Most cineastes don't get “stoked” about their favourite film. They don't describe it as concurrently “sweet” and “sick.” Nor do they consider their local bike shop a repository for new cinema. But they should, because one of this summer's most well-received films, by two Vancouver-area filmmakers, exists almost entirely outside cinema society and within the mountain-bike community. The film is Roam, the second mountain-biking movie shot partly on 16-millimetre film and released on DVD to bike stores by a group of adventure-sports filmmakers known as the Collective. Far more than another point-and-shoot video with a thrashing rock soundtrack, Roam and the Collective's first eponymous film in 2004 are doing what 1966's classic Endless Summer did for surf film — they are creating a more mature style in the sport's films, and also an array of physically daring camera techniques and new narrative devices. In short, by successfully tapping an alternative distribution channel and building enough buzz to create a must-see film for an entire subculture, these filmmakers are doing something the Canadian film sector should pay attention to. “We try to be aware of the fact that people want to see the cutting edge of the sport and the top-end riding,” says Vancouver filmmaker Jamie Houssian, 28, who co-directed and co-produced with creative partner Darcy Wittenburg, 29. “But the older demographic is in tune with more of a storyline, more character development and imagery that they can relate to a little bit more — less ‘wow' factor and more narrative to the film.” That's not to say Roam has a scripted plot (although Houssian says this can work sometimes, such as in the 1993 ski film Aspen Extreme starring Paul Gross). Roam simply features popular professional riders performing real stunts. The narrative is abstract and concerned with the riders and the experience of the ride. So while following cyclists blazing down tight, single-track trails in Whistler, jumping off cliffs in Morocco or performing elaborate balancing tricks on the sidewalks of Prague (executed in the latter case by Ryan Leech, who has also appeared with his bike with Cirque du Soleil), the directors had to be equally tricky with their camerawork to capture the flow along the street or trail. This often meant long tracking shots with cameramen, for instance, strapped into harnesses and soaring along 150-metre cables tied between two trees, in order to follow the rider through a stretch of backwoods wilderness. While it might not be quite on par with Orson Welles's legendary opening tracking shot in 1958's Touch of Evil, Roam is taking sports filmmaking in that direction. The aim is to achieve greater intimacy, taking the cue from the surf films by musician Jack Johnson, such as The September Sessions and Thicker Than Water. Johnson also appeared in the film Shelter, which “had a slightly more mellow vibe, where it's about the people a little bit more, about the feeling surfing gives you, as opposed to looking at how crazy and extreme these guys are,” Houssian says. “There is the fun, goofing-around side. But to be honest, when the cameras are rolling and things are firing, there are instances when guys' capabilities and futures are on the line. We are doing some serious stuff,” Houssian says. “When you're on the trail, it's not about a two-second jump here or a three-second corner there. It's about being in rhythm for a sustained period of time and finding that flow. For us, it's not like we are using cables just because we feel like setting up a cool shot. It's because we need to do this shot to show what's happening on that trail. And the best way to do that is to track that guy down the trail for as long as possible.” For months prior to the film's release earlier this biking season, the producers held one-off screenings across Canada, Europe and in Asia, with many bike shops contacting the filmmakers to stage promo events. Roam was made with a budget in the six figures, although Houssian declines to give specifics, partly because of the companies that covered costs. Sponsors such as Adidas and Specialized bicycles don't share in the revenue, but instead treat it as a marketing expense. All the sponsors' products are shown in the film. But because all have a legitimate connection to the mountain-biking scene, Houssian says he's unaware of the film receiving any criticism for relying on their funding. In the end, it may even mean bringing an audience beyond hard-core biking enthusiasts to the genre. “Our films are not about heavy-metal [music] for 45 minutes, guys giving the middle finger and guys showing off their tattoos. It's not what our films are about. Those [other] films have an audience. People who make those do them very well ... I want to make a film that as many people as possible can enjoy.”