X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival Hits Salt Lake & Park City, Utah

This January, the world’s top action sports filmmakers, iconic athletes and enthusiasts come together in Utah to celebrate action sports culture at the GoPro X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival January 22-25. This year’s fest, presented by SkullCandy, will take place in both Salt Lake City and Park City, Utah.

“We are totally stoked to screen the best action sports films in the world at The Depot this year. It’s such an amazing venue and a perfect fit for X-Dance,” says festival director Brian Wimmer. “For the closing party and award ceremony we are returning to Park City and Harry O’s where we can award these devoted filmmakers and celebrate action sports culture in the epicenter of the Sundance Film Festival!”

This year’s line-up features incredible films starring the likes of madman skier Tanner Hall, soul surfer Rob Machado, North Shore barrel surfer Jamie O’Brien, world record breaking free skier Grete Eliassen, snowboard maverick Jeremy Jones, kayaking superstar Rush Sturges, and MotoX madman Robbie Maddison.

Follow Jeremy Jones and other top freeriders as they travel to the world’s snowboarding meccas and venture past the boundaries of helicopters, snowmobiles, and lifts to explore untouched realms in DEEPER. Hang on tight as Jeremy faces the biggest challenges he has ever encountered in snowboarding. All night hikes, sleeping on peaks, camping 65 miles from civilization, 20 below temperatures, 10 day storms, and 20 mile days bring the adventure back into riding. Deeper puts the viewer in the athletes’ boots, from the trials and tribulations to mind-boggling breakthroughs in the sport of snowboarding.  Jones will receive ATHLETE OF THE YEAR at X-Dance 2011.

Castles in the Sky, a surf film by Taylor Steele, was filmed in five countries over three years. The movie delves into the true heart of the locations while the surfers travel through them with a sense of open-minded awe. With never-before seen waves, an original score, and some of the best surfers in the world contributing their art, passion and athleticism, this is as close to the experience of pioneering new coastlines as you can be without getting on a plane.

AZADI: Freedom takes a look at Kashmir in the wake of the violent militant insurgence of the 90s through the lens of skiing. The unique role that skiing is playing in rebuilding tourism in Kashmir is explored using cinematography, animation, and the story of local characters. The film crew explores the future presented to young Kashmiris as they venture into the mountains — on backcountry skis. The world’s highest skiable gondola sits amid the most militarized region in the world, yet the freedom of adventure is drawing foreigners back to this former Shangri-La.

Lifecycles is a poetic and beautiful cinematic film on mountain biking that is not to be missed.

First Love explores young Australian surfer girls on the road to professionalism and their first journey to Hawaii.

The documentary feature film, Like A Lion, follows the most awarded and most controversial skier of the last decade. Like a Lion tells a tremendous story of adversity and self-confidence, tragedy and triumph. Following the high-risk, high-adrenaline life of seven-time ESPN X-Games Gold medalist Tanner Hall, Like a Lion is a film that goes beyond skiing, beyond action sports stardom, beyond the rock-star cliches to examine that special courage that allows the best of us to continually come back from life’s toughest blows.

Say My Name reveals the courage and charisma of freeskier Grete Eliassen. This 23-year old dynamo was raised in Minnesota and Norway. She took up skiing at the age of two, started competing at 10, and turned pro at 17 years old.  Grete has won the U.S. Open four times, as well as capturing two gold and silver medals at the Winter X Games. She is the only female skier to have medaled in both the first Halfpipe and Slopestyle X Games events.  In April 2010, Grete Eliassen reached speeds of approximately 60 miles an hour, hit the custom 30-foot tall hip, and soared more than 31 feet in the air to set an unofficial new world record for women. She is a great role model for young girls and a force to be reckoned with in the realm of skiing.

30 short and long-form films will be screened. Go to the X-Dance screening schedule for times and listings.

The four-day festival will also include a FREE open-to-the-public presentation featuring Velocity by FirstCom.  Velocity is music created for action sports film and video with 24/7 pre-cleared download access. The  panel and seminar will focus on the basics of accessing music, the Velocity music catalog for action sports, and their simplified music licensing designed to make the process fast and easy.  And there will be plenty of time for questions and answers on music basics featuring our Director of Film/TV Music, Lonnie Sill”

In various executive capacities Lonnie Sill has produced music for key industry leaders including: Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, Cherry Lane Music Publishing, and Windswept Pacific. Additionally, high profile filmmakers such as Francis Ford Coppola, Bruce and Dana Brown (Endless Summer II), Walter Hill and others have relied on Sill to find and create music that is compelling and engaging.  This free panel will be on Monday, January 24th at 6:30 p.m.

With roots in the action sports world as well as the mainstream entertainment industry, no event on earth harnesses the creative energy of adrenaline culture like the X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival.

This year’s event will run January 22-25, 2011 with screening headquarters at The Depot. All films and free X-Dance Institute panels also occur at The Depot, starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday and running through Monday evening the 24th.  All ages are welcome.  A three-day screening pass runs $40 or $25 for students.

Props to Skullcandy for bringing Mix Master Mike, Ozomatli, DJ Brisk to Harry O’s for the 2011 Awards Ceremony & Closing Party on Tuesday, Jan 25th.  It is open to the public. Tickets are $30.  DJ and VJs as well.

Buy tickets to the screenings here.