Father, husband, cancer patient – all of these identities describe two men with a dream to climb the Grand Teton despite their diagnoses. A 97-year-old puts my work ethic to shame as he runs the road race up Mount Washington. Two partners grapple with mountain biking, running a restaurant, and being a lesbian couple in Fruita, CO. Every year 5Point Adventure Film Festival showcases stories like these and more, bringing passion and adventure to the big screen at its flagship festival in Carbondale, Colorado.

5Point was founded in 2007 around five guiding principles: respect, commitment, humility, purpose, and balance. These principles are meant to shape the festival itself and the films its programmers select.

I’ve written about adventure films I love before, including one that makes another appearance on the list below. As with any group of festival films I’ve seen, not all of the 5Point films were winners for me. Some had incredible cinematography but were lacking in engaging storytelling (I’ve found this to be a common thread in the adventure film scene, actually).

Below, I’ve listed the films I thought were winners, no matter the outcome of the festival’s awards.

Note: I only attended Friday and Saturday of the 4-day festival, so I don’t have any insight on Thursday’s and Sunday’s films. I did hear that Sunday’s feature film about a blind man who attempts to kayak the Grand Canyon, The Weight of Water, was fantastic.

1. 8000+

My favorite of the festival in the “absolutely unbelievable accomplishment” category that I made up. French paraglider Antoine Girard sets off to explore the Karakorum mountains in Pakistan, hoping to fly above 8,000 meters and filming it all on his GoPro. I felt right there with Girard as he soared over snowy mountains and encountered armed Pakistanis on his adventure. If you can’t catch the film on tour, you can also watch it on Amazon Prime Video.

2. The Climb

Two friends, one in better shape than the other, bike up a rough hill in this one-take short. Unassumingly funny, I thought this was the sleeper hit of the festival.

3. For The Love Of Mary

I’ve seen this film several times now at various film festivals, and I have yet to tire at it. I also have yet to not cry hearing the protagonist, 97-year-old George Etzweiler, talk about his love for his wife. Give this one a watch and cheer George on as he takes on the Mount Washington Road Race – you won’t regret it.

4. Into The Canyon

National Geographic photographer and director Pete McBride cares about conservation. This film successfully shares that passion with the world, as it turns out even a National Park as widely beloved as the Grand Canyon is still under threat from development. Watch this one for a balanced, personal portrayal of what’s at stake if we compromise on the unique offerings of our parks as Pete and his friend Kevin Fedarko hike the length of the entire canyon.

5. Life of Pie

Two hilarious ladies. One pizza shop. Outrageous outfits, some badass mountain biking, and several low-key funny employees at said pizza shop round out this outstanding film from the people at Patagonia.

6. Mountain in the Hallway

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I’d included one of these films on a previous list of adventure films I recommend. Mountain in the Hallway is that film, and after my second viewing, it’s still too good to leave out. One of the film’s subjects, Brian McDonnell, was at the 5Point screening and received a standing ovation from the audience when he walked up on stage.

Mountain in the Hallway centers around two men who are diagnosed with colorectal cancer. They’ve never met before, but are introduced through mutual friends and strike up a text-based friendship that allows them the comfort of someone who knows exactly what the other one is going through – and eventually leads them both to try to climb the Grand Teton.

You will cry at this film. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

7. The Movement

5Point was this film’s world premiere, and it’s also set to make an appearance at Telluride’s 2019 Mountainfilm festival. Driven by music and powerful interviews, The Movement celebrates runners outside the typical (white, male) mold, from crews in London and Tokyo to female ultrarunning friends.

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There you have it, folks – my favorites from this year’s 5Point flagship festival. Let me know if I left any out, and I’m always looking for more – hit me up with your own opinions on the best-of-the-best adventure films.