An inspiring underdog story of hope, unity, and triumph as Afghan villagers embrace skiing to find joy and resilience in the face of adversity.
In the remote mountains of Afghanistan, a newfound passion for skiing attracts young athletes from rival villages to the slopes. With minimal gear and makeshift wooden skis, the determined coach Alishah Farhang, organizes a ski race like no other that unites the community in a moment of joy and triumph just before the country’s collapse.
Champions of the Golden Valley captures the spirit of a classic underdog sports story with the heartfelt portrait of a community finding hope amid disrupted dreams. Revealing a stunning unseen side of Afghanistan, it is an uplifting exploration of what it means to be a champion – in all its forms.
Champions of the Golden Valley has won 10 awards in the last 6 weeks: Jury Prize for Best Documentary at SCAD Savannah Film Festival (IndieWire article here), Overall Audience Award at Heartland — selected out of 120+ narrative and documentary films, including many Oscar contenders, Audience Choice for Feature Doc at Austin Film Festival, and Grand Prize and Audience Choice at Banff Mountain Film! In September, Crested Butte Film Festival awarded us Best Documentary and Audience Choice; Wasatch Mountain with Best Feature and Grand Prize; and Port Townsend with a Jury Award for Cinematography.
“THE ULTIMATE UNDERDOG STORY!” – Variety Magazine