Phil Hessler
Utah-based filmmaker Phil Hessler took his obsession with skateboarding and snowboarding and turned it into a career. From short edits, he made the leap at just 19 years old to his first feature film, Far From Home (2014), about his adopted brother and his quest to become the first African to snowboard in the Olympics. Hessler then produced and directed a series that followed six athletes from countries without snow to the 2018 Winter Olympics — a theme he further explores in his recent short film A Conversation (Mountainfilm 2021). Hessler has also produced content for REI, Red Bull, Bridgestone, VICE and Ford. He enjoys exploring fringe cultures through film and presenting stories in ways that challenge stereotypes.