Click below for shortcut to the catogory

Finalists for Best film on Climbing

Finalists for Best Short Film

Finalists for Best film on Adventurous Sports & Lifestyles

Finalists for Best film on Mountain Culture & Environment

Finalists for Best NZ Made Film

Finalists for Best film on Climbing ;

The Beckoning Silence
(UK , 2007, Director Louise Osmond, 73 min)

Toni Kurz was a brilliant mountaineer, who in 1936 tried to be the first to conquer the Eiger. The climb started well, but disaster struck and Kurz's climbing colleagues were killed leaving him alone, fighting for his life. Joe Simpson, whose battle for survival featured in Touching the Void, travels to the Eiger to tell the story of one of mountaineering's most epic tragedies. The Beckoning Silence tells Kurz's heroic battle for survival, but, it also forces Simpson to confront some fundamental questions of his own - Why continue climbing when you have come so close to oblivion?

Festival Grand Prize at the Vancouver International Film Festival

Patagonian Winter
(UK , 2007, Director Alastair Lee, 31 min)

Jury Statement: Our choice in the Mountaineering category was a story of two working class lads with typical self-deprecating British humour. One climber refers to his partner as 'a crevasse poodle' who can sniff out danger. These guys filmed their ascent on their own – a remarkable achievement in itself – and knew when to leave well enough alone. The humour they displayed while holed up for four days in a snow cave was refreshing and highly entertaining.

Best Film on Mountaineering at the Vancouver International Film Festival

King Lines
(USA , 2007, directors Peter Mortimer and Josh Lowell, 30 Min) – Invitational Film

King Lines follows Chris Sharma on his search for the planet's greatest climbs. From South American fantasy boulders to the sweeping limestone walls of Europe , Sharma finds and climbs the hardest, most spectacular routes. Off the coast of Mallorca he discovers his most outrageous project yet, a 70 foot arch rising from the Mediterranean sea …

Best Film on Rockclimbing at the Vancouver International Film Festival

Dringo i'r Eitha
(Wales , 2007, Director Alun Hughes, 50 min)

Ioan Doyle is a 17-year-old rock climber already attempting to climb some of the world's most difficult routes. This film is a gripping portrayal of this brilliant and charismatic climber. The film follows Ioan as he takes on challenging climbs in Snowdonia, the Greek island of Kalymnos and the Yosemite Valley in California . It is a memorable portrayal of the life, hopes and fears of Ioan himself, his mother Catrin and his mentor and climbing partner, Malcolm Mills Davies, as well as the extended family and close-knit local community.

40 Days in Greenland
(Japan , 2007, Director Masaki Sekiguchi, 15 min)

A team of Japaneese climbers spent 40 days on the west coast of Greenland , kayaking in the fjords, skiing beautiful slopes and making use of their own strength in the natural environment.

Committed [Festival Cut]
(UK , 2007, Directors Paul Diffley & Dave Brown, 13 min and 30 min)

Featuring Britain 's best rock climbers, plus top overseas visitors, Committed packs in a year at the cutting edge of hardcore traditional climbing action: The hardest and most dangerous ascents that have been grabbing the climbing headlines across the world.

It examines the diversity of climbing style and locations that together, make the British Trad scene unique and respected around the world. The featured climbs include numerous hard first ascents, audacious repeats and bold solos. From the sea cliffs of Scotland , to the gritstone test pieces of England , to the mountains in Ireland and Wales ...

Consistent is one theme: Committed.

Higher Ground
(Canada , 2007, Directors Chris Alstrin and Alex Lavigne, 86 min)

Higher Ground celebrates exploration through the eyes of North America 's most accomplished vertical pioneers. From big wall ascents in Zion and the Black Canyon to first ski descents in coastal British Columbia, Higher Ground captures the continent's most inaccessible terrain—and the people who thrive there. A lens into their boundary-breaking passion illustrates what mountain culture is: an obsession.

Enlightenment
(Austria , 2007, Director Armin Buchroithner, 12 min)

The topic of an extreme, or maybe even narrow minded way of life (like many extreme sportsmen live it) has been criticized and dealt with many times. Enlightenment is a movie, which does not judge or favour a climbers life over a "classic job-life" which has high acceptance in our society. Still this film should motivate you to think about your own way of life - whatever it may be like. The film tells the story of a young climber, who's life is entirely focused on his great passion - climbing. After having done his hardest climb yet he is suddenly confronted with another way of life: a normal job.

GIV-GIII
(Spain , 2007, Director Sebastian Alvaro, 43 min)

The film follows the hardships and dangers as four Spaniard climbers attempt the second ascent of Gasherbrum 4 and Gasherbrum 3 at just under 8000m in Pakistan . The weather doesn't seem to want to co-operate but they are quite determined.

Back to Top

Finalists for Best Short Film ;

Trip Box II
(France, 2008, Director/Producer Claude Adam, 7 min)

Fast adrenalin BASE jumping with a plot!!

Adrenaline Bach
(Canada , 2007, Director Marten Berkman, 11 min)

Adrenaline Bach is a visually stunning short film that features Tim Sellars, a triathlon athlete who trains among the forests, ridges and mists of Canada 's boreal mountains. The only sound is the instrumental music that accompanies his trek. Once Sellars gets to the top of the mountain, he opens a large case that he has lugged with him. He proceeds to remove his cello and begins to play the instrument on the mountain top.

Yellow Boat White Water
(Canada , 2007, Director Andrew Hardingham, 5 min)

Logan Grayling from Canada is finally ready to kayak one of the largest vertical drop,waterfalls ever descended in a kayak. He has been watching it for years and now feels ready. Logan walks the viewer through his morning and then takes the plunge.

The Western Lands – Hoy
(UK , 2007, Director Grant Gee, 10 min)

“West is a landscape of loss. West is where the light dies” – Jim Perrin
The Western Lands is an ongoing project to tell the story of a life in 12 landscapes. 12 episodes. 12 sundowns. 12 short films that will eventually combine to form a feature documentary. The life – a wild and tragic life- is of the acclaimed writer and climber Jim Perrin. The episode submitted here features Jim's attempted 60th birthday climb of the Old Man of Hoy in Orkney. Poetry and climbing come together.

Best Short Mountain Film at Banff 2007

Outdoor Games
(France, 2008, Director Guillaume Broust, 6 min)

A short film movie featuring 5 different sports: mountaineering, skiing, snowboarding, paragliding and base jumping. All the footage and editing was done in five days, from Monday to Friday and shot in the Mount Blanc range. The idea was to tell the story of our photographer, who wanted to take the 5 sports in one picture, instead of taking one picture of each sport.

A Will to Climb
(Australia , 2007, Director Brian Semple, 7 min)

This film is about a man and a pair of crutches, summiting Aconcagua in South America at just under 7000m. Will lost his leg 10 years ago, but lost it so high that using a prosthetic isn't viable, hence he uses crutches. Keeping pace with all the ‘two leggers', he summited.

Unstoppable
(USA , 2007, Director Shelly Mulholland, 3 min)

A message to all of us on how we can easily change the way the world is warming.

For the Masses
(USA , 2008, Director Corrie Francis, 5 min)

On any given day, city-dwellers flock to an urban wilderness looking for a brief escape from the constant presence of the city. Though tamed and tied by its surrounding metropolis, the mountain is not passive. It struggles against its captivity as it attempts to release the city-dwellers from their habitual, frenetic pace with moments of savoring the richness of life.

Tabaz Tour
(NZ, 2007, Director Pete Simpson, 3 min)

Fast action kayaking down some big rivers.

Back to Top

Finalists for Best film on Adventurous Sports & Lifestyles ;

Play Gravity
(Switzerland , 2007, Director Samnel Gyger, 52 min)

Not just a film for a handful of insiders. Play Gravity is an insight into many different sports. So it doesn't matter whether you are a skier, snowboarder, paraglider, skydiver, mountaineer, nature-lover or just like doing sports in your free time, you will be amazed by these fascinating pictures and fly by the seat of your pants excitement. This is the first production to deliver the new sport of speedriding pictures inn such high quality.

Crux
(Canada , 2007, Directors Alex Lavigne and Ryan Leech, 31 min)

The film features three riders achieving some of the most incredible trails lines ever seen in film. Riding over chains, fences, jumping from hand rail to handrail and stunts not seen before. Combining shear difficulty with an elegant and creative style, Crux is a film that redefines technical riding standards. The movie will leave you wondering "how the ...".

Best Film on Mountain Biking at the Vancouver International Film Festival

By Own Strength
(Sweden , 2007, Director Renata Chlumska and Blomqvist Productions, 45 min)

Renata Chlumska adventure took 439 days circumnavigating the continental United States by kayak and Bike, thought to be the first time this was accomplished. Kayaking through ocean swells, biking through desert conditions, witnessing the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Nine Winters Old
(USA , Director Rich Corbett, 62 minutes)

Dave Heath's stepfather gave him a camera and it changed his life forever. Nine Winters Old takes us on a journey through one snow-draped winter as seen uniquely through the eyes, and lens, of one of the world's top ski photographers. Who better – and able – to follow him around all winter and film his adventures than an acclaimed veteran Warren Miller cinematographer – who just happens to be his older brother Bill. Nine Winters Old is the story of a ski photographer, of the classic characters he meets along the way, and how they all truly come alive in wintertime.

We meet red-headed Ryan who, at age 9, dreams of skiing with his friends through the powder lined trees, building huge jumps and flying off snow covered bridges. Then there is Alasdair, Rick, and Steve , Canada 's one and only hike-up and ski-down comedy threesome, even at the ages of 82. And finally, Richard, the ultimate former Snowbird and military helicopter pilot, who conveys his love of the mountains through stunning maneuvers as he soars like a bird over glacial peaks.

What emerges is not only a story about these and other extraordinary people, but one that, through dazzling and captivating visuals that only Bill Heath can convey, truly captures the raw beauty of the winter season. Experience winter as told through Dave's stories and the passion of people who, young and old, believe winter is simply the best time of year.

Voluntary Prisoners of the Pack Ice
(International, 2007, Directors Bruno Vienne, 52 min)

Voluntary Prisoners of the Pack Ice is a film about two dogs and eight men in the middle of the immense Arctic Ocean . Closed in the long polar night abord the vessel Tara , (ex Seamaster of Sir Peter Blake) they have a scientific mission to complete but also live an extraordinary human adventure. This film covers the first winter of their 18 month long Arctic drift locked and trapped inside the frozen ocean.

Baffin : An Island Of Children
(France, 2006, Director Sam Beaugey, 36 min)

Understanding a country is only for those who are born and grow up in the place. Respecting their way of life and trying to understand form a part of the ecology.

It is not natural resources that Earth needs, but, even more, preserving what remains of Nature, within man, himself.

Six mountain climbers travel above the Arctic Circle to discover northwestern Nunavut in Canada . twenty-seven degrees below zero Celsius, a lost land of ice…and getting there was no easy task. They are welcomed by the inhabitants of Clyde River Village , a community of eight hundred Inuit people (Eskimos). With their help, they managed to get to the immense fjords on the Eastern Coast of Baffin Island, attempting to open a new ascension way…to climb to the top and perform "base-jumps".

To stretch their dream, wingsuits, skis, snowboards, para-gliders and kites all came into play.

Welcome to Baffin …the island for children !

The End of Time
(Canada , 2008, Director Carl Jacks, 18 min)

This film focuses on the flawless forging of free-from digital editing with a myriad of musical syncopation. Merging lucid whitewater visuals with ambient inspirations, TEOT welcomely incorporates pure artistic freedom in the now somewhat contrived mountain sports film domain.

The Sublimation Experiment
(USA , 2007, Director Chris Kitchen and Sam Pope, 13 min)

The Sublimation Experiment is a progressive alternative to the traditional ski film. It is not a story of big name pros, but a story of people who are devoted to the sport and to the mountains and who struggle to make it work, just like you and me. It is an experiment that follows the lives of a handful of individuals throughout the two winters of 2006 & 2007 as they showcase their skills while trying to sustain a lifestyle that is founded upon a common passion.

Portrait of a Serial Jumper
(Germany , 2008, Director Matthias Thönnissen, 12 min)

Norwegian André Bach is one of the pioneers of the international base jumping scene and started, like the most, as a reckless young man who had only one focus: B.A.S.E. jumping. In “Portrait of a Serial Jumper” Bach describes how his recklessness has changed without losing his passion. He moved from Oslo to the country and his new role as a husband and father has strongly affected the once so easygoing extreme athlete. Now precaution is his constant companion during his projects. Meanwhile his passion now is more than just a crazy hobby – it has become a mission and profession. André Bach shows that recklessness and responsible behaviour are not mutually exclusive.

Lost and Found
(USA , 2007, Directors TGR, 60 min)

Lost And Found is the story of the extraordinary season of 2007 as seen through the eyes of world-class skiers and snowboarders. With global drought persisting and ski resorts closing around the world, athletes are forced to follow the snow, sending them deep into the uncharted north country of Alaska and Canada . Filmed almost entirely in North America , Lost and Found is a testament to the terrain and conditions that only exist in the Western Hemisphere . This film will take you into the vast, unexplored Tordrillo Mountains of Alaska , proving that some of the best big mountain riding in the world is still completely undiscovered. Athletes take advantage of the bountiful winter in British Columbia , hit disturbing park features in Aspen and score over-the-head powder pillows at Skeena Heliskiing.

20 Seconds of Joy
(Germany , 2007, Director Jens Hoffmann, 60 min) – Invitational Film

The feature documentary, 20 Seconds of Joy, offers insight into the life, the fears and the career of BASE-Jumper Karina Hollekim, also the protagonist of Fatima 's Hand.

Within the 5-year-long project, the film depicts many emotional moments and gives the audience a view into Karina's thoughts, while simultaneously giving them a chance to understand the psychology of extreme sports, namely why someone would risk their life for a brief moment of happiness.

Weather We Change
(USA , 2007, Director Duane Kubischta, 13 min)

The film is a skiing adventure documentary that follows athletes who have taken a pledge to follow in the footsteps of pro skier Alison Gannett in search of a greener ski bum lifestyle. Mother Nature serves up a healthy dose of reality with a bleak early season, but these snow soldiers eventually find the deep powder that recharges their fight to save the snow. Stunning footage of the Swiss Alps, the best of the US 's West Coast, and an educational journey come together in an unforgettable film that shows how global warming is an issue that skiers cannot afford to ignore.

Taken by Everest
(Norway , 2007, Director Lars Nilssen, 52 min)

In May 2006, the two friends Tormod Granheim and Tomas Olsson were standing on the top of Mount Everest , ready to ski down the mountain. After four years of preparations they were going to be the first in the world skiing down Everest. Only one of them made it.

Back to Top

Finalists for Best film on Mountain Culture & Environment ;

3 Peaks 3 Weeks: For the People of Africa
(USA , 2008, Director Michael Brown, 52 min)

A team of 10 women from Australia and the USA come together to attempt to climb three of Africa 's highest peaks in less than three weeks. By challenging themselves to climb Mt Kenya , Mt Meru, and Mt Kilimanjaro they hope to raise money and awareness for three key issues affecting East Africa today: environment, education, and HIV/AIDS

The mission is to raise awareness for these peak issues and to support and encourage grassroots community organisations in Kenya and Tanzania who are focused on environmental, educational and health development. 

Edge of Eden : Living with Grizzlies
(Canada , 2007, Directors Jeff and Sue Turner, 88 mins)

In Kamchatka , the most easterly region of Russia , a little miracle with huge implications is in the works. Considered by many to be the most dangerous animal in the world the grizzly bear, an endangered species, finds a protector and defender in Canadian conservationist, Charlie Russell. As a surrogate mother he struggles to reintroduce orphaned cubs to the wild against the backdrop of a dramatic landscape filled with lurking predators and poachers. Filmed in the course of a year, this relationship is bound to fill you with awe and sure to win your hearts and minds.

Ausangate
(USA , 2006, Directors Andrea Heckman and Tad Fettig, 61 min)

This film documents the lives of Quechua people who live around Ausangate, a sacred peak in southeastern Peru . It is based on anthropological research conducted over twenty years and reveals how the weavers make textiles encoded with symbolic images that reinforce ancestral beliefs during rituals and in everyday life. Four Quechua people's stories are told against a backdrop of high Andean lakes and mountains showing a harsh existence possible only through a strong symbiotic relationship to their alpacas and llamas. From these animals they gain food, pelts, dried dung for fuel, transport for goods, and yarn for clothing. They maintain a deep integrity through their interconnectedness with the natural forces and their ritual relationships to Ausangate, and they still organize their labor and social relationships through the Inca social practices of ayni and ayllu.

Faced with the pressures of modernization, Quechuas are confronted with choices about whether to move to the cities in search of jobs and educations-- thus separating themselves from nature and from Ausangate- or to continue in a lifestyle that has sustained them for centuries. Theirs is a story of change incorporated onto a bedrock of tradition that is dynamic and capable of adaptation. The intention is to show how they make decisions about staying or leaving and what they choose from the outside world to incorporate into their isolated world.

Gimme Green
(USA , 2006, Directors Isaac Brown & Eric Flagg, 27 min)

Gimme Green is a humorous look at the American obsession with the residential lawn and the effects it has on our environment, our wallets, and our outlook on life. It's estimated that Americans use approximately 50 percent of their household water on their yards. By examining the social, commercial, and environmental pressures surrounding the green grass aesthetic, we begin to understand how a non-edible, resource-intensive plant could become our nation's largest irrigated crop. Spanning a wide range of perspectives and locales, and employing an engaging blend of gravity and levity, this documentary short examines Americans' true motives for maintaining a lush green lawn in their yards.

Searching for the Coast Wolves
(Germany , 2006, Directer Richard Matthews, 52 min)

This is a story of one woman's passion for wolves. Gudrun Pflueger is a former world champion cross-country skier and long-distance runner. For the last six years, she has been studying wolves in the wilds of Canada , collecting field data, hair, droppings, and other evidence for use in scientific projects on wolves. This film follows her as she goes in search of the coastal wolves of British Columbia .

  Back to Top

Finalists for Best NZ Made Film ;

iPlay
(NZ, 2008, Director Ben Prince, 2 min)

Imagine having the power to select more than just your music. Think about where you would want to go if you had the option. Being able to chose what you want to do at the push of a button. I'd know what I'd do, I'd go skiing.

First Light
(NZ, 2007, Director Guy Ryan, 5 min)

The journey begins in darkness. Everything is set in place. Yet nothing is definite. In the realm of the ocean there are so many variables. Even more so, when you're searching for some of the most perfect surf New Zealand has to offer. This film takes you on a journey around the magical Otago and Catlins coastline to discover epic surfing, on epic waves, at first light. The film was made as a student project through the Department of Design Studies at the University of Otago .

A Most Ambitious Journey By Canoe
(NZ, 2008, Director Krys Ivo Kristufek, 15 min)

Steve Gurney and Steve Moffatt re-enact the first ever Coast to Coast by George and James Park in 1889. They dragged, lugged and paddled heavy wooden canoes from Jacksons , up the Taramakau River , over Harper Pass , down the Hurunui River then down the coast to Sumner Beach. Moffatt does it exactly as George would have, with a heavy wooden canoe, an old blanket and oil skin while Gurney uses the latest equipment.

How About It
(NZ, 2007, Directors Chris Arnison and Tim Pierce, 41 min)

Shot on location all over New Zealand , this feature length mountain biking film sets a new standard for NZ made outdoor films. Featuring Brett Frew, Paul Needham, Cameron Cole, Eddie Masters, Wyn Masters, Ben Finney, Kieran Bennett, Sam Blenkinsop and Matt Scoles.

Dying for Everest
(NZ, 2007, Director Richard Dennison, 52 min)

In 2006 double amputee Mark Inglis reached the summit of Mt Everest. It was a remarkable achievement and Inglis was feted by the press and public alike. But only a few days later he was plunged into a storm of controversy when it was learned he and his team mates had passed an incapacitated climber, Englishman David Sharp, leaving him to a lonely death high in the Death Zone. To the casual observer it appears brutally callous that fellow mountaineers would not stop to help a climber who had been caught out and subsequently collapsed after spending a night in the Death Zone. Speaking for a past generation of mountaineers, Sir Edmund was appalled that Sharp was apparently left to perish. The world's media latched onto these comments giving Mark Inglis and his fellow climbers little opportunity to defend themselves.

But Inglis has his own story to tell. So too does his climbing companion, veteran Himalayan guide and cameraman Mark Whetu who lost his toes and nearly his life trying to rescue his friend Mike Rheinburger from the summit of Everest over a decade before. In 2006, facing a similar situation on Everest, Inglis and Whetu knew a rescue attempt so high on the mountain would endanger the lives of others and chose to leave the dying Sharp. So who is right?

In Dying for Everest we hear their stories and witness the strange effect Everest has on the rules of survival and finally, at the end, we are able to judge for ourselves the morality of climbing in the Death Zone.

  Back to Top