Documentary follows Colorado man's 500-mile run on psychedelics
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Dante Liberato (left) and fellow ultrarunner Johnny Ramos during Liberato's run from Colorado Springs to Moab in September 2025. Photo: Jordan Babbs/Courtesy SFFR Films
A new Colorado Springs-made documentary follows a local ultra-endurance athlete's 500-mile run to Moab while on psychedelics.
Why it matters: Colorado Springs doesn't have a booming film industry. It's rare to see a documentary created by locals and centered on a local story — especially one with such an unusual and polarizing premise.
What to expect: The film is about much more than Manitou Springs athlete Dante Liberato's 10-day run last September while high on LSD and psilocybin mushrooms.
- "It's really about masculinity, mental health and the feeling of not feeling enough," Springs-based director Fernando Gonzalez tells Axios. "This is a story of the human experience."
State of play: Colorado became the second state to legalize "magic mushrooms" for personal use and at healing centers in 2023, but the use of psychedelics remains hotly debated across the U.S.
- "I don't want to cram psychedelics down people's throats," Gonzalez says. "There's a lot of ways to heal. Psychedelics are just one."
- He used psychedelics to overcome addiction, which is what inspired him to make a film about Liberato's journey.
To shoot "Dante," Gonzalez's team tracked Liberato through the mountains and desert while living out of a 1980s van.
- Behind the camera, Gonzalez says, the crew wrestled with when to keep filming and when to step back, as Liberato endured physical and emotional lows during the journey.
The self-funded passion project has left Gonzalez more than $20,000 in debt, which he calls a worthwhile risk for a story he believes his community should see.
What's next: "Dante" premieres July 11 at the Ent Center for the Arts on the UCCS campus with a Q&A featuring Gonzalez and Liberato. $22.75 tickets are available here.
- "Dante" will be available for streaming starting July 24 on the film's website.