March 6 — Climbing provocateur Dean Potter will present Saturday’s closing event, Stone Night, with a world premier of the most dynamic vertical exploration on the planet. Mr. Potter is widely regarded as one of America’s wildest rock climbers, and his efforts to link up, in a day, El Capitan, Half Dome and Mt. Watkins in Yosemite Valley in a free climbing push are characteristically revolutionary. From unprotected slacklining thousands of feet above the ground to solo first ascents of Patagonia’s most challenging routes to BASE jumping–barely–some of the deepest caves on the planet, Mr. Potter has been electrifying the outdoor community for more than a decade.
“Having Dean close our Festival with a world premier is perfect; he’s remarkably intriguing and his films are as frightening as his feats,” said Beckwith. “But it also rounds out our Festival. Just one of our featured presenters is strong enough to make the Festival, but having all three, each of them wildly successful at their respective sports, is truly inspiring.”