Rainbow Rider to Premiere at Academy-Qualifying Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: Tran Hoang Calvin, rainbowriderfilm@nodehaus.co
Director Georgia Krause’s new documentary follows Shelle Lichti, a lesbian truck driver hauling pride and freight across the heart of America.
TELLURIDE, CO (May 11, 2026) –– NODEHAUS Media announced today the world premiere of Rainbow Rider, a 25-minute short documentary, at the prestigious, Oscar-qualifying Mountainfilm festival this May. The film (watch the trailer here) follows Shelle Lichti, an outspoken lesbian truck driver, as she navigates life, loneliness, and a few middle fingers on the open road in her iconic, rainbow-wrapped big rig.
“I am constantly inspired by her courage to brave the highways of America in a truck that is completely covered in Pride flags," says Emmy Award-winning director Georgia Krause, whose previous credits include Small Talk (DOCNYC). "She is outspoken in ways that I wish I could be and is tackling LGBTQ+ rights in a sector that remains almost invisible to most people, yet is, in many ways, the backbone of America. It is an honor to bring this world to the screen."
”Especially with our current political climate, when the LGBTQ community is under attack, we need something like this on the highways and byways,” said the film’s primary participant, Shelle Lichti. “We are staying visible more than ever.”
Rainbow Rider will screen as an official selection of Mountainfilm on Friday, May 22nd, at 2:30 PM, and on Saturday, May 23rd, at 12:15 PM as part of the Indomitable Spirit Shorts block. Director Georgia Krause will be in attendance, as well as Shelle Lichti with her Rainbow Rider truck.
Rainbow Rider is produced by Tran Hoang Calvin (A Clean Slate) for NODEHAUS Media. Sav Rodgers (Chasing Chasing Amy) serves as Executive Producer.
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FILM SPECIFICATIONS & CREDITS
Title: Rainbow Rider
Runtime: 25 minutes | Country: USA | Language: English
Director: Georgia Krause
Executive Producer: Sav Rodgers
Producer: Tran Hoang Calvin
Cinematography: Sam Wolff, Keon Abbott, Georgia Krause
Edited by: Georgia Krause, Mikayla Irle
Original Score: Spencer Peppet
Featuring: Shelle Lichti, Cy Kellogg, Tim Sander, Amanda Saumier
Rainbow Rider is a production of NODEHAUS. Following its premiere at Mountainfilm, the film will continue its festival circuit, bringing its message of visibility and "queer joy on wheels" to audiences nationwide.
Learn more about the film here: https://www.nodehaus.co/work/rainbow-rider
About Mountainfilm: Held every Memorial Day weekend in Telluride, Colorado, Mountainfilm is one of America’s longest-running film festivals, dedicated to using the power of film, art and ideas to inspire audiences to create a better world. In 2024, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Mountainfilm as an Academy Award Qualifying Festival for the Documentary Short Film category.
Learn more about the festival here: https://www.mountainfilm.org/
About NODEHAUS Media: NODEHAUS is a production company and impact studio. Previous credits include A Clean Slate (Cleveland International), Shoot, Shovel and Shut-Up (Indy Shorts International), Has Heart (GI Film Festival), and Arbitrary Lines: The Free Spirit of Caroline (Better Cities Film Festival).
Learn more about NODEHAUS here: https://www.nodehaus.co/
Media Contact:
Tran Hoang Calvin, Producer rainbowriderfilm@nodehaus.co
Electronic Press Kit: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ULlIT-8nEMefmopUQQ5EWMh7uC3DzbpN/view?usp=sharing
Film stills available for use: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lF3s8eBRK-Gp_ALNWpIpumKDIFgc1_6x?usp=sharing
