Wyoming PBS’s documentary “A Life Outside: American Mountain Guides” earned the “Best Feature Film” award at the Lookout Wild Film Festival in Chattanooga, Tenn. The honor marks a major milestone for the production and underscores its growing impact on audiences within the outdoor and film communities.
Wyoming PBS CEO Joanna Kail, and filmmakers Mat and Beth Hames of Alpheus Media, were in attendance to receive the award on Jan. 15.
“‘This documentary reflects the kind of storytelling Wyoming PBS is committed to—stories rooted in place, history, and lived experience,” says Kail. “We’re proud to see this Wyoming story resonate so strongly with festival audiences and juries beyond our state.”
“A Life Outside” weaves the story of modern mountain guides in Wyoming with the remarkable life of legendary mountaineer Paul Petzoldt, founder of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and Exum Mountain Guides, North America’s oldest guiding service.
“Seeing audiences connect with Paul Petzoldt’s legacy and the spirit of these beloved Wyoming Institutions—NOLS, Exum, Jackson Hole Mountain Guides—in film festivals around the country, has been deeply gratifying,” says Mat Hames. “It reminds us that these values travel, and that this story belongs to everyone who has ever learned something from the mountains.”
The film had its World Premiere at AlpinFilm in Jackson on Jan. 17. In addition to these two festivals, the documentary has been selected to screen at the Sedona International Film Festival, Durango Independent Film Festival, and Santiago Mountain Film in Patagonia, Chile, with more announcements expected in the coming year. 
“A Life Outside” is funded in part by the Wyoming Public Television Production Endowment, Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, Wyoming Humanities, and Wyoming Community Foundation.
Wyoming PBS is a non-profit public broadcasting organization serving the state of Wyoming. With a commitment to educating, informing, and inspiring, Wyoming PBS produces and broadcasts high-quality programming that addresses the unique needs and interests of the Wyoming community.