High Country Adventure Film and Speaker Series highlights women’s experiences in the great outdoors

BANNER ELK — Women in the outdoor adventure space is the focus of the next installment of the Lees-McRae High Country Adventure Film and Speaker Series, “No Man’s Land.”

At 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 18 the fifth part of the 2022−23 series highlighting unique outdoor adventure stories and perspectives will be held at the Outdoor Amphitheater on the college’s South Campus.

Since it was founded in 2015, the No Man’s Land Film Festival (NMLFF) has sought to redefine what it means to be a woman in sports and outdoor adventure and celebrate their participation in and contribution to the field. According to their website, through their films and programming NMLFF seeks to “create safe and inclusive platforms that further champion women, transgender, and gender-fluid communities with grit, hustle, determination, and boundless passion, investing them with the respect, support, and media recognition they deserve.”

As with many of the previous installments in the film and speaker series, “No Man’s Land” seeks to share often overlooked and underdiscussed perspectives in the fields of sport and outdoor recreation. Funds raised by this event will benefit the Lees-McRae Outdoor Recreation Management academic program and provide financial support for student expedition scholarships.

The event is open to the public and will be held outside, so participants are encouraged to bring camping chairs or blankets and cozy up around the fire pits that will be placed in the viewing area. Tickets for the screening are on sale now, and are $10 per person for community members, and $5 per person for children and Lees-McRae students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

Members of the college and local community are encouraged to come out and enjoy an evening celebrating film, adventure, and the great outdoors surrounded by the beautiful mountains of Southern Appalachia.