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Shades of Winter BETWEEN

Shades of Winter’s BETWEEN, a Red Bull Media House co-production, is the latest film by Austrian pro
skier and filmmaker Sandra Lahnsteiner who keeps redefining women in action sports movies since her
first release in 2010.
Between earth and sky, ocean and snow, old friends and new, between the day-to-day challenges and the
once-in-a-lifetime thrills of travelling to some of the most exotic and challenging slopes in the world and then
mastering them, not missing the moments between. The new UHD 4K action sports feature film with a
documentary aspect, not only follows the crème de la crème of female skiing including Olympic gold
medallist and alpine skier Julia Mancuso and many more on compelling journeys and to thrilling
destinations; it also features three-time world surf champion Carissa Moore. For Between, the long-term
duo Sandra Lahnsteiner and director of photography Mathias Bergmann teamed up with German film
editor Thomas Kohler known for the documentary “Cerro Torre” (2013).

  • Sandra Lahnsteiner
    Director
  • Sandra Lahnsteiner
    Producer
  • Janina Kuzma, NZL
    Key Cast
  • Sandra Lahnsteiner, AUT
    Key Cast
  • Julia Mancuso, USA
    Key Cast
  • Carissa Moore, HAW
    Key Cast
  • Evelina Nilsson, SWE
    Key Cast
  • Matilda Rapaport, SWE
    Key Cast
  • Nadine Wallner, AUT
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 23 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    October 2, 2016
  • Country of Origin:
    Austria
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • High Five Festival
    Annecy
    France
    October 2, 2016
  • World Premiere Event
    Munich
    Germany
    October 7, 2016
    WORLD PREMIERE EVENT
Distribution Information
  • Shades of Winter
    Country: Worldwide
Director Biography - Sandra Lahnsteiner

Everything Sandra Lahnsteiner does in life has one thing in common – her passion for skiing. Sandra was born and raised in the Austrian Salzkammergut on October 17, 1980 and started skiing at the age of 2 ½.
After ski racing, becoming a skiing instructor, studying sports science and coaching at the University of Salzburg, her devotion for skiing brought her into professional freeskiing.
The multi-talented autodidact has been engaged in producing all-female films ever since 2010 and with Shades of Winter provides a platform for women in action sports where she also shares her experience as a mental coach on an athletic as well as business level. Sandra Lahnsteiner is currently one of the most experienced female athletes when it comes to big mountain skiing and filming; she lives in Kuchl, near Salzburg, surrounded by her beloved mountains.

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Director Statement

I feel fortunate that I grew up skiing because basically everything in my life is based and built on it. My ever-growing love for nature and the mountains and my passion for skiing are the basic ingredients for who I am today. Being both a skier and a filmmaker really fills my heart with joy.

It has taught me so much about myself and what I’m capable of over the past few years. Even the mistakes and bad memories all along the way help me to appreciate what I have now. Skiing with friends, sharing the same enthusiasm for a perfect shot with the crew, the excitement that grabs us when we are editing and all of a sudden everything makes sense or this awesome feeling when the film finally gets aired on the big screen – these are the best parts, I guess.

With Shades of Winter (2013) and Pure (2014) we proved that girls really rip. BETWEEN definitely won’t prove the opposite but goes beyond all this great sport action. I wanted to make a film that gives the audience the chance to really see the athletes, find out who they really are and how they feel about life and their sport. Showing all the moments BETWEEN the big action, the beautiful ones and also the down moments.

Making BETWEEN was - hands-down - the biggest challenge of my life so far. No university degree, no big mountain line has ever challenged me as hard for many reasons.
To name a few:
THE LOSS OF OUR BELOVED FRIEND MATILDA. LOSING A FRIEND IS A DISASTROUS TRAGEDY, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU’VE WORKED TOGETHER SO CLOSELY FOR SO MANY YEARS. MATILDA WAS A TRUE FRIEND.

ACHIEVING THE SIMPLE GOAL OF PRODUCING A FULL-LENGTH FEATURE FILM WITH ALL ITS FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL CHALLENGES AND CONSEQUENCES.

PULLING THROUGH A TWO-YEAR PROJECT, DEFENDING AND PROTECTING THE PRODUCTION AND ALWAYS ORGANIZING LOGISTICS IS QUITE DEMANDING.

BETWEEN will deliver some of the greatest freeskiing and surfing performance. At the same time, it tells an inspiring story and hopefully connects very closely with the audience.

The BETWEEN production wouldn’t have been possible without my fantastic DOP and friend Mathias Bergmann, not without the girls, who constantly performed at their best, and not without Thomas Kohler, who I spent weeks with editing. And of course my thanks go to the sponsors and the co-production partner Red Bull Media House.