Our director, Kyle Portbury, will be there to answer questions, and tickets include a copy of the book.

We are delighted to announce that The Mountain Within has won the very prestigious award for Best Documentary in the Mountain Film Festival in the United States. The award will be presented to the film crew at a Gala dinner on the 26th February 2010.

This recognition is a tribute to everyone involved in the film and to all who have supported the The Mountain Within since its completion and release last year.

Climb to ‘the roof’ of Africa

A British team of non-disabled and disabled climbers has become what is believed to be the first multi-ability group to reach the summit of Africa’s highest peak: Mount Kilimanjaro.

Altitude sickness and exhaustion prevented only a few of them from reaching the summit, which is 19340ft (5895m) above sea level.

The trek organisers – the charity Enham – hope the trip will encourage other people with disabilities to realise their full potential.

Bryan Magee, who is non-disabled, and his brother Jamie, who has left paralysis, both took part.

Bryan recorded an audio diary of his experiences. Here is his story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7558288.stm

An emotional journey, both physically and mentally – Nigel Kingston

Really uplifting and emotional. Am inspired to tackle the mountain myself – Tracey

An incredible tale of compassion and beautiful cinematography but more importantly for me, was to show how something better can come from the obstacles in life – David Miller

Inspiring, wonderful photography - Graham Deverill, Enham

Well done to all the people involved in the making of the film…. it takes a lot of time and effort to put on such a wonderful film – Maria Moseley

It was really neat to watch the emotion and then the climb as it got longer or throughout the film cause you sort of fall in love with the characters and you wanted to cry with them and laugh with them at the same time – Rosalyn Seaton

To combine the film challenge with the Kilimanjaro challenge – that’s just amazing (and possibly a bit mad!) – Sally Payne, Dyspraxia Foundation

It was a superb film and amazing to see just what people can do when they set their minds to it.  Wonderful music and photography; it almost made you feel that you had made it to the top too! – Lucy Till, St Bride’s Strategic Advisers

I thought it was really really a powerful film, heart warming and amazing. The hardships that they had to deal with was very inspirational – Cynthia Northridge

A very moving and inspiring film. As a side issue, I particularly liked the photography showing just how hard and “unromantic” the terrain actually was – Anthony Shelton

It’s a delightful film and will I hope open people’s eyes to the power of collaborative challenges, particularly outdoor endeavours like climbing a mountain, to give people a new lease of life – Miriam Davies

The Mountain Within – every mountain is a level playing field

Inspiring film has London premiere

The Mountain Within, a powerful drama documentary film in which seven climbers with disabilities and their buddies face the challenge of climbing Mt Kilimanjaro, will have its London premiere on Monday 9^th November.

Distributed by BRAG Productions, the 85 minute film follows the climbers’ individual and collective journeys as they head for the summit.  Wonderful personal stories – told with sensitivity and humour – emerge as they discover their inner strengths as the demands of the climb take their toll.

The Mt Kilimanjaro climb was commissioned by Enham, a UK charity that gives those with disabilities the opportunity to make real choices for a fulfilling and successful life.  The UK distribution of the film will raise funds for both Enham and Special Olympics GB, who are supporting and promoting the distribution. The London premiere will be hosted by Norton Rose LLP, one of the film’s sponsors.

Director of BRAG Productions and producer of the film, Gregory Rinaldi, said: “The film is a tribute to how the combined forces of individual spirit and determination and group support and collaboration can turn dreams into reality.   It focuses on ability, not disability.  We are working with Enham and Special Olympics GB to bring the film to a wider audience to raise money for these two great causes.  We are indebted to Norton Rose for their support for the film and for making the London premiere possible.”

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For further information, preview dvd and photographic material please contact Mary Collins on +44 (0) 7769 670 516 or at mary@marycollins-pr.com.

Notes for editors:

The production team and some of the climbers – Alex, James and Pauline – will be available for interview at the screening.

For more information on the film please visit: http://www.themountainwithin.com/

BRAG Productions was formed in 2008 by Gregory Rinaldi and Alison Baxter, the producers of the Mountain Within.  They currently have several film projects in development.  www.bragproductions.com

Enham is a leading regional UK charity dedicated to service provision for disabled people. Established in 1918, Enham was founded as a rehabilitation centre for ex-servicemen returning from the First World War. The organisation now works across the South of England empowering disabled people to reach their potential, providing an innovative and personalised range of learning programmes, employment opportunities, housing and care options. www.enham.org.uk

Special Olympics Great Britain is part of an international non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering individuals with learning disabilities to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competition. Special Olympics Great Britain was established in 1978 and currently serves over 8,000 athletes who take part in year-round sports training and competition programmes. SOGB is a registered charity, which currently receives no government funding. www.sogb.org.uk

Norton Rose Group is a leading international legal practice. It offers a full business law service from its offices across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Knowing how its clients’ businesses work and understanding what drives their industries is fundamental to the Norton Rose Group. Its lawyers share industry knowledge and sector expertise across borders, enabling it to support its clients anywhere in the world.  It is strong in corporate finance; financial institutions; energy and infrastructure; transport; and technology. The Group comprises Norton Rose LLP and its affiliates. It has more than 1300 lawyers operating from offices in Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Athens, Bahrain, Bangkok, Beijing, Brussels, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Jakarta (associate office), London, Milan, Moscow, Munich, Paris, Piraeus, Prague, Riyadh (associate office), Rome, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo and Warsaw. With effect from 1 January 2010, Deacons Australia, a leading Australian law firm with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Canberra and teams in Singapore, Jakarta and Ho Chi Minh City, will join Norton Rose Group.  The enlarged Group will have over 1800 lawyers in 30 offices worldwide, 700 of whom will be based in Asia Pacific, and will form one of the best-resourced legal practices in the Asia Pacific region. www.nortonrose.com

9^th November 2009

http://www.themountainwithin.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/The-Mountain-Within-press-release-3-Nov-20092.DOC

First of all, could you tell us a bit about yourself – where are you from and what was your role in TMW?

I’m Michael Price, and was the composer of the score for The Mountain Within. I’ve been involved in film music for more years than I care to remember now, as a composer, arranger, music editor, you name it, and have been lucky enough to work on some amazing films. And now I’ve worked on another one!

When and how did you get involved in TMW?

Kyle Portbury, the Director, called me up in Spring 2008 with what I first thought was a spoof job. “So, how do you feel about climbing up Kilimanjaro, writing music as you go, while we all make a film?” I presumed he’d gone a little mad.

Had you worked with any of the crew before?

I’d worked with Kyle, Gregory the producer and Kate the editor before on a short film, shot in Cornwall, where I’d spent the week with them on set. It seemed like such a different way to work, and I felt much more involved in the project than I often do, being with the whole crew for the shoot, so I was very keen to try again.

What did your role involve?

As the composer you’re responsible for writing, conducting and recording all the music that’s heard in the film. I’m very lucky to work with an amazing group of people, from the superb orchestral players, through the engineers at Abbey Road, especially Andrew Dudman, then the people that work closely with me on the writing of the score; Anthony Weeden who orchestrated it, and Rael Jones who produces everything with me, and plays all instruments known to man. I guess my job is to make sure that all those amazingly talented people have some reasonable tunes to work on!

For this project, some crew members took on different and/or extra roles to those they would normally take on – what were some of the strangest things you had to do on TMW?

In theory I was supposed to be helping record production sound on the mountain, but I turned out to be the most useless sound guy ever. I was also enormously inept with a camera, so mostly I ended up sorting out the video diaries we were sending back to people who were following our progress. There are pictures somewhere of me sitting freezing on a rock at 13,000 feet with a laptop on my knees trying to connect to the internet with a solar-powered satellite dish. I’ll never be rude about BT Broadband again.

What were your thoughts about Kilimanjaro and the climb before you arrived in Tanzania?

I found it very hard to imagine how difficult it was going to be, as going up and down a few climbs in the Lake District was the most I’d ever done. I imagined it would be bigger than the Lake District. And it was.

How did you feel when you arrived at the base of the mountain?

I think we were all so stressed and focused on trying to make the best film we could that I often forgot to look up at the mountain. It didn’t really dawn on me for a few days what a crazy thing we were doing.

Had you been on Kilimanjaro or to altitude before?

No. I usually avoid going to places where there isn’t enough oxygen . . .

Had you met any of the climbers before the climb?

I’d been on a couple of training walks, including one on Snowdon where I’d met many of the team. There was already an amazing bond of humour between the climbers and their buddies, but I don’t think anyone could have predicted how much everyone’s characters would have been tested.

Was there a particular event on the mountain that sticks out in your memory?

I’d love to say being on the summit, but I can barely remember staggering there. I think there were hundreds of tiny moments of humanity, humour and courage, and whenever I see the film now, I remember new ones.

How did you find working at altitude?

Like trying to work after ten pints of Yorkshire bitter. People aren’t meant to be that high up – it’s unnatural.

How do you feel that the crew as a group handled the extremes of Kilimanjaro?

I think we were often inexperienced, under-prepared, out of our depth, and yet everybody in the crew found something very special inside them and we were able to support each other through it. I think we’re all better people for having been made so vulnerable by the climb, but still helping each other to make a beautiful film that I’m very proud of.

Tell us about reaching the summit?

I was effectively carried there by one of the absolutely amazing porters, who even held my hand on the way down. I wouldn’t have got there without him. It seemed to be one of the reasons why the porters were so supportive and encouraging of Jamie Magee – they have such courage and strength themselves, and they recognise that courage in other people.

If you had to summarise the summit attempt in one word, which word would you use?

Extra-terrestrial.

Do you feel more of a connection to the film (because you took part in the climb), compared to other films you have worked on?

Hugely so. I’m now a slightly scarily passionate advocate of the film, and the whole experience, and being able to express some of that in the score with all my favourite players and colleagues is too good to be true.

What is the most important lesson you have learned from making TMW?

That we constantly limit ourselves, and we limit other people when we pre-judge what they can do. Sometimes it takes a special group of people with unselfconscious courage to show us what everyone is capable of.

We are delighted to report that The Mountain Within has been accepted for the Rossland Mountain Film Festival Showcase in Canada and will be screened on Saturday 21 November.

This is the second festival acceptance for the film after it was shown at the Avoca Beach Film Festival in Australia just last weekend. There is more to follow but in the meantime you can find out more about the festival here. http://www.rosslandfilmfest.com/

Photo courtesy of Kate Coggins

Welcome to a new feature we will be running on the site.  It took a huge amount of hard work and determination to make The Mountain Within (TMW for short) so we decided to interview some of the crew members to give you an insight into the different types of obstacles that the crew on the mountain and the post production team had to overcome.

To kick off we’re starting with our Director – Kyle Portbury.

First of all, could you tell us a bit about yourself – where are you from and what was your role in TMW?

My name is Kyle Portbury, and I am the director of The Mountain Within.  I am from a little town in Victoria, Australia called Warburton where I grew up with my parents and older sister.  I was fortunate to have a British mother who wanted to visit her family often so Dad and Mum would regularly expose us to life in a bigger world.

When and how did you get involved in TMW?

In about February 2008 I premiered a short film at the Curzon cinema in Soho.  The Enham Kilimanjaro Challenge climb initiators happened to be in attendance, liked what they saw and approached me to discuss filming the climb.  I pitched them the idea of filming it as a feature documentary where we could really do some things that haven’t been done in the genre in a long time.  They liked the direction and we set off on the adventure of making a climb into a dramatic story.

Photo courtesy of Kate Coggins

Had you worked with any of the crew before?

Yes I have worked with a number of the crew before.  The composer, Michael Price, and I had worked on a couple of projects before and were keen to push our director/composer creativity to another level.  My longtime producer Greg Rinaldi has basically produced everything I have done and Kate Coggins had edited one of my short films.  Having a core of people you know and understand was a real blessing because when you get out into extreme locations everthing that can go wrong does and you need to know that essentially your key people get you and can work together to problem solve out of any situation.

What did your role involve?

I am only a young director who is still working out how to tell stories.  I guess having said that directing for me involves finding the story to tell in the first place and then working out how to best tell that story.  How do you do that… get the best people you can in each of the key roles and listen to them.

For this project, some crew members took on different and/or extra roles to those they would normally take on – what were some of the strangest things you had to do on TMW?

I am a pretty hands on director but even for me, scrabbling along with our cinematographer, Gordon, on the side of a cliff with the wireless shotgun mic while he ran with a steadicam rig was pretty crazy, especially when you looked sideways and saw the drop off. I also ended up shooting the entire summit sequence as our main unit camera went down due to the cold on the summit.  Filming at 20,000ft was definitely a new one for me.

Kyle and Gordon following the action

What were your thoughts about Kilimanjaro and the climb before you arrived in Tanzania?

I was really excited to get to climb it.  It is such an inspiring mountain, you see photos of this thing poking out of the clouds with giraffes and elephants in the foreground, who wouldn’t want to climb it.

How did you feel when you arrived at the base of the mountain?

What have I got myself into… ahahaha.

Had you been on Kilimanjaro or to altitude before?

This was my first time in Africa and I think the highest I had been was about 12,000ft.

Had you met any of the climbers before the climb?

Yes we spent about 6 months getting to know them and getting them used to us and the cameras.  They are such an amazing group of people and to get to the point where we got to see that meant a lot of time with them, so by the time we got to the mountain, cameras around was just a normal part of life.

How did you find working at altitude?

Both exhilarating and exhausting.  Making a film anywhere requires a certain level of physical and mental agility, when you throw altitude into that mix you have to work twice as hard to get the same result.

How do you feel that the crew as a group handled the extremes of Kilimanjaro?

Whatever the mountain threw at them, they handled it as a team and brought back a story, you can’t ask for much more.  Everyone had a day where they were not running at their peak but everyone stepped up to cover this, it was an incredible team effort and sheer determination that got this film in the can.

Did you reach the summit?

Yes.

Tell us about reaching the summit?

I was filming when we reached the top, it was a funny feeling you know, you expect that it will be this big moment but actually you just hurt, you can’t breathe and you look around and everyone else is thinking the same thing you are.  You sit and reflect for a few moments, you think about the ones who didn’t make it and then you muster the strength to get back down… awesome.

Was there a particular event on the mountain that sticks out in your memory?

There were so many but the one that sticks out would have been the final climb to the summit.  It was pitch black and I can still remember looking up and seeing an endless trail of lights that seemed to ascend forever.  When you can’t breathe and your legs feel like they weigh a tonne that sight is terrifying…

Photo courtesy of Kate Coggins

If you had to summarize the summit attempt in one word, which word would you use?

Surreal.

Do you feel more of a connection to the film (because you took part in the climb), compared to other films you have worked on?

Every film is a unique and special experience, what I think is different with this one is you have the added bonus of having not only succeeded in shooting a film which is a huge undertaking in and of itself but you have also climbed one of the world’s highest mountains.  You get the personal sense of achievement in getting to the summit and the collaborative achievement of making a film so it is a pretty special film.

What is the most important lesson you have learned from making TMW?

Patience.

If you have any questions for Kyle please post them in the comment window below.

]]> http://www.themountainwithin.com/kyle_portbury/feed/ 2 http://www.themountainwithin.com/terrace_screening/ http://www.themountainwithin.com/terrace_screening/#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:23:13 +0000 Gregory http://www.themountainwithin.com/?p=815

The screenings in Terrace on 4th September turned out to be a great success. Both screenings were close to sold out and the audience reaction to the film was again fantastic. Cynthia Northridge said “I thought it was a really powerful film, heartwarming and absolutely amazing”. The city of Terrace really embraced the event and made it into something special by helping to raise over $850 for Special Olympics Terrace.

One of TMW producers Gregory Rinaldi with the help of his sister Joan Wiebe were able to arrange everything needed for the screenings in under a week.  The banquet hall was donated by Best Western Terrace Inn, all of the audio/video equipment was provided by Sight & Sound and the posters, tickets and flyers were printed by Totem Press.  With the building blocks in place, it wasn’t long before everyone started talking about the film, bolstered by the help of the local media – two articles in the Terrace Standard, a ticket giveaway all week on CFTK’s Ryan Boult followed by promotions in the lead up to the screenings, a TV interview on the local news station and a radio interview on CBC radio.

Our faith in the message of the film was amplified when, in the hour between the first and second screenings, the audience from the first screening proceeded to call friends and family to get down to the second one.  The second screening ended up being even better attended than the first with extra chairs being brought in to accommodate the numbers. David Miller commented “It was an incredible tale of compassion and beautiful cinematography but most importantly for me was to show how something good can come from the obstacles in life”.

We will be starting our North America release next year and Terrace BC have shown us that we will be able to achieve our goals of raising both awareness and money for the charities involved.

Map <http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=best+western+terrace+bc&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=30.241767,61.523438&ie=UTF8&ll=54.516573,-128.58495&spn=0.006315,0.01502&z=16>

Tickets can be purchased in advance at Mr. Mikes or at Misty River Books in Terrace.