The Story Behind The Headlines
Join up-and-coming documentarians, Alex Rienzie and Connor Burkesmith, to go behind the scenes on their 2024 First Amendment lawsuit alongside the NPPA, related to an evolving docuseries, Racing Grand Teton. Alex and Connor set out to capture a North Face mountain runner breaking the speed record Grand Teton (2h 50m 50s roundtrip!), the route for which includes exposed climbing where one slip could lead to a 2,000′ fall.
Little did they know, filming on the edge of a cliff wouldn’t be the crux of their journey. The docuseries took a turn from action adventure to political thriller, leading from the high alpine to courtrooms and Congressional hearings — and events are still unfolding. Alex broke the third wall, currently representing the runner pro bono on criminal charges related to the feat with trial next week.
In addition to “story time,” Alex and Connor will break down their framework for wading through challenging legal environments, thanks to essential support from the NPPA and FIRE. Plus, Connor will share tips for filming and photographing in hostile natural environments — e.g., chasing professional mountain runners over exposed terrain and inadvertently setting a speed record, or navigating avalanche risk and frostbite in no-fall zones while documenting ski mountaineers.