VIMFF Film Competition – Winning Films

Festival Grand Prize (Best Film Overall, sponsored by Petzl)
TERRA ANTARCTICA – REDISCOVERING THE SEVENTH CONTINENT
(USA, 2009, directed by Jon Bowermaster)
Jury statement: Jon Bowermaster takes us with stunning images on his sailing boat and kayak right into the beauty of the seventh continent. A place, not many of us will ever have the chance to see. He delivers a subtle message about climate change as we visit various research stations. The funding acquired for this film shows in professional visuals and a round delivery.

Best Film on Mountaineering (The Alpine Club of Canada Award)
SAMSARA
(USA, 2009, directed by Renan Ozturk)
Jury statement: This film about the attempt of a first ascent of a granite route in India pushes the boundaries of conventional filmmaking technologies by combining graphic art with the mountaineering experience of Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin and Renan Ozturk. They kept on filming while trapped in a porter ledge for more than 10 days in a snow storm and under extreme conditions on the rock face.

Best Canadian Film (Festival Award)
FINDING FARLEY
(Canada, 2009, directed by Leanne Allison)
Jury statement: A couple travels with their two-year old from Alberta to Newfoundland in a canoe for 7000km following Farley Mowat’s books and revisiting the places he described in his novels. The film was chosen for it’s wonderful depiction of Canadian landscapes and the Canadian psyche (maybe better: way of life). The filming was entirely done by themselves, which means stopping on the shore, setting up the camera, paddling through the frame multiple times, paddling back, packing the camera.

Jury's Award (Festival Award)
RUSH HOUR DREAM
(Germany, 2009, directed by Karim Jaspersen)
Jury statement: This short film caught the jury’s attention on multiple levels. It manages to tell a complete story in only 5 min, is well shot, well acted, makes you laugh, surprises you and brings up the desire to try out paragliding.

Best Film on Mountain Culture (B.C.M.C. Award)
LINES OF FLIGHT
(UK, 2009, directed by Sal Brown & Martin Wood)
Jury statement: Although, this film shows mostly free solo climbers, the jury decided to award this film in the mountain culture category. This beautifully made film avoids every cliché of rock climbing and offers a different view on climbing. It proposes a clear connection between people from a specific area, in this case the Peak District in the UK and its history of mining and textile manufacturing.

Best Film on Rock Climbing (Katherine Rae Award)
WELSH CONNECTIONS - PEMBROKE
(UK, 2009, directed by Dave Brown)
Jury statement: The viewer is drawn right into the gripping climbing experience of UK climber Timmy Emmett who is climbing two lines on smooth looking slate on a cliff in Wales. The film is very well shot, especially the audio composition is beautifully done. While the waves are breaking below and the soundtrack carries the moment one can still hear Sonny breath and puff. You will see later in tonight what is going to happen.

Best Film on Mountain Biking (Festival Award)
FREEDOM RIDERS
(USA, 2009, directed by Sam Pope & Chris Kitchen)
Jury statement: The jury had no difficulty with choosing this film. It is a rare biking film with a message about responsible trail building. The story is comparable to the ventures of the North Shore community. The film starts with trail building shots in the dark – all very subversive. A group of riders build some illegal trails in a US provincial park until they were discovered. The parks administration agreed to join forces to re-build and maintain several trails, but also to prohibit further damage to the park. Revolution turns to Evolution.

Best Film on Skiing (Festival Award)
WHITE NOISE
(Switzerland, 2008, directed by Dominique Perret)
Jury statement: White Noise shows the pure experience of skiing and the unique athleticism of Dominik Perret. Reduced to the pure visual impression - Dominik is dressed in white - nothing comes between the viewer and the essence of the sport. Even the audio track is keyed to the action.

Best Water Film (Festival Award)
ROWING THE ATLANTIC
(USA, 2009, directed by JB Benna)
Jury statement: Roz Savage sets out to row across the Atlantic all by herself with not much rowing, filmmaking or ocean experience. A very inspiring adventure. All the camera work is obviously done by herself. Imagine a rowboat with a very small sleeping compartment – a very confined space, however she was able to do a lot with very little. Despite all the hardships of all four oars breaking and having to cut the anchor she made it from the UK to Monaco.

Best Environmental Film (Festival Award)
WHAT WOULD DARWIN THINK – MAN VS. NATURE
(USA, 2009, directed by Jon Bowermaster)
Jury statement: The message is clear in this film stuffed with beautiful shots of all the famous Galapagos species such as the turtles, iguanas and marine life. Simply too many people are pressuring the 3% of the island that is accessible for the public. Tourists and the people depending or co-depending on tourism “visiting” nature to death.