VARIABLE
VARIABLE chronicles the 10 year journey of two brothers as they attempt to backcountry ski the Adirondack 46ers - a rugged collection of 46 mountains rising to 4,000ft and higher - in a quest to become the first to ski all 81 of the classic high peaks of the Catskill and Adirondack Mountains. The duo face an uphill battle skiing to the summits, navigating through complex terrain of ice, rock, thick trees, and a seesaw of harsh and unpredictable winter conditions.
Physical injury in the mountains, a midnight rescue across thin lake ice, and the tragic loss of a spouse, all test the brothers’ commitment. In a landscape where climate change now has the final say on what form winter takes, the two find themselves racing against the clock, and a disappearing snowpack, to finish skiing the last peaks before the decade-long goal melts beneath their skis.
Mountain Gazette called their accomplishment “a New York skiing achievement like no other.”
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Jamie KennardDirector
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Jamie KennardProducer
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Jamie KennardKey Cast
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Doug KennardKey Cast
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David GoodmanKey Cast
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Caitlin KellyKey Cast
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Ron KonowitzKey Cast
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Laurie RankinKey Cast
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Andrew WeibrechtKey Cast
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Charlie WiseKey Cast
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Project Type:Documentary, Short
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Genres:Adventure, Sports, Outdoors
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Runtime:27 minutes 39 seconds
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Country of Origin:United States, United States
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Country of Filming:United States, United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
Jamie Kennard purchased a camera in 2022 after losing his wife, and partner of 31 years, to cancer (having spent the prior two years as her full-time caregiver). He immediately began a self-taught journey into filmmaking. A month later he made his first vignette film ‘The Ski Guy’. He followed up with vignettes ‘The Needle Felter’ (2022) and ‘The Ciderist’ (2023).
In 2023 he completed his 500th consecutive “5k a day”, a self-imposed challenge to counterbalance a period of personal loss and grief, following three simple rules: 1. Move outdoors every day (on foot, bike, or skis). 2. Five kilometers (and up to 100+ miles). 3. Rain or shine, no excuses.
He lives in Woodstock, NY, in the heart of the Catskill Mountains.