The Trail Running Film Festival
The Trail Running Film Festival is back on tour and returning to Rochester for a great night of films, inspiration, and community. Come explore our collective and individual potential, and let's pursue our wildest dreams. We’re excited to bring you stories from around the world by filmmakers sharing their work of adventure, inclusivity, wilderness, art, and diversity across the trail and ultra community.
The Schedule
We will be hosting you at the The Little Theatre's historic Theatre 1, which re-opened in 2020 with a fully renovated marquee, new auditorium seats, fully updated stage and sound system, and a rejuvenated lobby.
5:00 PM - Doors open.
Pre-purchased ticket holders can check-in and receive raffle tickets for race entries and merchandise prizes. Same-day tickets sales will be available. Make your way into the inner lobby to meet with local trail running organizations, including:
- FarFetched Enterprises: Ontario Summit Trail Races (5 mile, half marathon) and Common Ground Winter Trail Series
- TrailsRoc: Many on the Genny (45 miles), Webster Trail Classic (3.5 mile, 10 mile), and Many Lite (20 mile)
- Medved: Medved Madness (5 mile, 13 mile) and Wednesday Night Trail Runs
- Robinhood Racing: 0SPF Trail Half Marathon, Swain Mountain Race, Unlimited Breadsticks Trail Half Marathon, and Run Our Trails Series
- Ironwood Adventure Works: Frost Town Trail Fest (10k, 25k) and the Great Hill Ultra (50k, 100k)
- Blue Foundation: Mighty Mosquito Trail Race & Relay
- GVH Cross Country: Innovative Edge XC and Pete Glavin XC Series
- Hopson 5k - Give Cancer the Bird
- Rochester Orienteering Club: Mendon Trail Run (10K, 20K, 30K, 50K) and Intro to Orienteering for Trail Runners
- Doody Runs: Bound for the Hounds Ultra, 9 Hours for 9 Lives Ultra, and Sleigh Me Ultra
- Crescent Trail Association
6:00 PM - Start of show.Head on into the theater for a brief introduction and then on with the show!
6:55 PM - Intermission.Take this time for some self-guided dynamic stretching or a visit to the concessions stand for some popcorn and beer. But hurry back because this is no ordinary intermission. While the films are paused, there will be a QR code on screen, which will enter participants into a
second raffle to win prizes from our global sponsors, including:
7:00 PM - Special showing!
The big screen premiere of
Way of the Mud by
Goat Factory Media. A touching tale of a pack of misfit geese and a chicken running around in circles, experiencing demoralization, but ultimately finding happiness. In the mud.
7:15 PM - Start of second half.
Concessions will close for the evening and we'll start up the second half of the main program.
8:00 PM - End of the show.
As the credits roll I'll announce the winners of the local raffle. Merchandise prizes can be picked up on the way out of the theater. Race entry prizes can be coordinated through race organizations.
The Trailer
The Films
ITZA
In an effort to further discover the land and culture that shaped the generations before her, Laura Cortez set out to establish an FKT on a route from the city of Amecameca to the summit of Iztaccíhuatl. Her journey towards the peak led her in a direction she had always wanted to go but never knew which path to follow until she immersed herself within her family’s history.
KNOW TO RUN
The Know to Run discussion will hit on themes of “what are land acknowledgements” and what it means to go beyond, their importance, the inclusion of local Indigenous communities being part of the conversations, making the running and outdoor community a more accessible and equitable place, and what the consultation process looks like.
RED NEEDLE
Ultra-runner Sarah Gerrish lost one ovary to cancer at 15 and the second to surgery at 36, plunging her directly into surgical menopause and a bewildering world of HRT, brain fog and loneliness.
Red Needle explores the stigma, trauma and lessons learned from Sarah’s life-changing experience.
BRIAN REYNOLDS: THE LEADVILLE TRAIL 100
Brian Reynolds is a double amputee below the knee athlete who grew up overcoming many challenges in his life but never had a role model he could look up to. In this doc, Brian attempts the famous Leadville 100 Ultra Trail Marathon out in Colorado in order to advocate for all para athletes that nothing is impossible.
RUN LIKE A KID
This short film explores what running means to one child and reveals lessons all runners can take to the trail.
GIRLS RUN ULTRAS
A journey that follows the all women’s running collective, Girls Run NYC as they push themselves individually and unitedly collectively through The Black Canyon Ultra Marathon in 2022.
WELL WORN LIFE WITH DANI REYES-ACOSTA
Meet Dani Reyes-Acosta: a mountain athlete, land cultivator, and storyteller whose path consistently seeks the limits of her possibility. Dani is a visceral example of how self-care and self-determination can harmonize via the outdoors.
NOW
Long-time ultrarunner Yassine Diboun confronts the shadows and turmoil of his past while preparing to take on the Hardrock 100.
Event's current local time: 9:34 AM ET
