NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DIVES INTO THE MINDS OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST ADVENTURE ATHLETES IN NEW 10-PART SERIES "EDGE OF THE UNKNOWN WITH JIMMY CHIN"
The Latest Project From Oscar(R), BAFTA and Multiple Emmy(R) Award-Winning Directing Duo E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, Edge of the Unknown with Jimmy Chin Premieres on National Geographic July 2022
(WASHINGTON, D.C. - Feb. 7, 2022) For the world's top adventure athletes, the line between triumph and tragedy is razor thin. In the pivotal moments when life hangs in the balance, what drives the greatest to continue pushing to redefine what is humanly possible, to stare down fear and risk it all? From Academy Award(R)-winning executive producers E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, EDGE OF THE UNKNOWN WITH JIMMY CHIN is an epic 10-part series that takes audiences inside the minds of pioneering adventure athletes as they recount the most consequential moments of their lives on their journey to perfect the mastery of their craft.
Through intimate interviews and archival footage from the world's top big wave surfers, climbers, big mountain snowboarders, polar explorers and kayakers, EDGE OF THE UNKNOWN WITH JIMMY CHIN is an adrenaline ride that gives viewers a front-row seat to these adventures, uncovering how they adapt and evolve, even after being confronted by fear, devastating personal loss and Mother Nature at her harshest. Witness stories of bravery and perseverance, and how these top athletes prepare mentally, physically and emotionally for their high-stakes endeavors.
EDGE OF THE UNKNOWN WITH JIMMY CHIN premieres globally on National Geographic in July 2022.
"We're thrilled to be able to tell these incredible stories of endurance and transcendence, of men and women pushed to their psychological and physical limits as they battle to redefine what is possible," said Vasarhelyi and Chin. "Each episode reveals an epic and deeply emotional look at the most extreme environments in the world - and the lengths that these dedicated athletes will go to tackle them. We think viewers will be inspired by just how resilient humans can be."
Stories Include the Following:
· Travis Rice, a big-mountain freeride snowboarder, filmmaker and designer who survived a near-fatal avalanche while riding in the backcountry of Alaska.
· Sarah McNair Landry, a second-generation polar explorer who came face-to-face with death while attempting to be the first to cross the Northwest Passage in the brutal freezing winter.
· Ben Stookesberry and Chris Korbulic, kayakers who were pushed to their ultimate limits on a dangerous two-month expedition through Africa.
· Gerd Serrasolses, a kayaker who was knocked unconscious after falling down a 50-foot waterfall while filming in Chiapas, Mexico.
· Justine Dupont, a French big wave surfer who was on a mission to break gender barriers and push the sport forward for female athletes until a violent wipeout set her back.
· Jimmy Chin, who recounts his own story of how a class four avalanche transformed the way he approaches his work and life.
· Conrad Anker, a renowned mountaineer and professional climber who suffered a heart attack while at 20,000 feet on Lunag Ri, the tallest unclimbed peak in the Himalayas.
· Angel Collinson, a big mountain skier who survived an epic fall that sent her tumbling 1,000 feet down the side of a mountain in Alaska.
· Will Gadd, a legendary climber who would stop at nothing to accomplish his goal of being the first to climb Helmcken Falls, a 430-foot frozen waterfall in British Columbia.
· Alex Honnold, professional rock climber, who was pushed to his physical and mental limits while climbing the Atlas Mountains of Morocco with his close friend and world-class climber Tommy Caldwell.
For more information, visit our press room at www.natgeotvpressroom.com and follow @NGC_PR on Twitter.
EDGE OF THE UKNOWN WITH JIMMY CHIN is part of a diverse lineup of four unscripted projects from the acclaimed Vasarhelyi and Chin as a result of their first-look deal announced in 2019 following the success of Academy, BAFTA and multiple Emmy(R) Award-winning film, FREE SOLO. The dynamic unscripted slate directed by the pair and produced by their production company, Little Monster Films, includes two feature documentaries, THE RESCUE and TOMPKINS, along with EDGE OF THE UNKNOWN WITH JIMMY CHIN and a one-hour pilot titled PHOTOGRAPHER.
EDGE OF THE UNKNOWN WITH JIMMY CHIN is produced by Little Monster Films for National Geographic. For Little Monster, Pagan Harleman and Anna Barnes are executive producers. For National Geographic, Chris Kugelman is executive producer, and Matt Renner is vice president, Production. Alan Eyres is senior vice president, Production and Development.
###
About Little Monster Films
Founded by Academy Award winners E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, Little Monster Films is a full-service production company committed to telling character-driven stories underneath the backdrop of thrilling and otherworldly visuals. Working in both the unscripted and scripted arenas, their mission is to capture humanity at its best, aiming to reflect a diverse world both in front of and behind the camera, they strive to present grounded narratives with intensity and depth while showcasing the extraordinary among us and the power of what we can individually achieve.
About Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin are the co-directors and co-producers of the Academy Award- and BAFTA-winning film FREE SOLO from National Geographic Documentary Films. The film earned the highest per-screen average of any documentary during its opening weekend (Sept. 28, 2018) and took home seven Emmy Awards in 2019.
Vasarhelyi's films as a director include "Meru" (Oscars shortlist 2016, Sundance Audience Award 2015); "Incorruptible" (Truer Than Fiction Independent Spirit Award 2016); "Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love" (Oscilloscope 2009), which premiered at the Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals; "A Normal Life" (Tribeca Film Festival, Best Documentary 2003); and "Touba" (SXSW, Special Jury Prize Best Cinematography 2013).
Chin is a professional climber, skier, mountaineer, longtime member of The North Face Athlete Team and National Geographic Explorer. Consistently over the past 20 years, Chin has led or participated in cutting-edge climbing and ski mountaineering expeditions to all seven continents and made the first and only American ski descent from the summit of Mount Everest. He is also a filmmaker and National Geographic photographer. He has worked with many of the greatest explorers, adventurers and athletes of our time, documenting their exploits in the most challenging conditions and locations in the world. His 2015 documentary, "Meru," which was co-directed by Vasarhelyi, won the Audience Award at Sundance and was nominated for best documentary by the DGA and PGA. "Meru" was also shortlisted for an Oscar.
About National Geographic Partners LLC:
National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic's media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children's media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 133 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers ... and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.
|