katie stjernholm

Last week — in NYC, we had a special screening of @championsdoc — hosted and beautifully introduced by @malala and @arianmoayed , our amazing Executive Producers. The event aligned with the kickoff of @malala ’s book tour for FINDING MY WAY. A must read for all. It felt full circle to return to NYC for this screening after premiering at Tribeca. The Q&A with Arian, director @sturgeram , and producers @ktstj and @baktashahadi was moderated by @soniakennebeck and can be watched at the link in our bio. The event was generously supported by @una.nyc . Being able to share the story of Alishah and the Bamyan skiers is a true gift, and it continues to create empathy and understanding in this critical moment. We are so grateful for how the film has been received so far in our underdog awards campaign. Thanks for being a part of it! More exciting news is on the horizon, so stay tuned. Photos: @brendanpdavis and @ktstj

✨Proud to share that Champions of the Golden Valley (@championsdoc ) is now streaming on Olympics.com – as an Olympic Channel Original! Thank you @olympics for giving this film a home and helping this story reach new audiences around the globe. It’s free, available in 12 languages, and launching right as the world turns its eyes to the XXV Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina. As the Games begin, check out the official Olympics trailer and tag your friends who should give it a watch! 🥇   🎬Champions of the Golden Valley is a timely story of unity, resilience, and the power of sport to build peace. It follows @alishah_farhang_ — former Afghan Olympic hopeful and ski coach — and the brave skiers of Bamyan, whose heart and strength embody the Olympic spirit and what it truly means to be a champion. When you see this community gliding down mountains on their handmade wooden skis, we hope it fills you with joy and reminds you of the shared humanity that connects us to our neighbors everywhere. 🎿Perfect timing: Ski Mountaineering (#SkiMo) is making its debut at Milano Cortina — the first new Winter Olympic sport in 20 years! It combines the grit of uphill skiing with a high-speed descent – and if you’ve seen Champions, the climactic ski race will feel very familiar!  🫶 We hope you will watch it with the people you love – on the biggest screen you can find. So many people have believed in and supported this film along the way, and we are deeply grateful for each and every one of you for joining us on this journey. 💫 Director: @sturgegram Producers: @ktstj & @baktashahadi In association with @xtr & @optimist 🎥: @sturgegram @jasonmannings @goodiepocket EPs: @malala @arianmoayed @madpixfilm @rockauteur @christemple @zachingrasci @nadia_outside @janetsmenagerie @elizstiff Publicity: @feliciawng and @c_albert Score: @cyrus_reynolds @joaquinignaciog @oskar.schuster Social: @gaby_rose13 and @skyeprenticemedia Trailer Edit: @andrewhbrown

Some photos from the last few weeks on the road: LA, NYC & London! Today, our team is spread around the world, with Ben and Katie at a stunning screening in Bilbao at Mendi Film Festival; Arian and Malala sitting down to chat with the Olympics in New York City; and Doug Blush and the good folks at Optimist and XTR sharing the film in LA. And there are so many more people, from Alaska to Boulder to Pennsylvania to London, Italy, Germany and beyond, who have given this film so much support and love in the recent sprint of events — and in many cases, over years on end. This film has been powered by a deep belief and conviction. We are so grateful for the strength of this ever-growing family, an underdog team who has worked together to elevate this film, and to meet this moment. A sincere thank you to *everyone* who has helped to champion and share this essential story of @alishah_farhang_ , the Bamyan skiers, and the incredible people of Afghanistan! @sturgegram @ktstj @baktashahadi @malala @arianmoayed @madpixfilm @nadia_outside @rockauteur @christemple @zachingrasci @xtr @optimist @elizstiff @janetsmenagerie @jennamkelly @samanthadols @feliciawng @c_albert @joaquinignaciog @cyrus_reynolds @gaby_rose13 @skyeprenticemedia @untamedborders

For Your Consideration: Champions of the Golden Valley. The award-winning film that tells the remarkable story of an Afghan community working to build peace through sport. Streaming worldwide starting December 19, exclusively on Olympics.com and across the @olympics ’ digital platforms. Link to new trailer in bio! Director: @sturgegram Producers: @ktstj & @baktashahadi In association with @xtr & @optimist Featuring: @alishah_farhang_ EPs: @malala @arianmoayed @madpixfilm @rockauteur @christemple @nadia_outside @zachingrasci @janetsmenagerie @elizstiff Score: @cyrus_reynolds @joaquinignaciog @oskar.schuster

@championsdoc is having an eventful start to December! We have been invited to screen at some incredible venues and have some very special guests joining us at these screenings. Many of you have seen the film, so please consider sending this post to folks in these cities — word of mouth is everything for indie docs! 📍 LA • Tues Dec 2 @ 7pm • IMAX Screening at USC School of Cinematic Arts • Featuring SCA Faculty & EP Doug Blush and film team. Screening is public but registration is required: /Champs-USC 📍 NYC • Fri Dec 5 @ 7pm • The Great Hall at Cooper Union • Featuring Q&A with @malala & @arianmoayed and film team. Screening is public but registration is required: /Champs-CU 📍 LONDON • Sun Dec 7 @ 6pm • Q&A with film team moderated by @fisherstevens . We have seats left, so please reach out directly if you’re interested! Please email [email protected] for details. 🍿

Last week, our team convened in New York for the DOC NYC Visionaries Tribute Luncheon. We were moved by the honoree’s speeches, which challenged the state of the industry and created a real sense of solidarity. We came home with wind in our sails from the films we saw, the humans we met, and the reminder that above all: the stories we tell ourselves and to one another matter now more than ever. Huge shoutout to the incredible filmmaking teams behind these powerful films. Please seek them out to watch and tell your friends — it is the only way to prove to the powers that be (aka distributors) that there is an audience for important and life-affirming documentaries.   •Come See Me In the Good Light (@white815 @jessicalhargrave @meganfalley )  •Between the Mountain & The Sky (@betweenthemountain @maggiedoyne ) •The Librarians (@thelibrariansfilm @kasnyderfilms ) •Out of Plain Sight (@outofplainsightfilm @rosanna.xia ) •All the Walls Came Down (@allthewallscamedown @onditimoner ) •The Breakthrough Group (@rekh_creation ) Special thanks to @ktstj and, especially, her mama Judy for dusting off the hot glue gun to make the homemade wooden ski pins — a tiny tribute to @alishah_farhang_ and the Bamyan skiers who inspire us every day! ⛷️

Champions of the Golden Valley has played at festivals across the globe and is one of the most decorated documentaries of the year. We’ve been humbled by the awards, impact, and reach of this project. It has gone further than we ever dreamed of when filming began in Bamyan six years ago. And now, we are officially qualified for the 98th Academy Awards! We’re a small indie team telling a big-hearted underdog story and running a scrappy ‘wooden ski’ style awards campaign. The unexpected momentum we have gained is because of the friends, the audiences, and the champions who have shown up, supported, and spread the word.  Our deepest gratitude to Alishah Farhang (@alishah_farhang_ ) for bravely sharing your story with us, so that others can experience the beauty, courage, and resilience of the people of Bamyan on screen. In the next month, we have four ‘For Your Consideration’ (FYC) screenings in Toronto, LA, New York, and London featuring some very special guests. Stay tuned for more details soon!

Word of mouth is what carries independent docs like ours, and audiences around the globe have had a few things to say about @championsdoc . These reviews for our underdog film about community and resilience have us feeling all the feels. The story of Alishah and the Bamyan skiers have nestled into the hearts of many and we are truly grateful for every watch and review. Have you seen the film? If so, please head over to the link in our bio and share on Letterboxd or IMDb. Or let us know in the comments below! Thank you for championing Champions, we couldn’t do it without you! 🙏

West LA! Come see the Oscar-contending @championsdoc — one of the most decorated documentaries of the year! Join us for a special FYC screening in Malibu on Thurs evening! The event is free to attend and are welcome. Registration is required at: tinyurl.com/Champs-Pepp •Thurs Nov 6th at 7pm at Pepperdine •Screening followed by Q&A w/ Producer @ktstj (‘10) & EP @christemple . Moderated by Jon Turteltaub (Cool Runnings, National Treasure). •In partnership with @optimist and @creativevisionsfoundation . If you cannot attend, there are three daily showings at @laemmle_royal through November 6th. "The ultimate underdog story!" -Variety Champions of the Golden Valley offers a visually stunning perspective on the power of sport to strengthen communities and bring light to even the most unexpected corners of the world. Executive Produced by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate @malala and @arianmoayed (Succession, Nobody Wants This). Winner of 38 awards since @tribeca premiere, including 17 Grand Prizes! "Offers a sparkling feeling of hope!" -Banff Mountain Film (Grand Prize & Audience Award) We are a small indie film team running an underdog awards campaign and need your support in spreading the word. Invite a friend and we hope to see you there!

We’re thrilled to announce that Malala Yousafzai (Nobel Peace Prize winner) and Arian Moayed (Succession, Nobody Wants This) are officially champions of Champions! They have come onboard the film as Executive Producers, and we’re so excited to watch how their incredible voices and history of activism will bring the film to new heights, hearts and minds. This news also officially kicks off our underdog Oscars campaign, which will unfold throughout the fall. We have always been an underdog independent film, about a community of underdog skiers in the remote mountains of Afghanistan. Yet against all odds, we have screened at more than 50 festivals and garnered 30+ awards (including 15 Grand Prizes and 10 Audience Awards) since launching at @Tribeca . This wouldn’t have been possible without the boundless support of an enthusiastic community and audiences rallying around this story — pushing it further than we ever thought possible. Thank you, all. It’s our honor to welcome @malala and @arianmoayed onto the team, and together, we hope to carry the story of @alishah_farhang_ and the skiers of Bamyan as far as it can go! Malala and Arian will be joining our exceptional roster of Executive Producers including Oscar-winning Doug Blush (20 Feet from Stardom, Icarus, The Elephant Whisperers), Emmy-nominated Justin Lacob (Diane Warren: Relentless, The Lionheart), Optimist’s Chris Temple and Zach Ingrasci (Living on One Dollar, This is Not Financial Advice), Tiger Tales Media’s Janet Tittiger, Gottfried Tittiger, Peter Tittiger (Crip Camp, The Social Dilemma), Liz Stiff, Nadia Samadani, and William LaBahn. The film is produced in association with @XTR and @Optimist . For Variety’s full announcement, see link in bio or /Champions-Variety-NewEPs.

We hope to see you at the Boulder International Film Festival this weekend! @boulderfilmfestival •Fri, Mar 14 at 7:30pm @ Grace Commons •Sun, March 16 at 3pm @ Longmont Museum 🎟️ Tickets here: /BoulderChamps Anyone with a ticket stub from the Friday screening of Champions gets free entry into the Adventure Film Party at the Velvet Elk Lounge (9pm to midnight) following the screening. Both screenings will feature a filmmaker Q&A and a representative from @irc_denver . Please help us spread the word for this local screening! @sturgegram @ktstj @baktashahadi @optimist @xtr @nadia_outside @rescueorg @skyeprenticemedia @bamyanalpineskiclub