Official web site of award-winning filmmaker Steve A. Hall. Showcasing hiking and travel films of the Arctic, South Pacific, Death Valley, and beautiful wilderness areas around the world. Subscribe to Steve's YouTube Channel for all the latest full-length films, trailers, and short films.
Getting his start by filming YouTube travel and hiking videos, Steve A. Hall expanded into creating full-length documentaries which became official selections at film festivals worldwide. He has currently won 10 awards for his first two feature documentary films "Last Chance Solo: A Death Valley Adventure" (2021) and "Baffin Island: An Arctic Adventure" (2022).
Baffin Island: An Arctic Adventure was Winner of Best Documentary Feature at the New York International Film Awards, Winner of Best Documentary Feature Film at the Five Continents International Film Festival, Winner of Best Indie Filmmaker at the Festigious International Film Festival, Winner of Best Song (Award of Prestige) for "Snowy Owl" at the Vegas Movie Awards, Winner of Honorable Mention: Documentary Feature at the Los Angeles Film Awards, and Winner of Honorable Mention at the Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival.
Last Chance Solo: A Death Valley Adventure was Winner of Best Indie Feature Award of Merit (Vegas Movie Awards), Silver Award for Documentary Film (Virgin Spring Cinefest), Award Winner (SoCal Film Awards), Honorable Mention (2nd highest award given - Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival) and an Official Selection at Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival.
Winner of Best Indie Feature at the Vegas Movie Awards
Winner of Best Indie Filmmaker at the Festigious International Film Festival
"Baffin Island: An Arctic Adventure" full film
"Baffin Island: An Arctic Adventure" was filmed in Auyuittuq National Park (Nunavut, Canada) from August 19-29, 2021 while hiking Akshayuk Pass from Overlord West to June Valley. This is Steve's second feature-length hiking film. (The full film is available here, but is better viewed on a large-screen TV using the YouTube app.)
“If you don’t like freezing cold weather and fierce blowing winds, then Baffin Island and the Arctic are not for you.” These words by explorer Steve Hall accurately describe the harsh climate awaiting most hikers who come to Baffin Island, even in the summer. After 3 years of planning, Steve takes viewers along with him while backpacking through Akshayuk Pass in Auyuittuq National Park, located in Nunavut, Canada. Spectacular scenery is seen while passing by mountains, lakes, glaciers, rivers, and waterfalls. This includes Mount Thor, which has the greatest vertical drop of any mountain in the world. And Mount Asgard, which has a unique cylindrical shape with a flat top. But seeing these sights in person and hiking in the Arctic presents great challenges to deal with such as enduring the weather, crossing raging rivers, climbing unstable moraines, and dealing with morale-draining wet bogs. As he takes on these challenges, Steve becomes the first person in nearly 2 years to backpack to Mount Thor, while hiking from Overlord West to June Valley. Filmed and released in 4K HD.
Steve's film "Baffin Island: An Arctic Adventure" made front page news in the Sonoma Index-Tribune October 19, 2021 issue. In the article, Steve is interviewed and shares some behind-the-scenes details about filming his award-winning documentary in the Canadian Arctic. You can read the full article at the included link. An excerpt is included below:
Sonoma resident Steve Hall’s guide was failing mentally and physically in the final stretch of Auyuittuq National Park, and a helicopter was coming to airlift him to safety. That left Hall with a choice: Carry on through swampy bogs into the northernmost area where polar bears roam in the wild, or leave his journey unfinished and return home safely to his family.
It’s one of the final moments of Hall’s film “Baffin Island: An Arctic Adventure,” which was just awarded “Best Documentary Feature” at the New York International Film Awards, following his journey through the Nunavut territory of Canada.
Festigious International Film Festival in Los Angeles interviewed Steve about his film "Baffin Island: An Arctic Adventure" and asked about some of the unique challenges of hiking and filming in the Arctic. Steve also takes a brief look back at how he got involved in filming adventure hikes and travel videos. You can read the full interview at the included link. An excerpt is included below:
Steve, congratulations on this incredible documentary. It's one of the most original pieces we've ever seen here at Festigious! This film is a true love letter to Auyuittuq National Park, the lakes, the rivers, and the wildlife. Before we chat about the film, we would like to hear a little bit more about your own story. Between Death Valley, the South Pacific, and the Arctic, you've definitely traveled the world quite a bit. How did you become interested in visual storytelling?
I think that visiting such unique places in the world made me want to be able to share the beauty of what I was seeing with others. (continued...)
"Last Chance Solo: A Death Valley Adventure" full film
Thanks to numerous important discoveries made and a web site showcasing his Death Valley hikes (now offline), Steve became one of the most well-known Death Valley hikers in the world. He completed over 200 Death Valley hikes from 2007-2020. In his feature film debut, Steve captures the essence of exploring and adventure hiking in Death Valley National Park. (The full film is available here, but is better viewed on a large-screen TV using the YouTube app.)
"Nothing comes easy in Death Valley". Explorer Steve Hall experiences this firsthand as he embarks on an epic solo adventure into an undocumented area of the Last Chance Range in between Corridor Canyon and Dry Mountain. This remote region contains challenging desert terrain and a lack of available water. As Steve backpacks into the range, he passes through beautiful canyons that have never been filmed before and across high mountain ridges with sweeping views. While attempting to summit his 50th Death Valley peak, a major obstacle is encountered which threatens to end his journey in failure. An award-winning documentary featuring Death Valley sunrises, sunsets, starry nights, and special guests from Death Valley NPS. Filmed and released in 4K HD. Featuring original music written by Lowell Hall: "Sunrise", "Stars", "Camp Setup", and "Time Warp". With additional music officially licensed to Steve Hall.
The videos below are a few of Steve's favorite short films to interesting destinations. Many more short films and travel videos can be found on his official YouTube channel. Please subscribe and stay tuned for future content.
The Trans-Catalina Trail is a 38.5 mile hike crossing most of the island with abundant wildflowers, spectacular vistas, and campsites at beautiful beaches. Wildlife which can be spotted includes bison, foxes, pelicans, dolphins, snakes, and lots of birds. The biggest challenge on the route is dealing with continuous climbs of steep elevation. The weather can also be an obstacle, varying between wind, cold, rain, and heat. Our hiking dates were February 21-26, 2022.
The Lost Coast Trail is regarded as one of the best long-distance coastal hikes in the United States. The (northern) hiking route passes through 24.6 miles of spectacular beaches, bluffs, and flats along the ocean from Mattole to Shelter Cove. Wildlife abounds with seals, sea lions, deer, and bears. But the high tide impassable zones create a formidable obstacle during planning and hiking. Hiking dates were May 7, May 21-24, and June 5-6, 2021.
Steve and friends take a 5-day 47-mile backpacking trip in Yosemite from Hetch Hetchy to Tuolumne Meadows from June 27-July 1, 2020. Camping spots along the way included Rancheria Falls, Pleasant Valley, Pate Valley, and Waterwheel Falls.
Steve and Josh backpacking the Arctic Circle Trail in Greenland in July of 2018 over the course of 9 days while covering nearly 100 miles.
Steve and Josh backpacking the Laugavegur Trail & Fimmvorduhals Trail in Iceland in July of 2017 over the course of 5 days while covering nearly 50 miles.