Award Winning Backroads Pictures Originals
On the windswept plains of the Pine Ridge Reservation, where hardship drives many to leave, a tight-knit group of Lakota teens form a family—bound by brotherhood, sisterhood, and the fierce tradition of Indian Relay horse racing. Together, they find purpose, lean on one another, and race with a mission to uplift the community they call home. Witness the coming-of-age story of Lakota teens as they find strength in tradition and passion in competition.
Raised in the rough edges of Tulsa by a single mother, and shaped by the absence of the men who once guided him—one gone, one locked away—Tre’lan Michael walks a path many don’t return from. After his own time behind bars, he seeks a distant horizon and lands on the North Shore of Kauai. Living off the land, chasing clean breaks and second chances, he discovers a deep bond with the sea and a brotherhood in the world of big wave surfing. This is a story of redemption, resilience, and the healing power of the ocean.
Films in Development
The Summit Sisters
The Andes, Bolivia
High in the Bolivian Andes, the Cholitas Escaladoras, Aymara women draped in flowing polleras, climb peaks with quiet defiance, blending tradition, strength, and their fiery spirit in every step. Through fun-loving sisterly banter, resilience, and environmental stewardship, they spotlight the urgent fight to protect Bolivia’s fragile glaciers and beyond. Making waves locally, their quest to climb leads beyond the Andes to the Himalayas, where they begin building bonds with Indigenous Nepali Sherpa women—fellow guardians of the mountains—as they prepare for a cross cultural common dream, united to one day summit Everest together.
Greenland Rising
Disko Island, Greenland
A poetic, powerful, chilling Arctic expedition across Greenland’s Disko Island (Qeqertarsuaq) fuses skiing, surfing, and dogsled travel with a deeply anthropological lens. As glaciers melt and the Arctic becomes the world’s new geopolitical fault line, Inuit leaders and visiting adventurers explore what it means to fight for cultural autonomy and land sovereignty. Greenland is open for business—but not for sale.
The Art of the Hunt
Omadal Island, Malaysia
For centuries, the Bajau Laut have roamed the waters of Southeast Asia—an oceanic nomadic people who fish, dive, and live entirely at sea, guided by tides, moonlight, and ancestral knowledge. Accomplished Bali-based waterman, Astika Oye and a select Patagonia ambassador explore Indonesia’s remote islands with the Bajau Laut. Through the journey they learn about the challenges facing these fragile waters, while diving with the multi-generational spearfishermen. As they embark on an experience of cultural understanding, they explore the deep connection between sustainable hunting, local traditions, and the illegal fishing practices threatening the fishery. This is a celebration of ancestral ways and a call to action to protect these waters.
Chasing Shadows
The Himalayas, Nepal
Retracing the legendary 1970’s journey of conservationist and writer Peter Matthiessen, the film will follow Nepalese photographer and conservationist Tashi Gale who now leads teams deep into the Himalayas to search for the elusive snow leopard. Through the eyes of Sherpa conservationists, this character-driven natural history doc explores the fight to protect this endangered predator, blending Indigenous knowledge with modern efforts to preserve both the species and the culture it represents.
Youth’s Ascent
Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Only six years old, young Mohammad Taibjee embarks on a historic journey to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak. Guided by his uncle, he pushes past physical and mental limits, not simply to set a record but to witness a world that may not remain the same for his generation. As the youngest adventurer to take on this challenge, Mohammad becomes an unexpected yet powerful voice for conservation, proving that the future of our planet is in the hands of those who will inherit it.