Sudbury Indie Cinema, along with Laurentian’s Outdoor Adventure Leadership Programme, are delighted to announce the 6th edition of Eastern Canada’s largest celebration of Outdoor and Adventure films. SOAR Film Festival returns Thursday, November 19 to Sunday, November 22, at our venue in Uptown Sudbury.
This annual celebration of outdoor wilderness adventure film is possible thanks to the ongoing and committed support of Northern Ontario wilderness-lovers, adventure filmmakers from around the world, patrons, generous sponsors and government partners.
Each Year we bring Northeastern Ontario the best and latest in adventure film and wilderness travel. Come see award-winners from top festivals to hidden gems enjoying their world premieres in Northern Ontario. SOAR the place for Northern Ontarians to gather, share in a love of the outdoors and nature, and be inspired.
Your next adventure starts here.
Radisson Sudbury, Clarion Sudbury and Travelway Inn Sudbury are proud partners of SOAR 2026!!
by Bill Mason
1984 | Canada | Canoe & Art | 87 min.
To mark the 40th anniversary of its theatrical release, Bill Mason’s beloved Canadian classic returns in a stunning new 4K restoration. Following the documentary filmmaker, artist and naturalist on a canoe journey from Lake Superior through the rivers of the Canadian Shield, Waterwalker unfolds as an ode to creativity and our relationship with the natural world, accompanied by an unforgettable original score by Bruce Cockburn and Hugh Marsh.
by Alexis Bercegeay, Sébastien Courbet
2026 | France | Biking | 90 min. | French with English subtitles
L’Hexagonale is a 90-minute documentary that recounts the extraordinary adventure of a group of six amateur cyclists: retracing the route of the 1924 Tour de France, covering 5,425 km in 15 stages with more than 52,000 m of elevation gain.
Alongside the sporting challenge, the Hexagonale highlights an important cause: raising awareness of men’s health issues and suicide among men, echoing the physical and mental challenges faced by the runners.
L’Hexagonale est un documentaire de 90min qui retrace l’aventure exceptionnelle d’un groupe de six cyclistes amateurs : refaire le parcours du Tour de France de 1924, soit 5425 km en 15 étapes avec plus de 52 000m de dénivelé positif. À travers cette épopée, le film explore non seulement l’évolution des paysages et des villes françaises en un siècle, mais aussi les thématiques de la résilience, de la solidarité et du dépassement de soi.
En parallèle du défi sportif, l’Hexagonale met en lumière une cause importante : la sensibilisation aux maladies masculines et au suicide chez les hommes, en écho aux épreuves physiques et mentales traversées par les coureurs.
by Mila Aung-Thwin
2026 | Canada | Running | 98 min.
Driven by a violent past and hardened by years of crime and incarceration, Romanian ultramarathoner Tibi Useriu battles endless terrain and his own demons in search of a better life for his family, his country, and himself.
by Zimy Da Kid Zimmermann
2026 | France, Romania, Spain, Switzerland | Skating | 60 min. | French with English subititles
UNTAMED is a documentary that follows the journey of Swiss downhill skateboarder Fabio Minnig in his quest for freedom along some of Europe’s most spectacular roads. Over the course of three years, he and filmmaker Zimy Da Kid traveled across three countries to capture much more than a sport: a human adventure driven by passion, risk, doubt, and perseverance.
Produced largely through self-funding by Fabio Minnig and Zimy Da Kid, the film is the result of years of dedication, sacrifice, and determination to bring this vision to life.
Blending speed, breathtaking landscapes, and moments of introspection, UNTAMED explores what drives some people to pursue their dreams no matter the cost.
by Kathryn Fudurich
2026 | Canada | Lifestyle | 9 min.
Since 2019, Freezing Woman has grown from a small winter gathering into a thriving community that doubles in size each year. This short documentary explores the spirit of the event—where women share knowledge, uplift one another, and embrace the outdoors without judgment. Participants leave not only with new skills, but with deeper confidence, lasting friendships, and a renewed sense of possibility.
by Liz McGregor
2026 | USA | Diving | 15 min.
Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage follows Susan Baur, the 85-year-old leader, and her crew of fearless women as they defy limits, protect the environment, and rediscover wonder and joy through water and community. A reminder that adventure and activism know no age.
by Jake Savard
2026 | Canada | Fiction | 6 min.
“Best Suspense Film” Finalist at 2026’s OpenFrame Festival in Concord, CTV’s “Best in Shorts” Runner-up at Cinefest Sudbury 2026
An otherworldly deity with humble beginnings spreads both benevolence and justice from the dawn of time to the present day.
Based on a true story, this age-old fable shared between trusted friends ignites the imaginations of the guests at their first bonfire party.
by Charlie Hildick-Smith
2026 | USA | Skiing | 22 min.
Still Excited to Ski” follows Noah Dines on his extraordinary quest to ski 3.5 million vertical feet in a single year—a feat that set a new world record in 2024. The film captures Noah’s relentless determination as he climbs uphill against fatigue, harsh weather and moments of doubt across North America, Europe, and South America. Along the way, he’s buoyed by the support of friends, family, and a global skiing community who cheer him on and share in his triumphs and setbacks. Through breathtaking landscapes and candid moments, the movie reveals not just the physical demands of the journey, but the joy, camaraderie, and personal growth that come from chasing an audacious goal. Ultimately, Noah’s story is a celebration of perseverance, adventure, and the overwhelming power of community.
by Mitja Legat
2026 | Austria, Italy. Slovenia | Lifestyle | 7 min.
A DOGumentary about a snow loving border collie Shiya on a mission to conquer alpine peaks and run through powder fields with her humans.
First person or better “”first paw view”” on adventures with your beloved pet, the do’s & don’ts of mountain touring with a canine and witty humor fit for everyone!
by Thomas Stanglechner, Pia Berchtold
2026 | Austria | Skiing | 14 min.
A snowboard film in which a group of friends set out in search of the light. Through this journey, they begin to realize how much they are guided and influenced by it.
Something once taken for granted is rediscovered and learned to be appreciated again. Once lost, it can return. But we shouldn’t always take everything for granted. Often, we only
recognize the true value of something once it is gone.
Our film project portrays the mountain world and snowboarding in all their facets, in vibrant colors
as well as in deep darkness. We aim to capture a wide range of light moods and let the mountains shine in a new way by consciously working with contrasts such as light and dark, warm and cold, brightness and shadow. Light takes center stage: its diversity and the possibilities of capturing, enhancing, and aesthetically shaping it in the context of mountains and sport.
In the end, everyone should be able to see themselves reflected in this film. We want to show that
highs and lows are part of life — a rhythm that has its origins in nature.
by Julien Gueraud
2026 | France | Mountaineering | 51 min. | French with English subtitles
The Pyrenees fascinate photographer Maxime Daviron. Specializing in mountain thunderstorms, he climbs to 3300m and takes refuge in precarious shelters to freeze the furtive connection between sky and earth.
Following in the footsteps of generations of writers and adventurers before him, Maxime draws his inspiration from Pyreneanism: a 19th-century intellectual movement offering a sporting, artistic and literary approach to the mountains.
Much more than a simple practice of mountain hiking, Maxime has turned it into a veritable art of living. Patience, perseverance and a thorough knowledge of the environment are all needed to combine this passion for high altitude and thunderstorms. / Les Pyrénées fascinent le photographe Maxime Daviron. Spécialisé dans les orages de montagne, il grimpe à 3300m et se réfugie dans des abris précaires pour figer la connexion furtive entre le ciel et la terre.
Dans les pas des générations d’écrivain-es et d’aventurier-es avant lui, Maxime s’inspire du pyrénéisme : un courant intellectuel du 19ème siècle qui offre une approche à la fois sportive, artistique et littéraire de la montagne.
Bien plus qu’une simple pratique de la randonnée en montagne, Maxime en a fait un véritable art de vivre. Patience, persévérance et une grande connaissance du milieu sont nécessaires pour combiner cette passion de la haute altitude et des orages.
by Trixie Pacis
2026 | Canada | Arco | 24 min.
On July 24, 2024, a wildfire tore through Jasper, Alberta, reducing aerialist Sasha Galitzki’s home to ashes. Embers connects Sasha’s loss in the wildfire and the glacial recession she has witnessed in her creative work to highlight their common cause: climate change.
Set in the year following the fire, Embers follows Sasha as she rebuilds her life and confronts the realities of a warming world. Speaking with wildfire and climate experts, she seeks to understand the heartbreaking changes affecting the mountains and community she loves. Gradually returning to her aerial practice, she performs over the ashes of her home and amidst the whirling winds of melting glaciers—inviting us on an intimate journey to find hope out of darkness.
Embers ultimately captures a profound shift within Sasha, who channels her grief and art into a powerful and visually impactful message of environmental advocacy.
by James Dawson
2026 | UK | Nature Conservation | 88 min.
| On a country road in Devon, intensive dairy farmer Derek Banbury is horrified at the “devastation” of his neighbour’s once productive farm. Dubbed a “maverick rewilder” by the media, Derek Gow is an unrepentant ex-sheep farmer hellbent on turning his land into an oasis for nature. Shot over three years the film charts the two Derek’s turbulent relationship, as tempers fray, wild animals run amok, and the land is radically transformed. Made by award-winning director James Dawson, it’s a film about land use and farming told by farmers. Blunt, funny and heartwarming in equal measure. |
by Jon Glassberg
2026 | USA | Climbing | 48 min.
Ethan Pringle is at the peak of his climbing career when he is blind-sided by his father’s severe stroke. Torn between two realities, at home in San Francisco taking care of his dad and the pressure of being a professional athlete, he eventually has to break open emotionally to rise to the challenge in this masculine and vulnerable father-son story.
by Isaac Oxley
2026 | Canada/USA | Biking | 11 min.
Second Wind follows the Story of Mike Black, a mountain biker from Saint John, New Brunswick. After a failed first attempt at the prestigious LEADVILLE 100, Mike returned home only to then be diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer. The nature of his unique diagnosis tested his spirit and forced him to undergo an intense treatment process. Driven by determination, Mike fully recovered, and now he aims to return to Leadville in 2025 stronger than before. Join Mike as he pushes through pain and fear, overcomes challenges and embraces life again. /
by Stu Skinner
2026 | UK | Mountaineering | 25 min.
When mental health campaigner Stu Skinner wakes up after a charity auction to find a cast-iron Royal Mail postbox at the end of his bed, his first thought is: what have I done?
Facing eviction, heartbreak and a relapse into depression, Stu sets out to test whether one ridiculous idea could bring him some joy, and maybe bring joy to other people too.
Carrying the 26kg postbox to the highest point of all 15 UK National Parks, he invites strangers, friends and communities to walk with him, write postcards to people experiencing loneliness, and talk openly about their own.
Postcards from the Peaks is a film about the weight of loneliness, and what happens when you don’t carry it alone.
by Bronwyn Hodgins, Julia Cassou
2026 | Spain | Climbing | 30 min.
In this all-female production, 32-year-old Canadian climber Bronwyn Hodgins faces a burnout from Big Wall expeditions and decides to shift her focus to sport climbing. Little does she know that this new curiosity for training and performance will plunge her into the most intense mental undertaking of her life… as she pours herself into La Rubia, a 5.14c (8c+).
by Tasha Van Zandt
2026 | USA | Diving | 89 min.
A LIFE ILLUMINATED follows trailblazing marine biologist Dr. Edie Widder — one of the first women in her field and one of the first humans to explore the ocean’s twilight zone — as she descends 3,300 feet into the ocean’s darkest depths. From capturing the first-ever footage of the elusive giant squid to unveiling the glowing mysteries of deep-sea bioluminescence, Edie embarks on her most daring quest yet: to document a bioluminescent phenomenon that could forever change how we understand life on Earth.
by Tom Sewell
2026 | USA | Climbing | 104 min.
This documentary tells the extraordinary story of TOM FROST — the visionary who redefined climbing style, the engineer who helped revolutionize climbing equipment, the photographer who’s lens documented the Golden Age of Climbing on Yosemite’s big walls and the conservationist who lead an international effort to save historic Camp 4 — a true inspiration who’s legacy lives on in today’s climbing world. Tom Frost’s story is told by the people who knew him best, the world-class climbers and businessmen, who’s lives and destinies he significantly influenced: Yvon Chouinard, Royal Robbins, Liz Robbins, Doug Robinson, Kevin Jorgeson, Conrad Anker, Lynn Hill, Kate Rutherford, Peter Croft, Tommy Caldwell, Alex Honnold, and many more.
Festival screenings will be hosted at Sudbury Indie Cinema, 162 Mackenzie Street, Sudbury. Free parking.
Tuesday, April 21
Unfortunately, our run of MILE END KICKS has been postponed to open Thursday, April 30 at 4:15 PM. Other April screenings have been replaced, including:
Thank you for your understanding!!
