On the first day of Christmas break, Jared escapes his troubled home and wanders into the snowy woods, where he discovers the wreckage of a small plane. Returning to parents consumed by addiction, he witnesses their fragile world collapsing under the weight of need and neglect. As the snow deepens and the forest closes in, Jared’s escape into imagination blurs with the stark reality of survival.
Based on Ron Rash’s short story, "The Ascent" is a stark yet tender portrait of childhood, resilience, and the fragile refuge of dreams. Adapted for the screen, directed, and edited by Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon, "The Ascent" marks her first narrative short.