Sand to Stone Documentary

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Sophi Rutherford and Cam Brantley-Rios are organizing this fundraiser.

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All climbers are driven by intrinsic motivators that evolve over time and often change in a heartbeat. We all bring our past and present struggles to our projects, but we don’t often share our awareness of how those experiences impact our relationship with climbing.

Sand to Stone is a short documentary film that explores the lives of various accomplished climbers based in North America. The film's subjects may appear different on the surface, but what they share in common is the unique and arduous experience of having served in the military.

Like any good climbing film, we plan to capture the stellar athletic feats in breathtaking landscapes— From the epic granite massifs of Squamish to the towering sandstone valleys in Utah.

Our subjects, including Tom Heslam, Luke Stricevic and Nikki Smith, all have compelling life stories that will be revealed through intimate interviews. We will also hear thoughts and experiences from Arno (the creator of Rock Warriors Way). These modern-day warriors each carry a unique collection of experiences that have shaped their lives and eventually led them to the climbing community. We plan to leave no stone left unturned-pun intended.

Our film is starting the conversation about the prevalence of emotional hardship in the climbing community. By showing the power in being vulnerable, we hope to break down the walls that keep climbers from opening up about their personal struggles and how emotions can impact their performance on the wall. We want everyone to feel that they’re not the only one at the crag or gym who has struggled emotionally and experienced their emotions as both motivation and distraction.

This is an ambitious undertaking and we need your support! Please consider making a donation to support the production expenses.