 53 as well as is still removing up at four in a morning as well as soloing a couple of pitches prior to breakfast.

Tasmanian Devils was an speed to Ausralia with a bunch of athletes, a small familiar faces, a small brand new faces. A brand new face would be James Pearson, this flattering badass British climber, as well as theres Matt Segal, as well as Cedar Wright. Its unequivocally funny, total junk show, cars violation down, people we do all violent things.

The Dean Potter things is a ten-minute excerpt. We did an partial for a National Geographic series, First Ascent, with Dean usually we do some-more of his exploration, freebasing, giveaway solo highlining as well as stuff. He freebased a Alien route in Yosemite after soloing a Rostrum. He additionally set this World Record, he did this BASE burst off a Eiger. Itll be unequivocally cool, its unequivocally visual.

And thats all in a initial half. The second half is some-more similar to a feature, similar to a Alex Honnold partial we showed final year. Its upon this guy Ueli Steck, whos a many out-there mountainous speed-solo madman.

Hes got a small prolongation company, as well as they went out as well as filmed him soloing a north face of a Eiger in a winter. And its, this footage isnt online, its a craziest footage Ive e! ver seen in my life. Its so insane.

They did it with a unequivocally professional helicopter with a Cineflex camera mounted upon it. They usually come drifting in, in these unequivocally rugged conditions. Then we filmed him as well as Alex Honnold perplexing to do a small speed rock rock rock climbing in Yosemite.

Its starting to be arrange of a form upon [Ueli Steck]. We feel similar to were starting to be introducing him to a lot of a audience. Most people, even many core climbers, usually arent aware how violent he is. Or even who he is.

So after audiences have come as well as seen all these films, what will they be talking about?

I consider probably a Ueli stuff, since a final scene of a Ueli footage is a craziest thing Ive ever seen.

And youve filmed a small flattering funny stuff.

I was like, What. The. Hell. The peculiarity of a footage, a citation of a shot, what hes actually doingSometimes when we get unequivocally cold helicopter shots, its some-more of a tranquil situation: its a pleasing shot, though its not extraordinary action. And this

You referred to we have a baby due a couple of days prior to a debate starts. Around this time final year, we were traffic with a detriment instead of a birth. This was right after Wade Johnson went missing. [Editor's note: In June 2009, Johnson, an editor as well as writer for Sender Films, was killed by an avalanche in China while filming American climbers Johnny Copp as well as Micah Dash for an partial of First Ascent]

Yeah, usually over a year ago. And which event, we think, is a large partial of because were having a baby now. It made us feel similar to we indispensable to do something life-affirming.

Ueli Steck in The Swiss Machine

In which situation, we consider Id find myself nervous to go out as well as work in a field. Were! we feel ing which when we guys were out there creation a films?

Definitely, generally right after. we consider it goes away.

I mean, its so complicated, with which trip. These guys were starting upon this expedition, as well as we were tagging along. Wade was unequivocally there usually to fire bottom camp footage.

Its not similar to Alex Honnold up there soloing or Dean Potter we do a small funny freeBASE thing, where we consider My God, someone could die here. Those guys were hiking up a small ravine which theyd hiked up 3 times, as well as an avalanche from 10,000 feet on top of their heads came down as well as strike them.

So a atmosphere is opposite this year, we assume.

I mean, this time final year was unequivocally heartless for us. We were perplexing to finish a series, as well as after which happenedI feel some-more stretch from it right divided which its been over a year. We usually had a anniversary of which whole event.

Ive usually been meditative about it some-more in a context of a series. That footage was never dictated for a tour.

Where do we see a debate starting in a future? Is this something we guys wish to keep starting indefinitely?

Yeah, sure. Weve already got a bunch of ideas for 2011. Occasionally we get desirous to do something utterly furious as well as insane, as well as we regularly reel which back in.

It has a good vibe. Weve regularly longed for it to be an eventuality where people come as well as get together, where we see a old dogs celebration with a gym rats. Thats regularly been partial of a thought of a films.

Community Connection

Read about some-more movie tours as well as festivals upon Matador Nights.