“Don’t let anybody tell you that you’re too little or that you’re a girl, or you can’t do what you set your life to do,” says Cindell Dale, veteran Grand Canyon dory guide in the powerful, award-winning short film, About Damn Time: The Dory Women of Grand Canyon, which will be released to the public on June 5, 2025.
Presented by OARS and directed by award-winning filmmaker Dana Romanoff, About Damn Time celebrates the fearless women who have navigated the Grand Canyon’s legendary whitewater in handcrafted wooden dories, breaking barriers and building a legacy of environmental advocacy and adventure along the way.
“It was a man’s world down there, so it was a little intimidating,” Dale recalls in the film. “I had to prove myself. Proving it to myself was easy. Proving it to others was a journey.”
From its award-winning premiere at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival to an International Women’s Day spotlight at the No Man’s Land Film Festival and most recently at Mountainfilm in Telluride, About Damn Time has resonated with audiences across the country. Now, this moving tribute to resilience, camaraderie and conservation will be available for all to watch online when it drops publicly on June 5.
“Being a female in this industry, I think I came in at a really good time,” says Mary Kruse, an OARS Grand Canyon guide. “The women that have come before me, whether they knew it or not, are why I’m here.”
The film explores the evolving legacy of dory boat women—from early pioneers to today’s emerging leaders—while spotlighting the ongoing challenges surrounding Colorado River conservation. Originally introduced in the 1970s to honor threatened wild places, dories have become vessels of both exploration and environmental storytelling.
“I don’t want to have any regrets in life,” says Dale. “And my biggest fear with the Colorado River is that we have just used her up. We as river guides are provided the opportunity to advocate for mother nature and to tell that story.”
Director Dana Romanoff adds, “This film is dedicated to the women who’ve run the rapids before us and those still pushing against the current.”
About Damn Time is here: https://youtu.be/rzf8dGYscwk