Owning Wisdom with guest faculty Chip Conley

2nd Annual MEA Film Festival

Dec 15 - Dec 20, 2025 in Santa Fe, USA

Led by: Chip Conley

Do you love watching great movies – especially during the darkest time of the year?

Welcome to the second annual MEA film festival!

Here’s your chance to join Chip Conley and other inspired film buffs for five incredible days of unlocking your inner wisdom while watching great movies geared specifically to people aged 50 and older – popcorn included.

This will be a unique and unforgettable way to start the winter holiday season. Both recent and older films will be shown with writing prompts to help you see how cinematic art can imitate and inspire your life. Given that New Mexico is such a popular film location, we’ll also talk about the history of films that have been made near MEA’s campus.

If you love watching and discussing movies, be sure to join us!

In this Owning Wisdom workshop facilitated by Chip Conley, you’ll experience a light version of the MEA core curriculum while also enjoying great movies and inspiring conversations with other wisdom-seeking individuals.

What you’ll gain

Through a combination of our MEA core curriculum and watching and discussing movies that explore themes relevant to people in the second half of life, you will:

Explore how midlife is portrayed in film and compare your own experiences with depictions in popular culture
Gain clarity into your own relationship with aging and longevity in the context of watching films that are relevant to those over 50
Create deep friendships with fellow film buffs and creative, intellectual folks, including Chip Conley
Experience one of MEA’s most relaxing and enjoyable weeks at a discounted rate compared to MEA’s normal workshop rates
Prepare for the holidays with an artistic and spiritual rebirth – and cultivate a positive, possibilities-focused mindset for the year ahead
Mine your lived experiences for insight and clarity into the lessons you’ve learned throughout your life
Cultivate community and reconnect to the things that make you human in a fun and powerful way
Deepen your sense of awe of the universe – and your awareness of being connected to something so much larger than you

By the end of your five-day film festival with Chip in Santa Fe, you will have a greater appreciation for the power of film to help you make sense of your own experience – and you'll cultivate meaningful connections with other amazing humans who make you feel like a cherished member of a loving and supportive community.

If you’re looking to do something different this holiday season that feeds your soul and helps you deepen your sense of human connection and love for others, be sure to join us!

Meet your faculty

Chip Conley

MEA Co-Founder and Author of Learning to Love Midlife: 12 Reasons Why Life Gets Better with Age

A three-time TED speaker on the big stage, Chip Conley is one of the world's leading experts at the intersection of business innovation, psychology and spirituality.

As one of the creators of the boutique hotel movement and the "modern elder" to the young Airbnb founders, Chip's been a disruptor and expert on entrepreneurship and business leadership. He’s a globally-recognized thought leader on the future of work and the competitive advantages of a multi-generational workplace.

Inspired by his experience of intergenerational mentoring as a “modern elder” at Airbnb – where his guidance was instrumental to the company’s extraordinary success – Chip founded MEA and has since dedicated his midlife years to reframing the concept of aging and helping people navigate midlife with a renewed sense of purpose and possibility.

(Plus, have we mentioned he’s a pretty big film buff?)

This workshop is for you if...

You’re looking for something different to do to get in the “holiday spirit”

You love watching movies and discussing them with other people

You’re looking for a fun way to gain valuable insight into yourself

You’re searching for ways to tap into your own capacity for creativity

You want to connect with others and explore powerful topics and ideas with them

The idea of a quick getaway to nature right before Christmas sounds pretty perfect

Do this powerful work on our beautiful regenerative ranch in Santa Fe

Santa Fe, USA

Rising Circle Ranch

An upscale regenerative ranch featuring traditional Pueblo architecture and spanning nearly 2,600 acres of wildlife, hiking trails in the arroyo, with ancient petroglyphs, and awe-inspiring beauty. Close to historic Santa Fe, an artisan’s mecca.

Big-sky desert country
Breathtaking nature
Interaction with horses and donkeys
Evenings around the campfire
Star-gazing

7 films in 5 days with MEA founder Chip Conley and friends

That’s it! That’s the pitch. Come hang out with Chip and other incredible members of the MEA community and immerse yourself in powerful, beautiful, thought-provoking films that make you laugh and cry and appreciate humanity’s boundless capacity for creativity – and the complicated beauty of life on planet Earth.

In December 2025, find your light in the darkness with Chip and the MEA community and set the stage for a wonder-filled holiday season and inspiring year ahead.

People come for the workshops,
but they stay for the community

This is truly MEA’s “secret sauce” and something you can only experience in person: the powerful connections you will make, not only with your fellow participants and the incredible MEA faculty, but also the deeper sense of connection you will feel to your own inner self and the natural world around you.

Research into aging shows that your relationships play a HUGE role in your health and wellbeing later in life. At MEA, you will make deep and lasting connections and become part of a larger community that will make your life richer and more meaningful.

Many of our alumni cohorts have stayed in close touch for years after their workshop and we have a growing number of local alumni chapters all over the world. It’s a joy for us to see them continuing to offer each other community, friendship, and support as they create thriving midlives for themselves. So if you have been feeling at all disconnected or isolated on your journey, we would love to have you join us!

Have we mentioned the food?

The MEA experience is designed in part by Chip Conley, a world-renowned boutique hotelier, which means the food is amazing.

All of the ingredients are locally sourced, organic, and made from scratch in our kitchens by hand-picked chefs. The delicious breakfasts, lunches and dinners will leave you feeling nourished inside and out – not to mention the blended drinks made with fresh fruit and other top-shelf ingredients.

Each retreat center has multiple kitchens that always have snacks and beverages available. At MEA, we believe that thriving is delicious!

Your Workshop Includes

5 days and nights of lodging at our boutique luxury retreat center in Baja or Santa Fe with all of your meals, snacks, drinks and other amenities included
Daily sessions and experiential activities to help you connect with your inner self, envision your desired experience, and release what no longer serves you
Meditation covering a range of practices to soothe your nervous system and help you cultivate greater mindfulness and presence in the moment.

Movement to get the energy flowing and build your strength and agility as you chart your course forward to the life you want to live.
Incredible bonding experiences with the most amazing humans you’ll ever meet.
Three delicious, chef-prepared meals plus snacks throughout the day prepared from scratch with the freshest local ingredients.
Festive gatherings to cultivate connection and celebrate the joy and beauty of life.

Tuition starts at $4,000

Ready to start your journey?

MEA Film Festival

Dec 15 - Dec 20, 2025 in Santa Fe, USA

Led by: Chip Conley

Step into your next chapter with confidence and ease, knowing that every detail of your experience is being taken care of by our world-class faculty and hospitality team.

Starting at

$4,000 per person

Enroll Now

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Still deciding or have questions?
Connect with our helpful team of Advisors

Our Advisors are all MEA alumni who can offer genuine insights into our programs. They’re passionate about helping you finding the right fit to make your next chapter the best one.