Grit and Thistle Film Company

26/03/2024

Join us in supporting Veterans Expeditions. It will be a fun night.

Join us for an entertaining night of fly fishing short films, local food, local beer, and the best raffle / silent auction possible.

13/11/2023

Last week we screened our circus film at the 46th annual Denver Film Festival to two sold out shows. Thanks to the The Denver Gazette for recognizing our work - "One of the most gravity- (and expectation-) defying films of the fest was the locally made short documentary “Come One Come All: A Circus With a Purpose,” which introduces audiences to – who would have thought? – an all-inclusive “social circus” in Salida, three hours south of Denver in Chaffee County. Here, life under the big tent is more than juggling knives, clowns and walking the tightrope – it's about changing lives.

“Our circus has been a way to act as a magnet, to bring people together, show them something joyful and fun – and then, that connects people heart-to-heart and human-to-human,” said founder Jennifer Dempsey. “If you take a heavy subject and you clown it, then suddenly everybody relates to it.”

30/10/2023

3 of 7. My friend Derek Storjohann on mountain biking, 2 tours with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan, and now connecting with other military vets through Veterans Expeditions. "We can still push the limits, get that adrenaline that we got in the military, but now it's our choice, our freedom."

If you're a vet that wants to get involved, or would like to support military veterans in the outdoors, please check out Veterans Expeditions.

Thanks to project sponsors Osprey Packs, San Juan Hut Systems, Meadow Mountain Homes.

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This is "VetEx - Derek Storjohann - SJH Bike" by Grit & Thistle Film Company on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

27/10/2023

Film 2 of 7 highlighting Veterans Expeditions and bikepacking along the San Juan Hut Systems route. The ride this day was on 9/11 to honor and recognize both the civilian and military lives lost due to that tragic event and all that followed. Most of the mountain bikers on this trip were post-9/11 vets so it had a direct and lasting effect on their lives.

Thanks to project sponsors: Osprey Packs, San Juan Hut Systems, Meadow Mountain Homes.

This is "VetEx - Biking to Remember Lives Lost on 9/11" by Grit & Thistle Film Company on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who…

26/10/2023

Last year we had the pleasure of following 4 military veterans with Veterans Expeditions as they mountain biked the San Juan Hut Systems route from Durango, Colorado to Moab, Utah. What an incredible route! After chasing the riders over multiple mountain ranges, 200+ miles of trail and road, tree line to red rock desert, we made 7 short films to tell the story of the ride and the work Veterans Expeditions is doing to help vets. Please check out their organization and get involved. Here is the first short film with VetEx founder Nick Watson.

Thanks to editor Summer Simpson, 2nd camera Sean McGinley and sponsors Osprey Packs, San Juan Hut Systems and Meadow Mountain Homes.

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This is "VetEx - Nick Watson - San Juan Huts Bike Trip" by Grit & Thistle Film Company on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who…

25/10/2023

Join us at the Denver Film Festival on 11/8 and 11/9 for a big screen screening of our film on the Salida Circus - Come One Come All, A Circus With a Purpose. Q&A with circus founder Jennifer Dempsey after the shows.

https://denverfilmfestival.eventive.org/films/6511e15aa9097900a1a3a072

Run away to the social circus in Salida, Colorado and experience how life under the big tent is more than juggling knives, clowns, and walking the tightrope - it's about changing lives.

21/09/2023

Here is a fun piece we made for GREEN EDGE DESIGN about three of their eco housing designs. Based in Salida, Colorado.

https://vimeo.com/762058242

This is "GREEN EDGE DESIGN COMPANY OVERVIEW" by Grit & Thistle Film Company on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

20/09/2023

Come One Come All tells the story of a small mountain town circus that is juggling knives and changing lives. The Salida Circus calls itself "a circus with…

20/09/2023

Happy to announce that our film on The Salida Circus - Come One Come All - A Circus With A Purpose - will be screening at the fantastic Denver Film Festival on November 8 and 9. Hope to see you there for the Q&A afterwards with founder Jennifer Dempsey.

Come One Come All tells the story of a small mountain town circus that is juggling knives and changing lives. The Salida Circus calls itself "a circus with…

08/09/2023

If you happen to be wandering around the beautiful city of Roverto, Italy on October 8, you can watch our film Durango 550 - Path of the Ancestral Puebloans at the RAM film festival Rovereto Archeologia Memorie. It's an honor to be included in such a fantastic line up of archaeology films from all around this planet. Looks like a fantastic part of Italy to visit as well.

Alpine Archaeological Consultants, Inc. Colorado Department of Transportation Hopi Cultural Center Southern Ute Indian Tribe Applied Archaeology International

Durango 550 - Path of the Ancestral Puebloans tells the story of the archaeology behind the reroute and extension of US Highway 550 near Durango, Colorado. It also…

07/09/2023

Our film on The Salida Circus is now available nationwide through PBS and the NETA - National Educational Telecommunications Association. Contact your regional PBS affiliates and ask them to schedule it for your area. Thanks!

Come One Come All tells the story of a small mountain town circus that is juggling knives and changing lives. The Salida Circus calls itself "a circus with…

09/06/2023

Excited to be nominated for two Emmy Awards for projects we screened on TV in 2022 - Durango 550: Path of the Ancestral Puebloans and Colorado Experience: Twin Lakes. These are through the Heartland Chapter of the The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

The first about a fascinating archaeology project in the Durango, Colorado area with editor Summer Simpson, the Colorado Department of Transportation and Alpine Archaeological Consultants, Inc.. The second with Truce Media and Julie Speer Jackson. Both aired on Rocky Mountain PBS and both in partnership with ancestral descendants of the native peoples on these lands - Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Laguna Pueblo, Hopi Cultural Preservation, Ute Tribe in the Uintah Basin and others.

06/06/2023

Great follow up to our project with Veterans Expeditions last year - more fly fishing in the marshlands and waters south of New Orleans, Louisiana.

14/03/2023

You Can see Come One Come All - A Circus With A Purpose over the next month online with the 2023 Circus International Film Festival. Plus, a whole slew of other circus films from around the world.

06/03/2023

Thank you Durango Independent Film Festival for a great weekend and two full house screenings of Come One Come All - A Circus With a Purpose. Also coming to you through the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival, the Circus International Film Festival, and others. It's fun that film festivals are back in the fray.

The Salida Circus

04/02/2023

Coming up in just a month, the Monte Vista Crane Festival when thousands of Sandhill Cranes migrate through the San Luis Valley of Colorado. Here is a sneak peak of a film we shot part of for Moxiecran Media - the film will premiere during the festival. We love being part of these conservation projects.

02/02/2023

Tonight on Rocky Mountain PBS, 7:30pm, our new circus film - Come One Come All - A Circus With A Purpose. The film tells the story of The Salida Circus and how kids (and adults) learn circus arts in this small mountain town and take their skills out to perform all over the world. We hope you can watch it. Please share.

22/01/2023

Come One Come All, our film about The Salida Circus, is now available online for a limited time on the Rocky Mountain PBS website - scroll down on the homepage until you see it. It will air again on RMPBS February 2 at 7:30pm. Check it out here and please share. Also, coming to film festivals near you soon.

We work to strengthen and uplift Colorado communities by sharing your stories.

29/12/2022

To all of you who have been waiting for the airing of the new The Salida Circus film, Rocky Mountain PBS has delayed airing the film once again. They seem to be having significant internal technical issues that we can do nothing about. As soon as the reschedule the show, I will put it on here asap. Huge apologies.

28/12/2022

Tomorrow night - Thursday, 7:30pm MST on Rocky Mountain PBS, the first TV screening of Come One Come All, our new documentary on The Salida Circus. Hope you love it!

Come One Come All tells the story of a small mountain town circus that is juggling knives and changing lives. The Salida Circus calls itself "a circus with…

17/12/2022

Salida Circus, Friends and Family - the broadcast premiere of our new documentary Come One Come All - The Salida Circus, has unfortunately been delayed and will not be showing this Sunday on Rocky Mountain PBS. Due to to internal RMPBS error, they have bumped back the show date. The new premiere date is now Thursday, December 29th at 7:30pm MST.

For night owls, there is another screening a few hours later - 12:30AM, Friday December 30. Hopefully we'll get another date or two in 2023 as well.

Big apologies and we hope you'll think it is worth the wait.

Come One Come All tells the story of a small mountain town circus that is juggling knives and changing lives. The Salida Circus calls itself "a circus with…

11/11/2022

NoLa is our entry point back into fly fishing. Look for more trips and clinics in exotic places in the future as we grow our fishing program. But for now, enjoy…

11/11/2022

Happy Veterans Day. A few months ago we had the chance to work with Veterans Expeditions filming one of their first fly fishing programs in the gulf south of New Orleans, Louisiana. What an amazing place and an impressive group of vets - including one who had piloted the space shuttle several times. They're running this trip again this year, so please reach out if you're a vet that would like to get involved or if you're someone who would like to sponsor this organization.

NoLa is our entry point back into fly fishing. Look for more trips and clinics in exotic places in the future as we grow our fishing program. But for now, enjoy…

04/11/2022

If you've never been to the Monte Vista Crane Festival, you should! The cranes are beautiful, almost timeless. Here is a trailer for a film we shot with Christi Bode Skeie and Moxiecran Media. Can't wait to see the full film.