The Chasers of Tornado Alley: Touching the Sky (Director's Cut)
"The Chasers of Tornado Alley: Touching the Sky" is a story about the American storm chaser. Where, how and why they pursue some of nature's most powerful forces are all answered in this documentary film by veteran storm chaser Martin Lisius. We see the destruction caused by storms, but also the beauty they reveal. And, we learn about the efforts chasers are making to save lives.
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Martin LisiusDirectorThe Chasers of Tornado Alley (1996)
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Martin LisiusWriterThe Chasers of Tornado Alley (1996)
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Kim GeorgeProducer
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Marisa Lynae HamptonKey Cast"Mother Nature"Into the Spotlight (2023)
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Project Type:Documentary
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Genres:Science, Nature, Adventure, Climate
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Runtime:48 minutes
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Completion Date:July 15, 2024
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Production Budget:15,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:4K
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Aspect Ratio:17:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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RAW Science Film FestivalNew York
United States
October 5, 2024
New York City
Official Selection - Jury Award -
Húsavík Explorers FestivalHúsavík
Iceland
November 9, 2024
Iceland
Official Selection -
Los Angeles Cinematography AwardsLos Angeles
United States
September 9, 2024
Los Angeles
Winner - Best Documentary Cinematography
Martin Lisius is a Texas-based filmmaker and veteran storm chaser. As a cinematographer, he has contributed to productions for BBC - including the "Planet Earth" series, National Geographic, NBCUniversal, Netflix and Warner Bros. He has appeared on "Oprah," CNN, The Weather Channel, and CBS Evening News, collaborated on "Twisters" (2024), and worked as a technical advisor on "Twister" (1996).
I was inspired to make this film after giving a career day presentation about storm chasing to school children who wanted to know everything about the topic. My goal for the film was to portray storm chasers as accurately as possible. My goal was to show audiences what a typical chase day is like, what chasers are doing to help their communities, and to see and understand the incredible beauty of the storms they pursue. We spent 7-years with a crew of 2 to 3 people, and traveled thousands of miles across Tornado Alley to gather the images necessary to tell our story.