Filmmakers: Stephen Scott Scarpulla, Samuel Miron
Runtime: 91 min
In the heart of downtown Seattle, a diverse group of men and women attempt to beat homelessness and addiction through a highly unorthodox program that uses high stakes mountain climbing as a rehabilitation tool. In the last chance effort to survive their addictions, they’ll spend a year preparing their bodies and minds to climb one of the most dangerous mountains in the country, Mount Rainier. While some may fall along the way, others hope that a second chance at life will be waiting at the summit.
About The Filmmakers
Stephen Scott Scarpulla has a well-rounded background in the entertainment industry, having worked as a Broadway actor, documentary filmmaker, indie film producer, and development executive. A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, his shorts garnered him recognition as the school’s sole nominee for the Princess Grace Award. He was also the recipient of the Malcolm Ross Memorial Film Production Award for his short film, How It Is. As the co-founder of Other|Side Pictures, a full-service production house in NYC, he produced and directed several award-winning features, including A New High, which profiles homeless mountain climbers in Washington and is currently being distributed by The Orchard. He’s passionate about continuing to foster awareness and empathy through the film.
Samuel Miron is a Los Angeles based director and cinematographer known for his adaptive aesthetic and passion for dramatic storytelling. While still at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Samuel co-founded Other|Side Pictures, a boutique, documentary production company with the goal of finding the “other side” of each story. Other|Side has featured content on subjects ranging from poverty, addiction, the Holocaust, environmental issues and nuclear disarmament. Other|Side’s feature documentary, A New High, premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival and is currently available on Netflix and VOD. Samuel has independently filmed documentary content in over a dozen countries and produced scripted and non-scripted content for PBS, SyFy Channel, and the Game Show Network. Samuel’s commercial clientele range from fashion labels such as Alexander Wang and Tommy Hilfiger to corporations such as Frito-Lay and Naked Juice.