Mountainfilm and Firelight Media will partner to present the third installment of Firelight’s celebrated HOMEGROWN series at Mountainfilm’s 48th annual festival, held this May. Firelight Media is a nonprofit organization that supports, resources and advocates on behalf of documentary filmmakers of color. HOMEGROWN is Firelight’s regionally-focused documentary short film series, amplifying the voices of local filmmakers as they reflect on issues of identity, memory, resilience and justice in their communities. The program will have its World Premiere at Mountainfilm, reflecting the festival’s commitment to uplifting emerging documentary filmmakers.

Directors selected for HOMEGROWN, offered as part of the organization’s Regional Initiatives, receive mentorship and production support from the Firelight Media team and partner stations, along with national distribution through PBS digital platforms. This year’s collection of films, subtitled Horizons, examines the histories, lived experiences and present-day realities of communities of color in the Mountain West Region, bringing impactful stories to audiences in Telluride.

“We are honored to present the World Premiere of HOMEGROWN: Horizons at Mountainfilm,” said Chloë Walters-Wallace, director of Regional Initiatives for Firelight Media. “The core mission of our HOMEGROWN series is to serve regional audiences and celebrate the incredible filmmaking talent within their own communities. Our partnership with Mountainfilm this year allows us to do just that, and presents additional opportunities for the filmmakers to deepen their engagement with festival audiences, as well as other filmmakers and industry partners attending the festival. Thank you to Mountainfilm for this exciting collaboration.”

The 2026 installment of HOMEGROWN features four short films by filmmakers based in the region, each centering on underrepresented stories from the Rocky Mountain West. The program includes:

Trip Ziggurat, directed by Usama Alshaibi

‍A road trip to a ziggurat in Colorado sparks connections among Arab communities in the state. Filmmaker Usama Alshaibi travels to the Crestone Ziggurat, weaving his personal pilgrimage with the stories of Arabs in Boulder who bring pieces of their homelands with them.

Internal Peaks, directed by Jr Rodriguez and Vanessa Chavarriaga‍

Jr and Vanessa are professional athletes on a mission to bring to light the intersectional relationships between their outdoor pursuits, climate change and who belongs in these spaces. As children of immigrants, they know what it feels like to be the bridge between different worlds. They recognize that shining a light on disappearing glaciers far away starts at home in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. (Pictured above.)

‍Japantown: What Is Lost, What Remains, directed by Kelyn Ikegami

‍As a teenager, Paul Iwasaki witnessed the demolition of Salt Lake City’s Japantown, his childhood neighborhood. Sixty years later, he works to protect the last two remaining buildings in “J-town” and preserve the memories they hold.

Back to Blackdom, directed by Zoe Dylan Colfax

‍In 1903, 13 Black men and their families fleeing Jim Crow laws established Blackdom in southern New Mexico, the state’s first and only all-Black town. Today, two families return to reclaim their ancestors’ land and restore a largely forgotten history.

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This program will be offered free to the public and passholders during Mountainfilm. Participating filmmakers will join onstage conversations with audiences. In addition to the screenings, Firelight Media in collaboration with local organizations Mountain Media Arts Collective & Color Vérité will host a meetup for BIPOC festival attendees and guests and take part in additional programming.

Mountainfilm’s Senior Programmer Robin Robinson said the partnership with Firelight Media is incredibly meaningful.

“Mountainfilm has always believed in nonfiction storytelling that brings people together and reminds us of what’s possible, and Firelight shares that same commitment,” Robinson said. “We’re especially excited that this year’s HOMEGROWN series is rooted in our home region, the Western U.S. These community-driven stories expand how we see the West and the people shaping its landscapes and outdoor culture. We’re proud to premiere work that reflects the depth, resilience and creativity of this place, and to welcome filmmakers and audiences into meaningful conversation around these stories.”

For more information about Mountainfilm 2026 and upcoming program announcements, visit mountainfilm.org.