JACKSON, Wyo. – The Jackson Hole International Film Festival (JHIFF) will present The Last First: Winter K2, from Apple Original Films and acclaimed documentary filmmaker Amir Bar-Lev, during a special summer event on Thursday, July 30, at the National Museum of Wildlife Art at 6:30 p.m.
The “Night on K2” evening brings together film, mountaineering culture, and conversation through a screening of Bar-Lev’s latest documentary, followed by a moderated discussion and audience Q&A with the director. The conversation will be led by JHIFF Artistic Director David Nugent, who also serves as the Hamptons International Film Festival’s Chief Creative Officer. Following the discussion, guests are invited to continue the evening at a post-screening reception.
Directed by Bar-Lev, whose credits include The Tillman Story, Long Strange Trip, and Happy Valley, The Last First: Winter K2 examines the increasingly commercialized and complex world of high-altitude mountaineering through the story of climbers attempting one of alpinism’s final frontiers: summiting K2 in winter. The film explores ambition, survival, class, money, and power against the backdrop of one of the most dangerous places on Earth.
“The Last First: Winter K2 explores the complicated relationship between ambition, achievement, and consequence. Those themes feel particularly relevant in a community like Jackson, where people are drawn to challenge, risk-taking, and adventure. One of JHIFF’s core purposes is to present films that ask difficult questions and provide a forum where the audience can engage with those questions together,” says JHIFF’s Executive Director Sam Pope.
Though best known for its annual winter festival, JHIFF also presents select screenings and filmmaker events throughout the year when films align with the landscape, season, and audiences that make Jackson a destination for cultural experiences. “A Night on K2” brings an internationally recognized film to Jackson at a moment when place becomes part of the experience.
