Mountain in My Mind returns with their 4th full-length film; however, this year’s offering is unlike anything MIMM has ever created before. Filmed over a 2 year period, MIMM4 pulls back the curtain on the series’ Director and Producer, John Padilla. The film follows John as he navigates life and his recovery after shattering his right leg in a horrific hit-and-run accident. This stranger-than-fiction story focuses on themes of resilience and finding one’s people, purpose, and place.

The film begins with John recounting waking up with a destroyed tibia and fibula in the ICU. It follows him for his weeks-long hospital stay and initial 2 surgeries. The narrative shifts when John wakes up from his 2nd operation only to find that his leg has been reattached incorrectly. He spends months trying to convince his surgeon of the error, and ultimately requires an advanced operation performed by one of the best trauma surgeons in the world to save his leg. John spends nearly 5 months without walking a single step. The story continues as John recovers, spending countless a week at physical therapy and the gym. The hard work pays off and John skis again just 13 months after his leg was obliterated. The story then shifts to the filming of MIMM4 on set in a small cabin in the small town of Cooke City, Montana.

John reaches out to his old friend Benni Harrington, who’s fresh off a top 10 halfpipe finals finish at the 2026 Olympics to come join him in Cooke for some sled-accessed pow skiing. They run into legendary skiers, Wiley Miller and Colter Hinchliffe in the backcountry and share a few pillow laps. Benni calls out the importance of listening to your body, especially with head injuries and defines the post-olympic hangover.

John and Ben spend their entire Winter in Cooke City, and it turns out to be a great gamble. While the rest of the Western US had the worst Winter on record, Cooke finished the season well above average snowpack and the season featured mostly pow days. They bring in a new athlete each week and each athlete discusses a moment where their mental health struggled. Each segment focuses on a unique tool for resilience that every audience member can apply to their own lives. After filming on snowmobiles in deep snow for several months, John was ready for sunshine and headed down to Solitude Mountain Resort in Utah to host the first-ever rail jam for mental health awareness. The film then features another first of-its-kind segment: the team interviews a local rancher who has faced the same suicide epidemic faced by those living in mountain towns. The crew took all the ranch hands skiing at Showdown ski hill in Montana and the footage is, to say the least, hysterical. MIMM4 continues with more skiing, snowboarding, and raw advice from additional athletes.

The film concludes with John getting the call that he has to have a 4th surgery. Unfortunately, it quickly turns into 6 total surgeries and John spends the summer in bed. The last few moments of the film are the most powerful. John reflects on his own journey from losing his 15 year-old brother to suicide to nearly losing his leg and requiring 6 major operations in another state. It’s a moment designed to make viewers cry then laugh then cry again, and finally cheer loudly.

The crew’s 4th film makes another full world tour starting during Suicide Prevention Month in September and continuing into late October of 2026. A portion of all tour profits are donated to local suicide prevention organizations at each stop. They will be giving away limited edition, Toyota-branded Skis, FlyLow gear, Giro goggles and helmets, RMU Skis, Ice Age Performance snowmobile parts, PowTech sledski racks, Zipline Poles, Phunkshun wear facemasks and more across the tour!

United States