It鈥檚 a small salve in the grand scheme of things, but as movie theaters and film festivals hit pause for the coronavirus, many are听offering special online access听to films we鈥檇 otherwise have to wait to see. (Some of these options are free, while others require a fee.)听It鈥檚 a great time to watch a soothing nature documentary鈥攐r perhaps a French Canadian thriller about would-be preppers caught in an unexpected fight for their lives in the wilderness, if that鈥檚 more your thing. Here are our favorite outdoorsy听options from film festivals and听feature film distributors, plus some great options on听regular streaming services,听that are stepping up to fill our socially听distanced听free time.
D.C. Environmental Film听Festival
This annual mid-March showcase has been around since 1933, and not even a global pandemic can stop it. Organizers made听more than 60 of this year鈥檚 films . Even better,听they added听about 300 films听from past years, including critically acclaimed favorites like The Weight of Water. We recommend , , , and . Keep an eye on the page throughout spring, as organizers plan to release even more films.
South by Southwest听
The mammoth March festival was one of the first to cancel due to the coronavirus, but Mailchimp and Oscilloscope Laboratories made a handy showcasing 54 short films that were meant to be screened at SXSW. Most are no longer听than 15 minutes, and there鈥檚 even a shuffle button if you want to pretend that a hip festival organizer has created a custom cinematic lineup just for you and your dog. We recommend ,听in which two gruff men at a bar turn fighting words into a lovely buddy romp through the wilderness. If your dog, like mine, is such a snob and only watches documentaries, try ,听the true story of a man who built the world鈥檚 only successful artificial bat cave.听
Netflix
We all have different ways of coping right now鈥攁nd if you鈥檙e the kind of literalist who鈥檚 somehow soothed by watching , maybe you鈥檒l also like . It鈥檚 about a group of people听who go to a prepper camp hosted by a prominent YouTuber in the Canadian wilderness听and then find themselves in a real survival scenario. It may help to know that an actual apocalypse isn鈥檛 involved鈥攊t鈥檚 more about the horror of group dynamics.听It may further help to know that the movie was filmed in French, but you can either dub or add English subtitles.听
On听Demand
Ah, remember when you could walk into a theater to watch movies and someone made the popcorn for you? Don鈥檛 dwell on it. At home, you can eat socially unacceptable foods that you鈥檇 never be able to smuggle into the theater, and you can yell at the screen! Plus, two outdoorsy movies have hit on-demand early since, well, no one鈥檚 going to be seeing them in theaters anytime soon. We endorse The Call of the Wild, Harrison Ford鈥檚 wilderness adventure听with a CGI dog,听and (only somewhat reluctantly)听Downhill, a remake of听a cult-classic听ski comedy about a family who is slowly torn apart by one moment of cowardice and听stars Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Reel Rock 14听
In a case of excellent timing,听the climbing film event听has 听from last year鈥檚 traveling tour for those who missed the in-person events鈥攐r those who just want to see the films again.听As always, there鈥檚 a good mix of goofy and serious adrenaline in the three shorts: a preview of Red Bull鈥檚 forthcoming (and now delayed) Marc-Andr茅 Leclerc听feature The Alpinist,听a terrifying but lighthearted highball attempt with Nina Williams in听The High Road,听and a tale of a community where dirtbags and cowboys coexist in听United States of Joe鈥檚.听A feature-length film, The Nose Speed Record, shows Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell battling for said record, with underdogs Brad Gobright and Jim Reynolds also in the mix. The climbers鈥 endearing antics and meditations on risk have taken on a bittersweet significance听since Gobright died in a climbing accident听after the movie was filmed.
Banff Mountain Film听
Banff Mountain Film Festival happens late every October, so it remains unclear if and how that will be affected, though some of听its听ongoing world tour screenings have now been canceled. In the meantime, the festival has heeded our calls for more indoor adventure. Organizers听have听put together a of selected films from the 2018 and 2019 festivals, featuring climbers, cold-water swimmers, skiers, skijorers, and one 97-year-old runner.
Mountainfilm
Mountainfilm, usually a prime gathering spot for outdoor enthusiasts and activists in Telluride, Colorado, has made the decision to 听this year.听Films and presentations will听stream May 15听to听May听25. You can purchase an all-access pass for $75 or per-film passes for $10 each. (Anyone who already bought a more expensive听ticket to the in-person festival gets a听refund, either for the full ticket听or for a听difference in price if they choose to peruse the online options.)听 A full pass gives you access to more than 100 films on a secure streaming platform; for additional fees, you can听view听talks and other events.听Plus, a good number of talks and films from past years are already available to stream on the festival鈥檚听website. ,听,听and 听would make excellent stress reducers. See also: at last year鈥檚 festival, which, honestly, was so popular you probably didn鈥檛 get to see it even if you were there.
No Man鈥檚 Land Film Festival听
No Man鈥檚 Land is, in normal times, a touring showcase of work by and about adventurous people who identify as women. This year, the organizers managed to host their flagship event in the first week of March听but pivoted to a virtual world tour as the pandemic restricted travel and large crowds. It鈥檒l run from April 9 to April 12, and you can to access streaming on some or all of those days. (There is a free ticket option for Saturday screenings for those who are struggling financially.) include a film by Pattie Gonia, a feature about cyclist Ayesha McGowan, and film called Deer 139, about three women who follow a pregnant mule deer鈥檚 migration path by foot.