Telluride Mountainfilm Presents: “No Cameras Allowed”

22 Jan Telluride Mountainfilm Presents: “No Cameras Allowed”

Filmmaker and photographer James Marcus Haney will be in town for screening and workshop of “No Cameras Allowed.”

No ticket? No money? No problem. That’s the philosophy at the heart of “No Cameras Allowed,” the excellent music documentary by James Marcus Haney about sneaking into festivals, refusing to bend to establishment rules, and chasing your passions in the most unorthodox ways.

Next week, Telluride Mountainfilm brings Haney, an established music photographer who has toured with such bands as Mumford & Sons and Old Crow Medicine Show, to town for two nights of events.

Tuesday, January 26, Mountainfilm will present two screenings of “No Cameras Allowed” at 5:30 and 8 p.m. Wilkinson Public Library. Then on Wednesday, January 27, Haney will give a presentation on music photography at 6 p.m. at the WPL. All events are free and open to the public. Haney will also talk about photography with Telluride students in the school.  

The events are part of Mountainfilm Presents, a new initiative by the organization aimed at sharing best-loved festival films with the Telluride community year-round.

“’No Cameras Allowed’ isn’t a traditional Mountainfilm movie, but Marcus Haney certainly lives life on the edge,” said Mountainfilm Festival Director David Holbrooke. “His spirit and sensibility fit right in with Mountainfilm. We tried to get him here for the festival, but he couldn’t come because he was shooting one of the Mumfords’ weddings, so we’re thrilled he can finally come to Telluride to talk about his work.”

Haney directed and stars in “No Cameras Allowed,” which he made at the ripe age of 25. The film follows the musical escapades of the California native, who was a broke college student with a thirst for live music when he sneaked into his first festival in 2010, using cameras and a fake press pass to get into Coachella. When he ended up onstage with Muse, two things happened: 1. He started snapping pictures; and 2. He became hooked.

That was the start of a run of covert festival missions that, thanks to his skills behind a camera and in creating fraudulent passes, opened up a whole world of photography assignments and filmmaking for Haney. What unfolded were music-filled train rides across the West with his favorite bands, hitch-hiking adventures abroad, bull-running and, finally, the important realization that the best things in life should be shared with the ones you love.

Holbrooke noted that the film should play well with Telluride audiences of festival veterans because it features many of the bands that have played on the Town Park stage, such as Mumford & Sons and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. And while it’s not typical Mountainfilm fare, Holbrooke said, there are certainly parallels:

“Marcus has chosen a pretty untraditional path, and I think so many people at Mountainfilm have done the same.”

For a preview of “No Cameras Allowed,” watch the trailer:

About Mountainfilm:

Established in 1979, Mountainfilm is dedicated to educating, inspiring and motivating audiences about environments, cultures, issues and adventures. Working at the nexus of filmmaking and action, its flagship program is the legendary Telluride Mountainfilm festival, a one-of-a-kind combination of films, conversations and inspiration. Mountainfilm also reaches audiences year-round through its worldwide tour and Mountainfilm for Students, an educational outreach initiative for youth. Mountainfilm has the power to change lives. To learn more, visit www.mountainfilm.org. To join the conversation, please read Mountainfilm’s news and follow Mountainfilm on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+.