"Mountains Internal" Feature Documentary

My name is Ben Massie, documentary director and filmmaker with Flatland Films in West Lafayette, Indiana. I am currently directing a feature documentary in southern Utah about an adaptive athlete named Nerissa Cannon.

A little about the project:

Nerissa was a big-mountain skier prior to developing a mysterious illness that left her with serious nerve damage and limited use of her legs, ending her skiing career. After nearly 10 years of non-diagnosis and spiraling depression, she decided to seek freedom in the sport that she used to love. Along the way, she received an unexpected diagnosis which brought the hope of a full recovery. This film follows Nerissa as she navigates the healing process and a return to big-mountain skiing, while attempting to reclaim the life she had prior to the illness that claimed over a third of her life.

I am currently traveling to Utah to film scenes every 1-3 months for the documentary to capture updates to her journey. This story is still actively progressing, and more frequent trips to Utah will be in order as we ramp up to what may be the final portion of production in 2025.

This film has been fully self-funded since it began September 2022. With travel to Utah from Indiana, necessary gear, hiring a ski cinematographer, and all associated fees that come with production on a feature ski documentary, this film's budget has climbed to the upper limits of what I have been able to afford over the last few months (totaling nearly $50K so far). I have had so many wonderful friends and supporters for this film, many of whom have expressed their desire to see this film in the world. By starting this fundraiser to help cover remaining production costs, I hope to give those folks a chance to come alongside the project and help us get to the finish line together.

Over 18 months into this project, I believe now more than ever that this will be a powerful film that will inspire and challenge viewers for years to come. Thank you so much for your support of our film, Mountains Internal.