SANDPOINT — In August 2023, Sandpoint celebrated when Kaniksu Land Trust officials took the stage at the Sledfest fundraiser and announced they had received enough money to buy and protect a historic sled hill west of town. 

In the months since, KLT finalized the purchase, developed trails on the property, and after waiting for snow to coat the 48-acre parcel, reopened the area to sledders in January 2024.

The next step? To recognize and celebrate the cultural and historical significance of the property and conservation effort with “The Sled Hill,” a short movie by local filmmaker Tanner French and KLT, debuting 6 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Panida Theater. 

“No matter where you're from, everybody has a hometown,” Marcy Timblin, KLT communications director, said. “Everybody has a community, and every community has a history. Even if this isn't yours, you can't help but fall in love with the story.” 

The film recaps KLT’s grassroots effort to preserve the property after discovering it was slated to go on the market in 2021 after decades as publicly available space. Additionally, it spotlights the land’s heritage as a community ski hill in the 1940s before Schweitzer’s 1963 opening, and its subsequent transition to a sled hill beloved by locals.

KLT was inspired to develop the movie by a desire to capture the stories of that heritage: “We wanted this to have life and be something that people could watch, and it would be relevant forever,” Timblin said. 

Stamping the story in film, she added, was critical for conveying residents’ personal connections to the sled hill. 

“There are some stories that just really lend themselves to a visual story,” Timblin said. “We know that video reaches the heart so much more than words or even pictures.” 

KLT originally enlisted French in summer 2024 to edit and assemble footage shot by locals Scott Rulander and Jason Welker in the previous year. French saw an opportunity to expand the scope of the project, and with KLT’s blessing, conducted and filmed a series of interviews that told the sled hill’s story. 

French, a longtime Sandpoint resident, bought a camera and first ventured into filmmaking 14 months ago; “The Sled Hill” is his second major project after a short film released in June 2024 spotlighting local 82-year-old marathon runner Carol Wright. 

After decades as a film enthusiast, French was inspired to create movies of his own after watching the adventure documentaries “The Deepest Breath” and “The River Runner” during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

French developed his skills by watching YouTube videos and reading the instruction manual of his editing software, focusing on attacking the many challenges of solo filmmaking one step at a time. 

“I just slowly, each day, learned something,” he said. 

As the sled hill project was wrapping up, French recalled feeling the sense of doubt that haunts creatives as they finalize their works. 

“I watch certain parts of it as I edit, and I'm like, ‘Is this good?’” he said. “It's so tough for me because I've seen it so many times.” 

The capstone was placed when French made one last visit to the property in early February to collect a final shot of locals using the sled hill. 

“I felt relieved finally, and it was kind of bittersweet,” he said. 

French integrated the footage and watched the movie from start to finish for the first time. After seeing it all together, he determined it was something he could be proud of. 

“I felt that was the first time that I had told myself that,” he said. 

When he set out to make movies, French said he intended “to tell stories that are worth telling.” 

For "The Sled Hill,” French said he hoped the film would spread and preserve the memories of those who have enjoyed the area throughout its history and those who worked to protect it into the future. 

“I'm looking forward to sharing their stories and just being a small part of such a massive moment for so many people, for so many years,” he said.