Mountain Musings #1: Reaching the Summit of Filmmaking Success

Legendary German filmmaker Werner Herzog (Aguirre, the Wrath of God; Nosferatu the Vampire) once made this inquisitively shrewd observation:

“Every man should pull a boat over a mountain once in his life…”

To the average person, Herzog’s observation may sound perplexing. But for those who are dually passionate for the great outdoors and cinema, it makes perfect sense. At Adirondack Film, the Adirondack Film Society, we cannot agree more with this astute observation. Essentially, if you have access to a particularly breath-taking landscape, why not make it a true adventure to remember? Even better, if you happen to have a talent for filmmaking, why not utilize this landscape to your full storytelling advantage?

If you were to consult a map, you’ll instantly comprehend our fondness for this particular physical area of the United States. Situated within northeastern New York, the Adirondacks are six million acres of pure majestic mountain wilderness. It is home to more than 3,000 lakes, from Lake George to Lake Tear of the Clouds, to even Lake Placid (the namesake of our Lake Placid Film Festival), all of which are ideal for water-based activities. Countless towering mountain summits and trails offer the physical challenge for all hikers and mountain climbers to test their mettle. Come Winter time, the region is prime snowy bliss that’s perfect for skiing, sledding, and other wintry recreation. 

In other words, the Adirondacks is a bountiful land of adventure. 

Hence, Adirondack Film (AF) intends to introduce this region as a great place for filmmaking. Our Mission Statement is “to advance the art and appreciation of film and filmmaking in the Adirondack region.” And just as the Adirondacks presents an abundance of recreational activities, our organization promotes endless possibilities for local filmmakers who reside around the Adirondacks itself, and from all over the world. For 20 years, AF inspires all filmmakers to enhance their storytelling skills by making use of this unique physical piece of Americana. 

To provide further creative assistance, AF has hosted competitions to stoke the inner fires of storytellers everywhere. Events such as our Lake Placid Film Festival were designed to encourage filmmakers to produce their projects in and around the Adirondacks. Upon completion, these filmmakers can enter their works in our film festival events for audience screenings, with panel discussions taking place throughout the event. Our events also serve as instructional forums and workshops to add additional guidance in making filmmakers’ dreams comes true.

For more information about our film festival events, or about filming in the Adirondacks, please visit www.adirondackfilm.org. To plan your next Adirondacks adventure, visit https://visitadirondacks.com/.