Full Moon: |ful-mun| – n.
A community of nomadic snowboarders who are living their dream, chasing powder. When these individuals come together, they encompass the full circle – the past, present and the future of women’s snowboarding.
“There is no present without the past and no future without the present.”

 
This is what appears during the opening of the newly released, two years in the making, Runaway Films snowboard motion picture “Full Moon,” directed by Leanne Pelosi.

 
With a runtime of approximately 45 minutes, “Full Moon” is everything it is intended to be as a full-on, 100 percent women’s snowboarding film.

 
This film is one of a few of its kind. In 2009, Mills Entertainment’s all-women snowboard film “Stance” was released, featuring professional women’s snowboarders like Gretchen Blieler, Jamie Anderson and Torah Bright.

 
Similar to “Stance,” “Full Moon” might make the stereotypical sayings “like a girl” or “for a girl” pop into some of its viewer’s heads. Others may say that some of the women in the film “snowboard like the men.”

 
The end result is that these women have pushed the boundaries of snowboarding and will continue to do so. Their snowboarding cannot and should not be compared to anyone else’s. They ride like themselves and will be remembered for doing just that.

 
The film features both current and former professional riders: Annie Boulanger, Hana Beaman, Leanne Pelosi, Robin Vangyn, Marie France-Roy, Helen Schettini, Jamie Anderson, Barrett Christy, Victoria and Tara Jealouse, Tina Basich, Morgan Lafonte, Kimmy Fasani, Elena Hight and Jess Kimura.

 
Primarily set in British Columbia, Canada, with stops at Mica Heli, Golden Alpine, Bella Coola, Whistler and Baldface, the film had no shortage of powder. There are also stops at Aostac Valley, Italy, as well as Hai Nes, Alaska.

 
The film included everything that you would typically see in a snowboard film: flips, steep powder lines, big airs, pillow lines, bails and slams, drops, avalanches and a lot of natural terrain shots.

 
“Full Moon” primarily focused on backcountry filming, ultimately leaving out some of the other main aspects of snowboarding. There seemed to be a lack of street and terrain-park filming, but this definitely did not take away from the film as a whole.

 
I feel that a snowboard film filled with a lot of backcountry shots, as opposed to a film with a lot of street or resort shots, is more effective. This is mainly because backcountry can easily be looked at as the purest form or riding. Riders are floating over 100 percent natural terrain and creating their personal lines.

 
One of the main themes spread throughout “Full Moon” was the importance of having role models. The women in the film all explained how they grew up watching former professional riders like Barrett Christy, Kimmy Fasani, Tara Dakides and Victoria Jealouse.

 
An aspect of women’s snowboarding that has always stuck out to me is the general friendliness and encouragement that female riders share, as opposed to a lot of male riders who tend to keep a, usually unnecessary, competitive state of mind when riding.

 
In the film, riders noted that there simply were not a lot of girls who snowboarded when they started riding, and that they would always approach each other with kindness and encouragement.

 
Nowadays, this role model attitude is a very reflective trait in any snowboard competition, whether between men or women. You are guaranteed to witness high-fives and hugs following riders’ runs in almost any competition. Sure, you will occasionally see a “bad egg” express their feelings of anger, but everyone involved in the professional snowboarding industry knows that being a good role model is something to strive for.

 
Moving into the overall filming of “Full Moon,” there were a lot of simple GoPro point of view shots that resulted in a lot of face shots. There were also a lot of helicopter shots for some of the longer runs.

 
I feel each shot did justice to both the rider and the terrain they were on. You could tell when someone is on a very steep section, as well as how much air or how deep into the snow they were getting and going.
As with any snowboard film, the soundtrack is always important. With appropriate tracks like Stereolab’s “French Disco,” Little Saturdays’ “Way Down Low,” and Youngblood’s “Easy Nothing,” the film was filled with upbeat songs to move with the films overall positive and encouraging feeling.

 
Following the film, there were a few slides placed in memory of some recently lost professional women skiers and riders. One of was in memory of Matilda Rapaaport, who died this past July following an avalanche in the Andes. Another was for Estelle Balet, who died following an avalanche in Switzerland this past April. The final dedication was for Sarah Burke, who died from traumatic brain injury caused by a super-pipe accident in 2012.

 
I would recommend this film to anyone who is looking to get even more excited for this upcoming winter season. “Full Moon” is filled with what I like to describe as “goose bump moments” that will definitely get viewers excited for this upcoming season.

 
For more information about “Full Moon,” you can check out the trailer on both iTunes and Vimeo. Purchase and rental options for the film are available on the iTunes store.