IAN | This 72-Year-Old Rock Climber Will Change How You See Aging
"IAN | This 72-Year-Old Rock Climber Will Change How You See Aging" is a rock climbing video (7 minutes) published by Matt Raimondo on June 18, 2025 with 538K views. Available to watch free on CouchClimbs.
Meet Ian Elliott, a 72-year-old Australian rock climber who refuses to let age define what's possible on the wall. This award-winning short film follows Ian as he pursues Grade 28 (5.13a) climbing — a difficulty level most athletes never reach at any age — proving that passion and persistence can outlast the numbers on a birthday cake. Equal parts portrait and provocation, IAN challenges every assumption we carry about what aging bodies can and cannot do. Selected as an official finalist at the BANFF Mountain Film Festival 2024 and screened at prestigious festivals across four continents, IAN is the kind of film that stays with you long after the credits roll. Director Matt Raimondo crafts an intimate, visually stunning look at a man who simply never got the memo to slow down — and in doing so, holds up a mirror to the rest of us. Whether you're a seasoned climber or someone who has never touched a wall, Ian's story will make you rethink your limits and reconsider what you're still capable of.
Matt Raimondo · 7:56
IAN is a powerful short film about defying age, chasing passion, and rewriting what’s possible. In a world that tells us to slow down, 72-year-old Australian Ian Elliott proves it’s never too late to send your hardest route. At nearly 70, he climbs Grade 28 (5.13a) — a feat few ever achieve — and shows us what relentless determination looks like. IAN is an award-winning Australian climbing film about resilience, aging boldly, and living life on your terms. SCREENINGS Official selection & Finalist BANFF Mountain Film Festival 2024 Official selection BANFF World Tour 2024/25 Byron Bay International Film Festival 2024 Kendal Mountain Film Festival 2024 (UK) Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival 2024 Torello Mountain Film Festival 2024 (Catalonia) New Zealand Mountain Film 2024 Ladek Mountain Film Festival 2024 (Poland) Maine Outdoor Film Festival Climbing Film Tour 2024 ONA Short Film Festival (Venice) Heart of Gold Short Film Festival Mountain Film Graz (Austria) AWARDS ACS Gold Award (Australian Cinematography Society) CREDITS Director: Matt Raimondo Director of Photography: Caleb Ware Additional Cinematography: Matt Raimondo 1st AC: Locke McGlip Camera Assistant: Jake Malpass Camera Assistant: Bailey Jeffs Camera Assistant: Michael Young Production Assistant: Meg Noel Boom Operator: Michael Cassidy Edit/Colour Grade/Sound Design: Matt Raimondo Sound Mix: Adrian Diery Cable Camera Ropes: Jack Brown Munya Johnstone Johnny Sullivan Meg Noel Supported by @mammut #RockClimbing #ClimbingFilm #InspiringStory #AgeIsJustANumber #NeverTooOld #ShortFilm #MountainFilm #AustralianClimber #IANtheClimber #graypower #graypower