Improvisation
is the silver thread that weaves this film together.
Just as the Grateful Dead did not ?t their music into
an established category, this short ?lm ?nds a cast
of some of the world’s best athletes on an improvisational
journey of skiing, snowboarding, surfing, and music,
complete with a soundtrack comprised of only Grateful
Dead music. Shot during a snow and surf road trip,
the journey starts in California where the athletes
embark on a mission into the mountains. Mid-?lm ?nds
the cast caught in the remote waters of the North
Pole followed by a psychedelic dreamscape as they
appear as skeletons shredding under the moonlight
at Mammoth Mountain, and surfing in Indonesia. Similar
to a Grateful Dead show, they start and end in the
same place but each of their respective experiences
is a journey of their own.
Narrated
by Hall of Fame basketball player and television sportscaster
Bill Walton with music supervision by David Lemieux,
audiovisual archivist and legacy manager for the Grateful
Dead, Fire On The Mountain features some of action
sports’ most legendary athletes: snowboarding’s
Jeremy Jones, Danny Davis, Kimmy Fasani, surfing icon
Rob Machado, and skiers Michelle Parker and Chris
Benchetler. Captured over the course of the winter
by cinematographer Tyler Hamlet the visual journey
features never seen before visual effects within nature
and original artwork by Benchetler and Skye Walker.
“Grateful
Dead and action sports have always been kindred spirits,
both celebrating life and the beauty of experimental
improvisation,” says Rhino President Mark Pinkus,
who also oversees Grateful Dead Properties. “After
years of hearing many action sports athletes cite
the Dead as their soundtrack of choice, it’s
exhilarating to see these worlds come to life together
on screen in Fire On The Mountain. Add in Bill Walton’s
iconic voice on commentary and you have a one-of-a-kind
experience, not unlike going to a Grateful Dead live
show.”
Adds
Bill Walton, “this project is one of the coolest
things that I have ever been involved with, and it
validates my criteria for why I do things—people,
passion, and purpose. I love the edge, and beyond.
Fire On The Mountain takes this notion to incalculable
heights, and spectacular places.”
Fire
On The Mountain - Official Grateful Dead & Chris
Benchetler Film
From
the mind of Chris Benchetler comes TGR's latest short
film collaboration with Flagship Independent. Improvisation
is the silver thread that weaves this crew together.
Just as the Grateful Dead did not ?t their music into
an established category, this short ?lm ?nds a cast
of some of the world’s best athletes on a spontaneous
journey of skiing, snowboarding, surfing, and music,
complete with a soundtrack comprised of only Grateful
Dead music.
Narrated
by Hall of Fame basketball player and television sportscaster
Bill Walton with music supervision by David Lemieux,
audiovisual archivist and legacy manager for the Grateful
Dead, Fire On The Mountain features some of action
sports’ most legendary athletes: snowboarding’s
Jeremy Jones, Danny Davis, Kimmy Fasani, surfing icon
Rob Machado, and skiers Michelle Parker and Chris
Benchetler. Captured over the course of the winter
by cinematographer Tyler Hamlet with the help of Sweetgrass
Productions, the visual journey features never seen
before visual effects within nature and original artwork
by Benchetler and Skye Walker.
STARRING
Chris Benchetler
Danny Davis
Jeremy Jones
Kimmy Fasani
Michelle Parker
Rob Machado
SHOT ON LOCATION
Mammoth Mountain, California
Sierra Mountains, CA
Sumatra, Indonesia
Svalbard, Norway
