Film Screens:
Saturday, March 31st at 9:30 pm and
Sunday, April 1st at 1:00 pm followed by
Q&A with Producer and Director Roman Gackowski
NEW YORK, March 28, 2007- Shelter From The Storm has been selected by the 2007 Vail Film Festival in Vail, Colorado and will screen on Saturday, March 31st at 9:30 pm and Sunday, April 1st at 1:00pm at the Crossroads Cinema (141 East Meadow Drive). The 75-minute film, narrated by B.D. Wong, takes viewers on a trek to Baffin Island, located in the Canadian Artic, for a multi-sport expedition that includes both adventure and philanthropy for the local community. The screening on Sunday will be followed by Q&A with Roman Gackowski, the films producer and director. The film is produced by RUSH HD, one of the VOOM HD Networks, the critically acclaimed suite of 15 high-definition channels, currently available nationally on DISH Network.
Shelter From The Storm is one of a series of specials, The North Face Expedition Series that pairs world-class athletes and daring expeditions with projects that provide aid in the regions in which these expeditions take place. The program is sponsored by The North Face, in association with the international development organization, Global Giving (www.globalgiving.com).
In Shelter From The Storm, athletes Hilaree Nelson O’ Neill, Kasha Rigby, Meg Oster and Ingrid Backstorm attempt to become the first all-female team to ski the remote and seldom visited east coast of Baffin Island. The film reveals the women’s raw emotions as they face the enormity of their month-long expedition, from their 12-hour journey in a wooden sled to reach base camp, to a fight for survival when the weather suddenly takes a turn for the worse. Adding another emotional layer to their journey, the athletes also give back to the Inuit community by renovating and working at a shelter designed for women and children escaping violent situations.
Baffin Island contains dozens of steep, virgin gorges that rise up 4000 ft. directly from the frozen ocean making for harsh conditions to maneuver in. The expedition focused its attention on the Gibb’s fjord, located about 75 miles from the Inuit village of Clyde River. The athletes traveled to a remote base camp in Refuge Harbor with the help of Inuit guides, who help transport the team and their equipment deep into the heart of the arctic. From camp, the team traveled to the base of the couloirs lining the fjord with the help of traction kites. The local Inuit guides, in addition to providing transportation into the fjords, help by hunting seals and fishing, and they also protect the team from the local polar bears who can be unpredictable and dangerous.
Beginning in the 1950s, the Island’s nomadic population of 13,000 people began moving to permanent settlements, and has since struggled to balance ancient traditions with a modern lifestyle. In the film, the athletes and the local Inuit people work together to help in the improvement of a local shelter for women and children escaping domestic violence. The 21-bed facility also provides services including counseling, advocacy, childcare and literacy programs. The athletes make a donation to the shelter and at the end of their trip the team visits the shelter to lend their support. What the athletes and the local women discover is that they share a common belief, an understanding of the strength that comes from overcoming obstacles and finding inspiration in others.
The North Face Expedition Series can be seen exclusively in high definition on VOOM’s RUSH HD. The next installment of the series, The North Face Expeditions: Amazon, premieres on June 6th at 1:00pm ET. The film showcases the natural wonders of a little understood corner of the vast Amazon basin. Seen through the eyes of four of the world’s top alpine climbers, the expedition’s objective is to climb the 2000-foot prow of Roraima, one of South America’s most mysterious landmarks.
About RUSH HD
RUSH HD is the nation’s first ever high-definition network dedicated to capturing life on the edge with the adrenaline junkies of adventure sports. Programming consists of series and documentaries featuring the adventure of one-of-kind expeditions into uncharted territories, competition events with top athletes and highly visual shows that showcase action sports done freestyle in natural terrain. RUSH HD continues to redefine the action genre both technically and creatively, giving viewers the ultimate home entertainment and edge-of-the-seat experience. RUSH HD is one of 15 high-definition channels offered by VOOM HD Networks, available nationwide on DISH Network (channel 9476).
About VOOM HD Networks
Rainbow’s VOOM HD Networks comprise the world’s largest suite of high-definition content for distribution through satellite and cable operators. With programming in categories as diverse as sports, movies, fashion, music and art, the VOOM HD Networks are available in the U.S. on Echostar’s DISH Network. The 24/7 linear VOOM HD channel is available globally. It is currently distributed in Scandinavia, Estonia and Latvia, and will soon debut in Asia. Similarly, select VOOM HD programming is available worldwide and has been licensed to viewers in more than 50 countries. Building on Rainbow’s history of original programming innovation, VOOM HD was developed to meet the growing worldwide demand for quality high-definition programming.
About Rainbow Media Holdings LLC
Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC). Rainbow Media is a leading producer of targeted, multi-platform programming for global distribution, creating and managing some of the world’s most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands, including AMC, fuse, IFC, WE tv, Rainbow Sports Networks managed FSN Bay Area and FSN New England, LIFESKOOL, SPORTSKOOL, and VOOM HD Networks. The company also manages Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation, its advertising sales division, and Rainbow Network Communications, its full service network programming origination and distribution company.