This difficult decision was based on the ever-changing conditions around in-person indoor gatherings while COVID-19 conditions are changing, and communities are still at risk. While the organization’s jewel in the crown event is delayed, 5Point will continue to focus on growing its educational programming and filmmaker development.

“Our team has continued to work diligently and with passion to bring an in-person film festival program to Carbondale in a way that reflects our spirit and brings our community together in one auditorium celebrating adventure and the essence of 5Point. Our decision-making process to postpone reflects the guiding principles of this organization, and while this is humbling, we need to put the 5Point and wider Carbondale community’s health and safety as our priority,” said Regna Jones, executive director of 5Point Film.

In the last 18 months, 5Point Film has found itself evolving the delivery of storytelling and community building by pivoting away from just one annual in-person large scale flagship festival, to instead grow educational resources that now include the 5Point Dream Project, 5Point VOICES Youth Film Project, a free 5Point Student Reel which also includes a film curriculum for educators to implement in schools. Filmmaker development resources have also grown since 2020 and now include the 5Point Film Fund which provides financial support for film projects, the Emerging Filmmaker Pitch Event, sponsored by Stio, along with filmmaker professional development opportunities such as paid filmmaker teaching and mentoring projects. In place of the April 2020 flagship festival, 5Point produced a free online three-day film event for a global audience during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, 5Point Unlocked, which was then followed by Together Under One Sky, a four-night virtual festival October 2020; 5Point On The Road increased its reach and modified to become a virtual film event, and the 5Point Earth Day Pop-Up became the first-ever drive-in movie event in Carbondale in April 2021, and was also available in a virtual format to global audiences.

“In this ever-shifting landscape, the 5Point team has shown courage, resilience, and creativity to continue to fulfill our mission and purpose which is to inspire people to live lives of adventure according to our five core principles — Purpose, Respect, Commitment, Humility, and Balance. We are proud of our focus to continually show up for our community in this way and find new ways to bring the 5Point style of adventure storytelling through our education and filmmaker development resources. 5Point has become bigger than just one festival event, and we are proud of the impact and reach of our nonprofit organization,” said Jones.

Future announcements will be coming around programming and community collaborations when dates and format are confirmed for rescheduling the Festival for April 2022.

Special thanks to 5Point Film sponsors and partners: 

Stio, Garfield County, YETI, NRS, FastG8, Tincup, Alchemy Concert Systems, The Post Independent and The Aspen Times, OnX, Alpine Bank, Coldwell Banker Mason Morse, ValleyOrtho, Backbone Media, The Town of Carbondale, Amore Realty, Obermeyer Wood, Wheeler Arts Grants, VOICES, Rowdy Mermaid, True Nature Healing Arts, CORE,  2757 design & build co, Colorado Office of Film Television & Media, Colorado Mountain College, Wilderness Medicine App, Tim’s Naturals, and Steve’s Guitars.