Mountain in my Mind 4, a 45-minute film about grief, trauma and resilience through winter sports, was scheduled to premiere Saturday evening at Denver's Space Annex Art Gallery. The fourth installment features athletes discussing those subjects, according to CBS Colorado. The film is part of a project created by a Colorado family after their 15-year-old son, Jack Padilla, died by suicide in 2019.
Jack attempted suicide in 2019 and died nine days later, according to CBS Colorado. The station reported that his family has since worked on suicide-prevention advocacy, including helping pass legislation in Colorado and starting a prevention program in Denver. Jack's older brother, John Padilla, created Mountain in my Mind and is its founder and executive producer.
What Colorado's law says
The CBS Colorado account does not name the measure the family helped pass. Separately, the Colorado General Assembly records that HB21-1119 became law in 2021, broadening the state's focus to include suicide prevention, intervention and postvention. The verified record confirms the year it became law but does not specify an effective date.
A Brother's Tribute Takes Shape On Film
John Padilla said he and Jack spent much of their time riding together, a bond that threads through the docuseries' focus on winter sports as a lens for talking about mental health. The series includes Olympians, World Cup skiers, X Games athletes and recreational mountain users, and it creates a space for those athletes to discuss trauma and grief in their own words, per the same account. John Padilla said the film shares stories of hope and resilience.
Part 4 was scheduled to premiere at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Space Annex Art Gallery in Denver, with both online and door ticket purchases offered. A portion of the profits will go to local nonprofits working to prevent youth suicide, the report notes.
Family Says It Chose to Go Public While Healing
Rick Padilla said the family's decision to speak openly was part of its own healing process. “Part of our healing process was a decision to go public,” he told CBS Colorado. Rick Padilla said he hopes the family's efforts make a difference and save lives, and the family has said it wants to create a lasting legacy for Jack.
John Padilla told the station, as reported by CBS Colorado, that the family's efforts have reached 83 people they believe they helped save — a figure attributed to him and not independently verified. He has also said the suicide rate in mountain towns is more than double the national average, a claim also attributed to him in the same report.
Tour Continues Beyond Denver
The film crew tours other cities every year, with this year's stops including Breckenridge and Steamboat Springs, according to the CBS Colorado report. The Mountain In My Mind events page lists dates and screening locations at 114/112 S Main St. in Breckenridge and the Steamboat Springs High School Auditorium. Each tour premiere opens with a keynote from John Padilla about the film's story and inspiration, followed by a screening of Mountain In My Mind 4.
The tour has also taken the film beyond Colorado's borders, including a September 18 screening at The Rialto in Bozeman, Montana, per the events page. For the Padillas, each stop is another chance to put Jack's story — and the resources meant to help other families avoid the same loss — in front of a new audience.
