Climber Alex Honnold mobbed at IMAX screening of 'Free Solo'

He appears at Chinese Theatre in Hollywood as documentary about him competes for Oscar

Climber Alex Honnold, subject of the documentary "Free Solo," accommodates a selfie-seeking fan after an IMAX screening of the film in Hollywood. Wednesday, February 6, 2019. Photo by Matt Carey

At an IMAX screening of Free Solo in Hollywood, subject Aex Honnold was greeted like a rock star --which of course he is, in more ways than one.

Members of the Motion Picture Academy and the IDA were among those invited to the event at the TCL Chinese Theatre, which has booked the Oscar-nominated film for a week-long run on the super big screen.

Gasps could be heard from the capacity audience during the film, which documents Honnold's mind-boggling ascent of Yosemite's El Capitan, without ropes. E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin directed the film, which has made almost $15 million in theatrical release so far.

As the credits rolled and the theater was still dark, an unassuming Honnold walked to the space in front of the screen. As spectators realized who was in their midst, they gave the climber a standing ovation. Honnold said Academy rules forbade a Q&A so he invited people to say hello in the lobby, an offer that met with an enthusiastic response.

The video below gives some idea of the scene.