No Man’s Land Film Festival

Presented by UNL Outdoor Adventures and Mountain Hardwear with additional support from deuter, Fat Tire and Chronicle Cinema, NMLFF’s World Tour showcases 10 unique film programs and over 55 films. The Festival was founded in 2015 as a response to the lack of women-representation in the larger outdoor media and has grown to become the premier adventure film festival for women and gender non-conforming athletes and filmmakers to inspire a radically inclusive, equitable, accessible, intersectional, and just future for all. All genders are welcome, and No Man’s Land encourages everyone to attend to evolve and expand our capacity for compassion and creation within the self and the community.

Free tickets available at the box office the night of the show.

Films include:

CYCLES (12 min) – Cycles is a free film project produced by an all-female crew. The film showcases a group of freeriders exploring the stunning mountains of Tyrol. However, it goes beyond just action and athletic performance. The project delves into the female menstrual cycle and the transformative power of living in tune with it.

FLOW UP (5 min) – Oftentimes in life, our growth relies on our relationship with ourselves. Then comes a point in our journey when we turn to those around us. Flow Up features mountain biker, Blake Hansen, and celebrates her journey as a human and her progression as a mountain biker.

LOVE (15 min) – Love is a story of motherhood through the eyes of professional climber Paige Claassen as she redefines strength as a pregnant athlete through loss and growth.

BEYOND NORMAL (28 min) – Beyond Normal chronicles the journey of professional surfer Becca Speak as she fights her way back to the water after a traumatic brain injury (TBI). The film is an intimate portrait of self-discovery and a vulnerable look into the gravity of the injury.

COMING HOME (15 min) – Coming Home is a short film centered on Alex Showerman, a lifelong Vermonter and professional mountain biker who came out as a queer trans woman in 2020. The film explores Alex’s journey of finding a sense of belonging in the unexpected world of women’s freeride and her complex relationship with the sport of mountain biking, viewed through the lens of current events surrounding the LGBTQ+ community and the fight for equality in women’s sports.

FORWARD (16 min) – While navigating a myriad number of life challenges from being her mom’s caretaker and, working several jobs, to facing housing insecurity, Anjelica Avella turned to the outdoors in her mid-twenties to improve her mental health. Despite feeling the benefits of time spent outside for her well-being, the lack of other plus-size women of color she was encountering on the trail was noticeable. In an effort to form community, Anjelica began leading weekend hikes and trips for other women who too were seeking others with shared lived experiences. Forward chronicles Anjelica’s perspective in a space that has historically excluded individuals like her and shares a profound connection between women who once felt sidelined and are now a catalyst for change