Mountainfilm on Tour festival brings stories of adventure to Santa Cruz

SANTA CRUZ — Whether it is running or biking trails, skate parks or surfing in the ocean, it is no surprise that Santa Cruz County is a hotbed for physical activities in the outdoors. It is also no wonder that a film festival featuring these and other action sports would return to Santa Cruz every year. Mountainfilm on Tour — a touring festival featuring adventure-based documentaries curated from the Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, Colorado — will return to the Rio Theatre Nov. 14 with stories of mountain biking, climbing, marathon running and more. And that is not all. Students will get to see these movies for $10, with proceeds going toward Second Harvest Food Bank. Since 1999, Mountainfilm on Tour has brought the daring and inspiring stories of rugged adventure from its parent festival to communities throughout the world. For the past decade, that has included Santa Cruz, where it has been screened at the Rio Theatre every year since 2016, except the COVID-19 cancellation years