By Paul Salfen, Christine Thompson for AMFM Magazine South by Southwest • Austin, TX – March 2026
Paul Salfen sat down with the creative forces behind The Ascent—the standout documentary that had just world-premiered at SXSW 2026. Directors Edward Drake and Scott Veltri (joined by third director Francis Cronin, who couldn’t be there in person) and their remarkable subject, bilateral-amputee climber Mandy Horvath, opened up about the film’s five-year journey, the raw trust it demanded, and the life-changing climb that became both literal and metaphorical.
The Story That Defies Gravity “The Ascent” is the inspiring true story of Colorado Springs bilateral-amputee climber Mandy Horvath’s record-breaking attempt to crawl to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro on her hands. At 21, Mandy lost both of her legs under mysterious circumstances—an event that shattered her trust in the world around her. As she pushes her body to its limits on Africa’s tallest mountain, Mandy must reckon with the unanswered questions of her past and learn to trust again in order to succeed.
The film, produced by Edward Drake and Scott Veltri with executive producers including TIME Studios, Loren Hammonds, Kyle Hentschel, Francis Cronin, Yvette Zhuang, Jasleen Kaur, and Ali Samadi, weaves true-crime intrigue, extreme-sports grit, and deeply personal transformation into one unforgettable narrative.
“It Blossomed Into Something Else Entirely” Paul kicked things off by noting how the movie has “a little bit of everything”—true crime, sports, inspiration—and how exciting it felt to finally share it with the world. Mandy agreed the road had been long. “It took a long time for me to open up to the filmmakers,” she admitted, “but they took care in telling the story.”
Drake and Veltri described how the project revealed itself over five years. “We thought it was one thing,” Drake recalled, “and then Scott came on and it went to a whole new level of depth.” The structure mirrors the climb itself: every time the story returns to the mountain, audiences are rooting for Mandy even harder as new layers of her past unfold. “New discoveries came very, very late,” Veltri added. “It’s linear in the same sense of the way the mountain was—getting to that much harder, tougher terrain at the end.”
For Mandy, the defining moment wasn’t in the edit bay—it was standing (or rather, crawling) at the actual summit. “For me, it was really getting to the top of the mountain,” she said with a laugh. “That was the moment that I was like, okay, we did this, and I can trust these people. And it blossomed into something else entirely through that experience.”
The “Almost There” Mindset and Hail Mary Moments When Paul asked about the mental fuel that kept everyone going during filming and the climb, Mandy lit up. “Ed asked me at one point during filming, ‘Why do you keep saying almost there?’” she remembered. “It’s how I keep going. I’m almost there.”
Drake echoed the sentiment. “Mandy’s resilience made everything else pale in comparison,” he said. “Any frustration on set, we’d just look at what Mandy was doing and think, ‘Step up.’” Veltri called the entire production a “Hail Mary” from the start—Drake funded much of it out of his own pocket before anyone fully understood the story’s scope. “He just jumped in and went,” Veltri said, grinning.
The filmmakers also shared lighter thrills: tracking down hard-to-find witnesses felt like “detective work,” and discovering the perfect Bob Marley song for the ending gave the whole team chills in the edit room.
Advice for Anyone Ready to Tell Their Story Paul asked the million-dollar question: What would they tell someone who wants to share their own story? The answers were heartfelt and practical.
“You can’t tell a story without growing alongside it,” Mandy said. “My growth as a person has been parallel to this journey.”
Drake stressed patience: “Docs are a long and tedious process… It’s going to take years.” Trust must be earned slowly. Veltri quoted the classic line: “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is today.” And Mandy added simply, “Be open and vulnerable when you’re inviting people into your life. It’s not going to be an easy process—but it’s worth it.”
What Audiences Are Taking Home Mandy’s biggest hope? “My main goal through this whole process was to reach other people that need help and give them something that makes them realize that they’re capable as well. There’s nothing that separates me from the everyday person.”
Drake put it beautifully: “Finding the light in the darkness.” He admitted the film changed him personally. “When all hope feels lost, this little four-foot angel-demon being like, ‘Okay, man, you can get through what she’s overcome’—you’re just flooded with gratitude.”
SXSW Vibes & What’s Next Of course, no SXSW conversation is complete without Austin recommendations. “Franklin seems to be the winner” for barbecue, the group agreed. Between screenings, events, and a big concert on the horizon, the team was soaking in the festival spirit while spreading the word about the film.
As the conversation wrapped, Paul thanked everyone for sharing such a powerful story. “We’re definitely looking forward to telling everybody to check this one out,” he said. “It’s fantastic.”
And it is. “The Ascent” isn’t just a mountain-climbing doc—it’s a masterclass in resilience, a detective story wrapped in human triumph, and a reminder that sometimes the hardest ascents lead to the most beautiful views.
Catch “The Ascent” as it continues its festival run and heads toward wider release. In the meantime, remember Mandy’s mantra: Almost there.
About Paul Salfen: Paul Salfen is a Dallas-based TV host, producer, editor, writer, and consultant who currently holds the positions of co-host of Drew Pearson Live on KTXD (London Broadcasting), co-host of The ANE Show on iHeartMedia, and producer/writer for AMFM Magazine.
About Christine Thompson: Christine Thompson is the Founder/Editor-In-Chief, Writer and Video Editor of AMFM Magazine and AMFM Studios LLC.
