If ever a movie’s going to speak to a Queenstown audience, it’s arguably this one.
This coming Thursday and Friday, Arrowtown’s Dorothy Browns is hosting screenings of Weak Layers, which co-writer, director and actor Katie Burrell describes as ‘‘an ode to mountain towns in general, and an ode to a ski season’’.
Burrell, a Canadian comedian who grew up freeskiing, plays Cleo Brown, a ski town local in her 30s living the dream, till she’s not.
Evicted from her home and living in a van, she takes on the adventure industry’s elite in a bid to win life-changing money in an adventure film competition — finding surprising love and loss along the way.
The female-led feature film — selected for both the Banff Mountain Film Festival and the Whistler Film Festival — stars Hollywood names such as Neal Bledsoe (A Soldier’s Revenge), Jadyn Wong (Scorpion), and Evan Jonigkeit (X-Men: Days of Future Past), with cameo appearances from world-famous skiers, including Cody Townsend, Elyse Saugstad and Jonny Moseley.
Burrell tells Mountain Scene she and co-writer Andrew Ladd, who grew up ski racing, drew on their shared ski town experiences when they wrote the script for what’s described as a comedy championing the underdog.
It’s also relatable for anyone who’s ever lived in a ski town, or worked in the industry.
‘‘There’s an element of heart to the story the trailer doesn’t really do justice and really celebrate people that dedicate their lives to skiing and living in ski towns,’’ she says.
‘‘A lot of feedback from some older members of the audience is, ‘oh my god, the nostalgia, the years I did in my early 20s in a ski season, this movie pulled on my heartstrings because it just brought me back to that era of my life’.
‘‘Then the younger crowds are like, ‘oh my god, this is so me, this is so relatable’.’’
One such scene may well be an epic house party — which leaves the pad trashed — shot in someone’s actual home.
The idea came from one of the producers, Steven Siig, whose mate was a contractor in Tahoe and in the middle of gutting the house for a full reno.
‘‘And Siig had this idea to ask … if we could shoot this scene in the middle of the gut.’’
The owners signed it off, so the crew moved in and staged a party for the ages, including constructing indoor jumps, bringing in snow, crashing through (fake) windows and drywall.
‘‘We really did get in there and make the most of it,’’ Burrell laughs.
She’s on her way to Wānaka and Arrowtown next week — after each screening she hosts a Q&A session with the audience — and it’ll be the first time she’s visited New Zealand.
‘‘I’m so excited — I have lots of friends that are Kiwis, but only from meeting them over in DC.’’
While she doesn’t have much downtime, she’s hoping she might be able to check out Milford Sound and squeeze in a couple of runs at Cardrona Alpine Resort, which is presenting the tour along with SnowsBest.com and icebreaker.
That’s in line with her ‘‘professional leisure athlete’’ status.
‘‘I think there was a time where it was feeling like — and it still is, in some circles — that everything was just getting crazier and crazier and more exposed and more dangerous and going harder.
‘‘The leisure athlete movement is really just a counter-culture movement to the super-pros and allowing yourself to just enjoy the sports we all enjoy for exactly how you need to enjoy them.
‘‘It’s really about reclaiming your relationship with sport and … whatever you do, in a way that makes you feel like you’re loving it … and you’re not comparing yourself to the kind of people you should never compare yourself to.’’
Limited tickets remain for Wednesday’s screening of Weak Layers at Ruby’s Cinema, in Wānaka, at 5.45pm, and Thursday and Friday’s screenings at Arrowtown’s Dorothy Browns, from 5.30pm — tickets cost $35 plus fees, via Humanitix
NZ Mountain Film Festival ticket giveaway
Scene has a double pass to give away for each session of next week’s NZ Mountain Film Festival.
Being held at the Queenstown Memorial Centre next Thursday and Friday the festival showcases a total of 22 films across three sessions.
On Thursday, from 7.30pm, the audience will hear from guest speaker Simone Moro, of Italy.
He is the only alpinist to have completed four 8000m first ascents in winter and, as a chopper pilot, has completed numerous rescue operations from the air, including the highest long-line rescue, at 7800m, on Everest.
Following that, screenings include the festival’s grand prize winner, Nuptse: Touching the Intangible, the best short film, To Be Frank, and
the special jury award-winner, Light Beams for Helena.
Friday’s first session, from 3pm to 6pm, is themed ‘Pure NZ’, and includes the best NZ-made film, Terra Incognita, directed by Wānaka’s Finlay Woods.
Meanwhile Friday night’s ‘Snow Show’ session, from 7.30pm, includes the best snow sports film, Pachamama.
Doors for both evening sessions open at 7pm.
Tickets — $35 for Thursday night, $20 for Friday afternoon and $25 for Friday night, with youth discounts available — via mountainfilm.nz.
But to be in to win, just email [email protected] by noon on Tuesday, subject line ‘Film Fest’, and include your preferred session — we’ll announce the winners next week
