Wood Hood

A documentary short film about the power of nature to nurture and heal

WINNER: Best Short Film

2022 Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival

Wood Hood features DeVaughn, a 15-year-old kid from New York City who loves skateboarding and craves a "quiet place" to escape the chaos of his home, the city, and kids that steal from him. The film follows DeVaughn on a weekend-long group camping trip with @campingtoconnect, a BIPOC-led mentorship program that teaches leadership, brotherhood, and inclusion in the outdoors.

Wood Hood urges us to recognize the power and potential of a world where nature is accessible and inclusive for all. When we nurture and advocate for the basic human need to be surrounded by calm and stillness, explore and connect with the native land around us, and simply touch and be touched by the earth, we build a happier, healthier, and more fulfilled society.


Director: Alex Cullen
Producers: Manny Almonte; Andy Isaacson
DP: Darren Joe
Additional camera: Alex Seel, Alex Cullen
Editor: Dan Roman
Color: Dungeon Beach
Featuring: JD Weatherspoon, Carlos Davila, David Lopez and many others

“This coming of age story is a stunningly beautiful and deeply loving portrait of a young Black man facing challenges that have changed him from social butterfly to loner. Told with care and consideration, this intimate portrait of DeVaughn, brings us with him on a journey into the woods as he seeks and finds a quiet place of belonging in the outdoors. This is a hopeful and real glimpse of what is possible when community shows up for youth and they are allowed and invited to thrive. Congratulations to Alexander Cullen and the entire team behind Wood Hood.”
— Faith E. Briggs, jury member, 2022 Banff Mountain Film Festival

If you'd like to host a screening and panel conversation about Wood Hood, or our Camping to Connect outdoor mentorship program, please complete the short form below.

World Premiere: 2022 Mountainfilm Festival (Telluride, CO)

  • Winner, Best Short Film: 2022 Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival (Alberta, Canada)

  • Winner, Act Now! Award: 2022 Crested Butte Film Festival (Crested Butte, CO)

  • Official Selection: Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour (40 different countries)

  • Official Selection: 2022 Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (BC, Canada)

  • Official Selection: 2022 Kendal Mountain Festival (United Kingdom)

  • Official Selection: 2022 Washington West Film Festival (Tyson, VA)

  • Official Selection: 2022 New York Shorts Film Festival (New York, NY)

  • Official Selection: 2023 Wild & Scenic Film Festival (Grass Valley, CA)

  • Official Selection: 2023 Boulder International Film Festival (Boulder, CO)

  • Official Selection: 2023 Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital (Washington, DC)

  • Official Selection: 2023 Maine Outdoor Film Festival

  • Official Selection: 2024 World Trails Film Festival (Ottawa, Canada)

  • Official Selection: 2024 Mountainfilm Adventure Shorts, Presented by REI Co-op and AMC Theatres