Champions of the Golden Valley

Original Title
Champions of the Golden Valley
Year of Production
2024
Country of Origin
Afghanistan, Germany, United States
Director
Ben Sturgulewski
Duration
1 hour 21 mins

After narrowly missing his chance to become Afghanistan's first Olympic skier, Alishah Farhang returns to the remote mountains of his homeland to inspire a vibrant new ski culture. Bringing together young athletes from rival villages with makeshift wooden skis and secondhand gear, he organizes a ski race like no other, uniting his community in a rare moment of hope and triumph. When their world is suddenly upended, he and the athletes must call upon those lessons learned on the slopes to find their way forward.  Revealing a stunning unseen side of Afghanistan, the film is a captivating and uplifting story about how champions can be made by more than Olympic medals.  Since its Tribeca premiere, the film has garnered more than twenty Jury Prizes and Audience Awards on the North American festival circuit, including Jury Prize for Best Documentary at SCAD Savannah Film Festival and Overall Audience Award at Heartland Film Festival. Ideally the film would be released by December 2025 to coincide with the XXV Olympic Winter Games (Milano-Cortina) in February 2026.