Mission Mt. Mangart showing at the Fox Theatre Walsenburg is presented by Code of the West Real Estate, with additional support provided by Trinidad State College, Meier Skis, Spanish Peaks Guesthouse, Mountain Merman Brewing Company, and Bachman & Associates Real Estate.

Proceeds raised from this screening of Mission Mt. Mangart go directly to Panadero Ski Corporation efforts to provide affordable, family-friendly skiing at Cuchara Mountain Park and the Chris Anthony Youth Project, providing educational experiential enrichment field trips for financially challenged youth. 

ABOUT THE FILM: Mission Mt. Mangart is written, directed, edited, and produced by documentary filmmaker and  Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame inductee, Chris Anthony, with score by composer Carlo Nicolau, the documentary takes you through the 10th Mountain Division’s trailblazing efforts as world-class athletes creating an indelible legacy equally matched by their legendary heroism during WWII. Screening of the film will be introduced by Chris Anthony.

 While many stories have been created about the 10th’s history, this documentary delves into those untold tales from a unique inside perspective by professional skier Chris Anthony who serendipitously stumbled upon the division’s exploits during his own skiing career. Taking six years to complete, the project truly began for Anthony the moment he was put on skis at 18 months old.

Anthony reveals the Mission Mt. Mangart timeline in reverse, from 2020 to 1939 with in-depth narration combining interviews with the original 10^th Mountain Division soldiers and their detailed adventures from 1939-1945. Focusing on several key developments and the characters involved, the history of the 10^th Mountain Division is brought back from the snowy depths of history to the big screen.

The film chronicles efforts of many characters including pioneers Deborah Bankart and Cruz Rios. Bankart’s involvement in the recruiting of the first wave of soldiers for the new experimental unit and her volunteer involvement on the front lines in Italy with the American Red Cross are brought to life by Olympic Gold Medalist and World Champion Coloradoan Mikaela Shiffrin. Rios, a motorman and one of 300 Mexican and Native Americans who served in this internationally diverse unit, is illustrated as new to the sport of skiing but learned to ski was part of training at Camp Hale, Colorado; later making the sport a lifelong passion for Cruz.

The story of the 10th Mountain Division is intertwined with that of Anthony and his six-year journey of discovery into this period of history. To complete this massive undertaking, Anthony received aid from the Slovenian Association of Mountain Soldiers, NATO, The Slovenian Mountain Troops, Slovenian Ministry of Defense, and United States Embassy in Slovenia as well as assistance from retired Slovenian Brigadier General, Janez Kavar – now a historian of mountain troops.

Mission Mt. Mangart was produced as educational programing under the umbrella of the Chris Anthony Youth Project whose mission is to build engaging educational tools, juxtaposing the innocence of the 10th’s ski race in the midst of wartime with the context of the international instability at the time. Much like his previous documentary effort in partnership with Warren Miller Entertainment and the Colorado Snowsports Museum, “Climb to Glory,” Anthony aims to keep alive the legacy and sacrifices made by American troops.