Thirty years ago, a group of climbers and friends cut the ribbon on Mountainfilm in Telluride. Largely the plan of Telluride locals Bill Kees and Lito Tejada-Flores, the notion was inspired by Tejada-Flores’ trip to a film festival in Trento, Italy, to screen his newly minted Fitzroy and Kees’ idea that Telluride’s historic Sheridan Opera House would make an ideal setting for an American version of a mountain-related film festival. Throw in the available climbing and skiing, enough good beer, the best of the era’s 16mm films, and an idea got rolling. Add neighbor Royal Robbins, the American Alpine Club’s Bob Craig, and you could darn well print a letterhead.