A SHOWREEL FOR OUR TIMES

We woke up on January 1, 2018 and figured it was time to put together a new reel for our company. When we looked back at 2017 it felt like there was a national pervasive negativity that we needed to shake. And so as we filtered through our footage we kept a keen eye open for all the good advice that we had been given from our subjects. One of the best things about our work is the process of interviewing people who have been through tough experiences and have communicated to us the valuable lessons they have learned. It was with this that we turned to the open canvas of 2018.

DP: Dominic Gill (mostly)
Editor: Dominic Gill
Music: Kan Wakan; Still Feather

Planetwalker

In 1971 John Francis, known the world over as ‘Planetwalker’, witnessed an oil tanker collision in the San Francisco Bay. The sight of oiled birds on the shoreline caused him to give up motorized transport and rely solely on his own two feet. Months after that he took a vow of silence convinced that listening rather than adding fuel to any fire was the way ahead. He didn’t talk, but he kept on walking clear across the country and back again. During the next seventeen silent years he listened, studied the world around him, and learnt to play his only constant companion, his banjo The American Princess. Over many miles his idea of environmentalism changed. At the core of his emerging belief were the people he met, talked to, and broke bread with.

At 78 years old, John both talks and rides in cars. Now he memorably recounts much of his interior journey, his thoughts, and desires as he intuitively crafted a unique life focused on environmental activism. The film focuses on the period of John's life from the oil spill through his meandering 20-year journey across the states where he resumes speaking to work on oil spill legislation with the US Coast Guard. During this time, it seemed like the whole world, every creed and color, saw John pass by and interacted with him if only fleetingly. By tracking some of these characters down, we explore the weblike and sometimes deeply personal consequences of John’s decades of pilgrimage.

Planetwalker premiered at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in 2024, where it won an Artistic Vision award. It won the Audience Award at Mountainfilm, and Best Documentary Short at the Nevada City Film Festival. It is currently on the festival circuit, with expected digital distribution later in 2024.

Tasked with producing two radically different videos for vehicle outfitter Storyteller Overland, we decided to look no further than our own backyard for visual inspiration. The resulting videos—one celebrating the “men that don’t fit in” and the other unveiling Storyteller’s new HILT vehicle—are an ode to the desert landscapes of northern Nevada and the silver peaks of the adjacent Sierra. Both videos showcase the Encompass ethos of intimacy, adventure, and the occasional desert dance party!

Director: Dominic Gill

Our Children’s River

In 2022, Encompass Films partnered with the Honnold Foundation to produce a film about the Kofan indigenous community in the Ecuadorian rainforest. This community, after bearing the brunt of the effects of colonization for the last several hundred years, is now threatened by large energy companies that aim to extract resources from their territory.

The Honnold Foundation is partnered with the Ceibo Alliance, an organization of 4 indigenous nationalities, including the Kofan. Together, they have worked to distribute solar energy within tribal territories, providing tribes with increased autonomy. In this film, we meet several members of the Kofan community of Sinangoe and learn about their efforts to guard their territory and document encroachment on their ancestral land.

This project is in post-production.

Director: Dominic Gill

The Gondola Gallery

In 2023 Vail Resorts launched The Gondola Gallery project, calling for artists to create works that will eventually be wrapped around gondola cars at Vail resorts. Encompass partnered with Vail to film these artists as they begin their creative process while enjoying some skiing along the way. The artists selected for this project so far include Lamont Joseph White and Jim Harris.

Lamont Joseph White’s mission is to help catapult black faces into the ‘mainstream’ of the outdoors. Through his paintings he not only celebrates these people and reminds us who they are, he also challenges the public by going deeper, putting notable historic black changemakers in ski goggles. It’s challenging the viewer, it's also pretty damn cool. Lamont is working on a painting that will be eventually be wrapped around quicksilver gondola car #1 in Park City, UT.

Jim Harris suffered a spinal cord injury in 2014 after years of working as a wilderness guide and ski photographer. Since his injury, he has focused on woodblock printmaking while also making a remarkable recovery. Today, he is back out on the slopes and continues to explore the wilderness. Jim is currently working on a print that will be wrapped around the adaptive gondola car at Stowe, VT.

This project is ongoing.

Director: Dominic Gill Producer: Nadia Gill

Billets and Blooms

Climate Neutral, a net zero certification mark, was formed by individuals within two brands that shared a common belief - that being accountable for carbon should be the new normal for responsible business. Through research they discovered that most ongoing initiatives fought over modestly effective offsets and costly and time consuming reduction techniques, none of which were pragmatic and aggressive enough for pushing the marketplace towards net zero. This film dives into the world of Climate Neutral, and its simple mission of turning climate aspirations into action by giving companies a clear roadmap, a simple set of tools, and an incentive to eliminate their carbon - right now. We trace its inspirational origin story and current trajectory and the barriers it has uncovered that have prevented or dissuaded both brands and consumers from chasing net zero.

Director: Dominic Gill

Producer: Nadia Gill

Art of Grind

Since the 1800s bicycles have been a powerful liberating tool, starting with the first faltering pedal strokes of a child daring to venture a little further from home. Yet, somewhere in our cultural trajectory, as we are fed content to divide and categorize us as better or worse than our neighbors, many of us have forgotten the power of this simple machine to build community. Art of Grind celebrates the "Run what you brung" adage, and reminds us that, however we choose to engage with the ever changing world of cycling, there is more that brings us together than sets us apart.

Director: Dominic Gill Producer: Nadia Gill Drone Operator: Johnny Beavers

Legacy in the Making

A 5-part docuseries that distills the strategies and thinking that outstanding companies have used to distinguish themselves and leave a lasting impact. In this series, we examine Taylor Guitars, Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, The Bluebird Cafe, Lo & Sons, and Me & The Bees. Each company provides a distinct roadmap for success that revolves around community, stewardship, and durability. Legacy in the Making was made in collaboration with Team One Agency and the Los Angeles Times. The companies profiled in this series demonstrate that modern legacy is fluid--and forged continually in the present.

Director: Dominic Gill Producer: Nadia Gill

2020 was a big year, though not for filmmaking. With Covid, the presidential election, and a massive push towards racial equality we got to finally produce a story that we’d be seeking to highlight for the last two years. Thanks to Black Diamond Soul Deep takes the time to show how the face of climbing is changing. We head to Memphis to catch up with local climbing gym Memphis Rocks and some of its local climbers to share what climbing means in Memphis.

Director: Dominic Gill Producer: James Mills Associate Producer: Malik Martin

Photo Credit: Thumbnail Malik Martin, Others Andrew Lenz

Last Call For The Bayou
5 Stories from Louisiana’s Disappearing Delta

Louisiana's delta supports a robust commercial fishing industry, fertile oil fields, millions of migrating waterfowl, and at the heart of it all the mighty Mississippi -- a navigation channel that allows the passage of goods worldwide. The erosion of Louisiana's wetlands is one of the greatest environmental threats the US faces today. This 5-part series chronicles the lives of individuals as they experience the loss of the Bayou. Through them, we learn what the Bayou really is, and what it means to the people who live there as they come face-to-face with the uncertain future survival of their home.

Director: Dominic Gill
Producer: Nadia Gill

PROFILE ON NOAH MAZE for YOGA MAZE

Noah Maze's approach to yoga is both pragmatic and philosophical, which is what sets him apart in a crowded space and has led to his enormous following. Creating a video which captured his point of view about committment, practice, and adventure required a long period of listening and questioning before we even began to roll tape. But through this process we got to the heart of what Noah's brand of yoga is about and we became fans a long the way.

Producer: Nadia Gill
Director: Dominic Gill
DP: Dominic Gill
Lighting: Forrest Penny-Brown
Music: Acousic Labs

CLIMBING OUT OF DISASTER for Black Diamond Equipment

Activism Through Adventure Award — Adventure Film Festival
2018

Best Short Film Award — Wild & Scenic Film Festival 2019

A short branded piece for Black Diamond Equipment that checks in with a group of local Puerto Rican climbers after their experience in the 2017 Category 5 hurricane, Maria. This short film was distributed digitally pulling in over 100,000 views on Facebook within the first three days of pushing it out online.

Director: Dominic Gill
Producer: Nadia Gill
DP: Dominic Gill
Music: Acoustic Labs
Final Track: Jailbird, Tiffany Lee

The Linesman is a 30-minute documentary about one man’s mission to end human-elephant conflict in his homeland. With an unprecedented view of the plight of threatened villagers and their massive, majestic foes -- the Asian Elephant -- we come to truly understand both sides of this deadly struggle. Set in the rural landscape of Myanmar, The Linesman illustrates how decades of massive deforestation, the loss of critical habitat, and the increase in elephant poaching for ivory and skin, have driven elephants to desperate measures to survive. In the search for food and safety, they invade nearby villages destroying essential crops and posing a lethal risk to villagers. To protect their livelihoods and their loved ones, some villages have resorted to calling in brutal poachers to stop the elephants. The destruction on both sides has created devastating results that demand a search for solutions.

Director: Dominic Gill
Producer: Nadia Gill Editor: Matthew Sultan Field Producer: Nick Thurston. Local Producer & Assistant Camera: John Grylls Original Score: Cody Westheimer
www.theelephantproject.net

The Cure-All
for Red Bull Media House

One of Red Bull’s more story-oriented pieces, this 7-minute road trip follows chef, restaurateur, and avid cyclist Justin Severino and his band of quirky buddies. Severino proves once-and-for-all that there is no need for compromise when it comes to biking tours and fine dining.

Director: Dominic Gill
Producer: Nadia Gill
Music: The Wanton Bishops
Graphics: Jennifer Kennedy
Brand Producer: Michael Crocco
Still Photographs: Andrew Kornylak

Feature Doc: COMING TO MY SENSES

Hiscox Courage Audience Award — Austin Film Festival 2017

Best Action Sports Film — Mammoth Film Festival 2018

Best Documentary Feature — Red Rock Film Festival 2017

Coming To My Senses is our first feature length documentary, 100% self-produced. It premiered at Austin Film Festival in 2017, where it won the Hiscox Courage Audience Award. It was acquired for distribution by The Orchard, and is now available to stream on Netflix.

The film is about former motocross athlete Aaron Baker's 14 year recovery from a near fatal accident which rendered him a complete quadriplegic. It asks important questions about agency, motivation, and how our medical system is failing the disabled and chronically ill by not providing resources for them to reclaim mobility which is truly possible.

For more information about this film please visit www.tomysenses.com

Watch on Netflix!
www.netflix.com/title/81009818

Director: Dominic Gill
Producer: Nadia Gill
Executive Producer: Julian Cautherley
Editor: Nick Andert
Composer: Cody Westheimer
Graphics: Jennifer Kennedy

WATERCYCLE for BLACKBURN DESIGNS

1 in a series of 4 short films created on behalf of bike accessory brand Blackburn Designs. This film, about the art of bikefishing, follows cyclist Brian Ohlen down the Pacific Coast as he marries his passions of fly fishing and bikepacking.

To see more films from Encompass on behalf of Blackburn Designs please visit go to the Client page

Producer: Robin Sansom
Director: Dominic Gill
Editor: Dominic Gill
Illustrator: Chris McNally
Music: Acoustic Labs
Still Photography: Brian Vernor

BRAND VIDEO for TIMBUK2

Timbuk2 makes great bags for city dwellers but somewhere in their growth they had lost touch with their origin story and wanted to firmly plant their brand back in the bike world. They started off with this brand video which clearly identified their values and commitment to manufacturing in the city of San Francisco. After that, they commissioned 5 Brand Ambassador videos about artists, mechanics, innovators, and democratizers that we told throughout 2017 and 2018. To see more about those videos please visit the client page.

Director: Dominic Gill
Producer: Nadia Gill
Brand Producer: Azul Couzens
Editor: Adam Tiller
Still Photos: Brian Vernor

GREAT FALLS W/ RAFA ORTIZ for RED BULL

Red Bull had some big dreams for this project. Until they had decided to film Rafa's descent, the only people that had been on the center flake of the river were those in kayaks running the falls themselves. In order to get a film crew into position and on to the flake, it took whole extra team of rafters and paddlers who could ferry upstream. With all of their might they succeeded to get 8 crew members and their gear into various positions, only to spend the entire day filming in the rain.

Director: Dominic Gill
Cameras: Rod Hassler, Adam Nawrot, Matt Sloan
Producer: Nadia Gill
Brand Producers: Luke House, Michael Crocco, Jenner Richards
Edit: Dominic Gill
Still Photography: Greg Mionski

ABOVE THE ALLEY, BENEATH THE SKY for BLACK DIAMOND EQUIPMENT

Best Nature & Mountain Culture Film — Bilbao Mendi Film Festival 2016

In 2012 we went down to Rio to create an independent short film about kids from Rio De Jainero's most notorious favella who were learning to climb in their backyard. 4 years later, client Black Diamond sent down their most accomplished athletes to elevate the program and inspire the kids to keep climbing. What came out of it was this short film.

Director: Dominic Gill
Local Producer: Andrew Lenz
Brand Producer: Tyler Wilcott
Camera: Seblen Montanavi
Music: Acoustic Labs

TAKE A SEAT

Dominic cut his filmmaking teeth on this project. He acquired tandem bike and flew to the tippity top of Alaska alone, where he quickly realized his plan of finding strangers to ride on the back of his seat was going to be near impossible in an underpopulated area with hundreds of miles between towns. But he stuck with it and by the time he reached White Horse he had a few lucky (or unlucky?) companions take up his spare seat. When he reached the bottom of Argentina he had cycled over 20,000 miles with 270 new friends and run an additional 300 just to set up shots. Too bad neither the GoPro or the drone was yet invented when he undertook this journey in 2006-2008.

Out of that came an award-winning one hour film and then two-seasons of a television series in the US.

This video is a highlight real from the various journeys under the banner of Take A Seat and a few photos from these adventures as well.

To see more about these projects please visit www.takeaseat.org or email us through the contact form to request a copy of the original film.

Director: Dominic Gill
Producers: Ed Stobart, David Michaels, Nadia Gill
Cameras: Dominic Gill, Bashir Wagih, Dan Krauss, Alonso Soto
Editors: Dominic Gill, Ryan Thiel
Music Courtesy of ITV4

A FINE LINE

This short film won film agency Mofilm's competition for a digital Reebok story that helped visually conceptualize the idea of focus through sport. It features slackliner David Kingston at one of his favorite haunts near Crestline, CA.

Director: Dominic Gill
Cameras: Dominic Gill, Dan Krauss
Producer: Nadia Gill
Still Photography: Dan Krauss

RIDERS OF DESTINY

Riders of Destiny is Encompass Films second feature length documentary, which is currently in the works. It is co-produced in partnership with German production house 7T1 Media, with which we have worked as their North American production partner for programs airing on German public television sports network ZDF.

Riders of Destiny follow several child jockeys from the remote Indonesian Island of Sumbawa as they go through a season of racing horses. Child horse racing is a cultural pastime which is largely undertaken by an improverished class of rural families who's economic actions are severely limited. The film touches on aspects of class, education, child welfare and income inequality.

Director: Michael Nierman
Director of Photography: Dominic Gill
Still Photography: Romi Perbawa
Producer: Ansgar Pohle
Associate Producer: Nadia Gill

FEEL THE BURN

Best Running Film — Sheffield Adventure Film Festival 2017

As longtime burners Dom and I had wanted for years to create some sort of film about Burning Man, it's just too visually rich not to be attracted to it as filmmakers. The opportunity came in 2016 when we received a commission through Outside Television to make a 10-minute film covering the Burning Man Ultra Marathon. Ultramarathon you say! Yes, in the middle of the dust, wind, searing heat, and hedonistic temptation that surrounds it over 200 people decide to run a 50K race. Clothing optional!

The film also toured the adventure film circuit playing at 5 Point Film Festival, DC Adventure Fest, Breckenridge Film Festival, Vancouver Mountain Film Festival, and many more. Winning Best Running Film at SHAFF film festival in the UK.

Director: Dominic Gill
Cameras: Dominic Gill, Bridget Savage Cole
Editing: Dominic Gill
Graphics: Adam Tiller
Producer: Nadia Gill
Outside TV Producer: Brian Emerson

ROLL WITH IT

A short documentary with Blackburn Design, Roll With It follows a group of unlikely traveling companions on a biking and overnight camping trip. The catch: they must fit all they can carry on their bikes. Each with a different skill level when it comes to cycling, they work together to uncover the joys of bike travel. Learn more about the film on the official movie site.

Director: Dominic Gill
Producer: Nadia Gill
Brand Producer: Robin Sansom
Illustrations: Chris McNally
Still Photos: Brian Vernor

PROFILE ON RICH ROLL for OUTSIDE TELEVISION “DISPATCHES”

Rich Roll is the epitome of endurance and lifestyle change. When a near-heart attack made him look closer at his life, he changed everything from exercise regiment to his diet. Now he is vegan, and went from struggling to climb a flight of stairs to competing in Ultraman World Championships as well as other high-endurance competitions. This story, an installment for Outside TV’s Dispatches series, takes a run alongside Rich and looks at motivation and its ultimate benefits.

Producer: Nadia Gill
Director: Dominic Gill

Fall Swoops
for Red Bull

Red Bull Air Force swoopers Mike Swanson and Jeff Provenzano soar over the changing fall foliage of Vermont’s Jay Peak. Mike and Jeff find themselves surrounded by the beauty of a New England autumn, staying young and adventurous in the process. This was another collaboration with Red Bull, and one which was as challenging as it was rewarding. Who knew the Jay Cloud, a weather phenomenon of its own right, would try to keep us down. With some willpower and a slight change of scenery, however, nothing could keep our swoopers out of the air.

Director: Dominic Gill
Producer: Nadia Gill
Brand Producer: Luke House
Cameras: Dominic Gill, Adam Nawrot, Nick Savander
Drone: Johnny Beavers
Editor: Dominic Gill
Still Photography: Julie A Hotz

Future Makers: Dave Ortiz
for TIMBUK2, San Francisco

One of the Timbuk2 Ambassador series that focuses on individuals combining love of city, love of bike, and love of craft. This episode follows 1990’s DQM brand icon Dave Ortiz and his perspective on trying new things.

Director: Dominic Gill
Producer: Nadia Gill
For the Brand: Azul Couzens

KEHU BUTLER: A SALTWATER LEGACY

Kehu Butler Jr. comes from a generation of New Zealand surfers. At 15 years old, Kehu was a child prodigy, surfing from an early age. Now he is mastering his craft, armed with a love of the sea and an impressive collection of trophies. As one of the We travelled to New Zealand to tell a story of surfing, training, career, and family pride.

Producer: Nadia Gill
Director: Dominic Gill