Families looking for something to do that is great for all ages may be inspired to attend Mountainfilm on Tour Savannah’s inaugural Free Family Movie Night at the Ships of the Sea Museum.
“This is a best of Mountainfilm screening, so we’ve taken films from the archives from the last several years and pulled them together for a night that’s focused on family,” said Leslie Carie, director of Mountainfilm on Tour Savannah. “The films are appropriate for kids of all ages. Some films we have screened in Savannah before, over the last several years, so people might recognize a few, but it’s just a good ‘best of’ playlist.”
Mountainfilm, a non-profit organization that hosts documentary film festivals, was founded in 1979 in Telluride, Colorado. Mountainfilm hosts a festival every Memorial Day where they screen over a hundred films. They then license several of the films to take on tour to over 200 locations around the world.
Mountainfilms cover all kind of topics including adventure, environmental protection, cultural diversity, and social justice issues, but one particular theme ties all of their films together.
“We at Mountainfilm are all about inspiration,” Carey explained. “The tagline for Mountainfilm is ‘Celebrating the indomitable human spirit,’and that’s what most of these films are all about. I think that’s what we do best. You leave a Mountainfilm screening and you feel inspired to go on an adventure or do something to make the world a better place, which is our mission in Savannah. We aim to inspire people to do more, to do better, to help their community, and the world.”
Those who are inspired to help the organization after viewing the films can visit mountainfilmsav.org, where there is information about their Savannah education project.
“Our big program in Savannah, and what our board is most passionate about is our education program which allows to screen these films to public school students in Savannah,” said Carey.
Last year, Mountainfilm's “Movies That Matter” program was able to virtually screen films for over 8,500 Savannah-Chatham County public school students.
“We always need donations and volunteers for that program,” said Carey. “That is our biggest program.”
The free event is in the outdoor garden at Ships of the Sea Museum with a social hour at 5 p.m. and screenings beginning at 6 p.m. Food trucks from Latin Chicks and C. Alexander’s, as well as Leopold’s ice cream will be available, along with free popcorn.
Some of the inspiring films include “A Letter to Congress” about Wallace Stegner’s 1960 “Letter to Congress,” in which the writer advocated for the preservation of the wilderness that then remained.
Also screening is “Stumped” about rock climber Maureen Beck who was born with the lower part of her arm missing. Beck achieves amazing feats despite physical challenges and has said of climbing, “I don’t want to be good for a girl, I don’t want to be good for just having one hand, I just want to be good, period.”
The eleven films being screened cover a whole host of topics and tones.
“We’ve got ones that will make you laugh, some tear jerkers, they run the gamut for sure,” said Carey.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: MountainFilm on Tour Savannah returns with free family movie night at Ships of the Sea Museum
