LOSING THE ELEPHANTS

1. Welcome to Lek Chailert's Elephant Nature Park, where rescued animals come carrying physical injury and psychological pain. At the refuge, they're allowed to again be elephants -- to socialize, raise families and develop friendships. These Asian Elephants (of which 35,000 are left on earth, half in captivity) often live for seven decades; they recognize themselves in a mirror; relationships are important to them; and, of course, they don't forget. As elephant caretaker Olivia Daniel says, "They are like people, but nicer." But what happens to one of the planet's largest and most intelligent mammals as Asia's population explodes and the animal's habitat is destroyed? There's only so much room at Lek Chailert's.

--Mary Duffy

SHIKASHIKA

2. I like the term "snow cone" well enough, but it's not nearly as cool or fun or as perfect as its Peruvian translation "shikashika." Compared to what we get at a summer ball game or the country fair, shikashika is distinguished not by its name alone. The snow in this cone is for real. And it's not just any snow that makes a shikashika; it's pure glacial ice from a volcanic mountain. This sweet and simple film offers a cool glimpse of a sweet tradition from a land where culture has not yet been crippled by expectations of constant convenience.

--Peter Kenworthy

SPRAY

3. Spray is a portrait of a young climber and his relationship with the rugged, dramatic coast of Northern California. Chris Lindner is 23 years old, a super-strong climber who has spent his lifetime on rock. Where he finds solace is on the coast, where the great Pacific crashes into land, where the air is thick with sea-spray and the energy of movement, where being exposed to something so huge makes his small problems dissolve. This short film follows Chris as he explores the coast, climbing difficult boulders with amazing fluidity and strength, before finding his holy grail: a tall and incredibly steep prow-shaped rock that juts out over the ocean. And with the waves crashing far below and the gulls soaring overhead, Chris takes on one of the most dynamic and challenging projects he's ever done.

--Katie Klingsporn

VIA BEARZI

4. Via Bearzi portrays the simple essence of two-man alpine climbing. In 2002, Michael Bearzi began filming his attempt of a first ascent up a new route on Gyachung Kang. When he didn't return from Tibet, friends Jeff Alzner and Brook Kirklin embarked upon what became a more-than-five-year project to complete his film. The result is an endearing tribute to pure mountaineering.

--Emily Long

PLAY GRAVITY

5. No matter how many adrenaline films you've seen, you'll be astonished by the antics of these athletes. Headliners Ueli Kestenholz and Mathias Roten--both of Thun, Switzerland--execute breathtaking paragliding acrobatics, freeride awesome lines in Alaska and learn to speedride (ski with a parachute). Mathias--an incredible paraglider, kitesurfer, skydiver and freerider--sadly perished recently while testing a new wing. Play Gravity ("We don't fight gravity; we play with it.") stands as homage to a dangerous and stunningly exciting life.

--Emily Long