When we last checked in with Calgary’s Flannel Crew, they were putting the finishing touches on two years of work to create STRAIN. The crew’s second feature film takes what they learned making their debut, The Nomad, adds their trademark infectious levels of stoke and brings in a new element: their lives beyond the bikes.
That mix is proving potent. STRAIN’s Alberta and B.C. premiers both sold out. Another showing in Edmonton is up next. After that, the crew is taking a bit of time to recover. But only so they can be at their best when STRAIN heads to Quebec, France and… maybe your home town next?
I caught up with Flannelers Joey Reinheardt and Austen Tanney to find out how the first two premiers went, what goes into the perfect mountain bike movie screening and how (and why) they want to see STRAIN screen near you next.
Canadian MTB: This is your second string of movie premieres. How’d the STRAIN events compare to screening The Nomad?
Joey Reinhardt and Austen Tanney: Great question.
Second time around, we actually knew what the hell we were doing.
We had a way better sense of what worked—and what didn’t—from The Nomad. Biggest upgrade? We didn’t cheap out on the cinema package this time. No Fivesr specials. We went straight to the pros. Every little thing that made us cringe in hindsight after Nomad got cleaned up, and that alone felt like a massive win.
The Flannel Crew levels up while fighting to save their home
The other big shift was patience.
The first time, you book a theatre (which is not cheap), and when ticket sales don’t instantly roll in, you start spiralling a bit wondering if you’re about to eat the cost. But mountain bikers are a unique breed—if there’s dirt to ride, they’re riding. Ticket buying becomes a last-minute decision. Knowing that helped us stay calm and trust that things would fill up closer to showtime—which they did.
And honestly, we’ve just gotten better on stage.
Austen dialled in the passion behind the film. Tristan spoke to the filmmaking side in a way that really connected. Joey came in to fire up the room, crack some jokes, and thank sponsors like he’s legally obligated to. And Bryant closed things out launching prizes into the crowd like a madman.
Huge credit to our sponsors too—they absolutely showed up and made the whole thing feel big.
CMTB: What’s the secret to a great premiere event?
JR and AT: Get the crowd involved. Period.
We’ve hosted premieres for years—even for films we weren’t that fired up on—and one thing is always true: when you pack a room full of mountain bikers, the energy is already there. It’s electric by default.
But the difference between a good night and a great one is participation.
We lean into that hard—trivia, giveaways, getting the whole room doing the wave, pulling people into the experience before the film even starts. Then tying it all back to the message with something simple like: “What’s your STRAIN?”
Now it’s not just a movie. It’s personal.
People leave fired up to ride, but also thinking about what they’re pushing through in their own lives.
And yeah… beer helps. Beer definitely helps.
CMTB: What other screenings are planned?
JR and AT: We’re slowing it down a bit—for survival reasons.
Some of the guys’ check liver lights were about to come on because we celebrated out of raw excitement.
We’ve got Edmonton coming up where we’re headlining the YEG MTB Film Fest, which we’re stoked on. Beyond that, we might add a few more stops where there’s demand.
But honestly, we need a minute. That tour was unreal—but we need to sleep and give our livers a bit of a break before round two.
On the festival side, we’ve been selected for IF3 as a feature film, so STRAIN will be heading out east to Quebec, then over to France for Les Gets and a few other stops.
If anyone’s sitting on some spare cash and wants to send us to France… we promise to represent properly and fire up the French scene.
CMTB: How can people bring STRAIN to their town?
JR and AT: It’s actually super simple.
We’ve built out premiere packages right on our site:
https://theflannelcrew.com/pages/strain-premiere-packages
Once you’re in, we provide the full film package, marketing assets, and hands-on support to make sure your event goes off without a hitch.
If we can physically be there—we will. We love showing up, hosting, and getting the room going.
Side note: we also offer discounts for bike clubs, trail societies, and community groups. If you’re trying to fundraise for trails or local projects, we want to help make that happen.
More butts on bikes. More sweet jumps.
If you want to run one, make sure you lock in and have your event before September 1, 2026.
After that, it goes prestige worldwide online for streaming and we’re not letting off the gas until every mountain biker from Bangkok to Calgary has seen our flick.
CMTB: Why should people try to host their own screening—whether of STRAIN or something else?
JR and AT: Because it’s one of the most electric nights you can have with your riding crew. Full stop.
You pack a theatre with your friends, your local riding community, people you don’t see enough—and for a couple hours, everyone’s just fired up on bikes again.
People walk in stoked. They leave even more stoked. And that energy carries way past the night itself.
But beyond that—it’s actually a ridiculously good fundraiser.
Run the numbers:
Theatre = $1,000–$1,500
Seats = 200–350
Tickets = $10–$15
There’s real money left over at the end of the night—and that can go straight back into trails, events, or whatever your community needs.
Add beer? Even better.
Add a raffle with a sponsor prize? Now you’re really cooking.
We’ve done this with Moose Mountain in the past, and straight up—we’ve helped fund trails just by throwing great nights with the community.
That’s what The Flannel Crew is built on.
Giving back. Growing the sport. Creating moments that get people hooked for life.
If there’s one takeaway from all of this, it’s this:
You don’t need permission to build something awesome for your community.
You just need a bit of effort—and a whole lot of stoke.