LEFT RIGHT - A FILM ABOUT TURNING
A longform snowboard film reframing performance through the universal language of turning.
CONTEXT
Freestyle and freeride snowboard films often centre on spectacle — tricks, speed, terrain — creating a hierarchy of disciplines and ability levels.
At the same time, snowboarding’s most universal experience is turning — something shared across all styles and riders.
PROBLEM
How do you create a snowboard film that feels culturally unifying rather than performance-exclusive?
How do you move beyond “trick-focused” storytelling to something more emotionally resonant?
STRATEGY
Reframe snowboarding around its most fundamental common language: the turn.
Build a film that connects disciplines — freestyle, carving, freeride — through rhythm, motion and style rather than trick progression.
Prioritise tone, pacing and atmosphere over spectacle, allowing space for emotion and relatability.
The aim was not to showcase the best riding — but to re-centre the culture around something shared.
EXCECUTION
I directed a feature-length snowboard film blending multiple riding styles under a unified visual and editorial language.
Narrative pacing was structured around rhythm and flow rather than trick escalation.
The film was supported by press interviews, festival screenings and a European tour, extending its cultural reach beyond digital release.
OUTCOME
Selected for Banff Mountain Film Festival and Kendal Mountain Festival. Recipient of Best Action Sports Film (Winter Park Film Festival) and Best Editing (International Freeride Film Festival).
Generated widespread press coverage and industry interviews.
Demonstrated the appetite for more reflective, culturally grounded snowboard storytelling.
PRESS QUOTES
“Congratulations to Samuel McMahon and Nidecker for this wonderful movie. You have not only uncovered the magic of turning, but also explained the magic of snowboarding like no one has done before.”
“Stripping the sport back to basics, [Samuel McMahon] celebrates the one thing that all riders—from X Games stars to beginners—can appreciate.”