Dawn Wall winner of the 13th Mountain Film Festival

Dawn Wall winner of the 13th Mountain Film Festival, praise also for the Slovenian Nepoškodovane.

The American film Dawn Wall, an honest portrayal of the thin line between dedication and obsession, is the winner of the 13th Mountain Film Festival. In addition to the main award of the city of Domžale, the festival jury awarded the best films among 32 entries in the competitive program in the categories of alpinism, climbing, mountains, sports and adventure, as well as mountain nature and culture; Televizija Slovenija also presented a special award. The jury's honorable mention in the mountain nature and culture category went to the Slovenian film Nepoškodovane. The award-winning films will be screened on Saturday and Sunday in Domžale, Ljubljana, and Radovljica; Cankarjev dom on Saturday will also host the presentation of the book by legendary Rado Kočevar, as well as lectures by Slovenian sport climber Klemen Bečan and Austrian alpinist Hansjörg Auer.



The main award of the city of Domžale was won by the film Dawn Wall by American directors Josh Lowell and Peter Mortimer, which is much more than just a depiction of the life ascent and test of friendship of Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson. "Josh Lowell and Peter Mortimer draw an exceptional portrait of life on a big wall. The film is an honest portrayal of the thin line between dedication and obsession, while constantly surprising and ensuring that the viewer never loses interest. A journey into the depths of Hades, from which escape is possible only in a solid partnership with a climbing partner," explained the festival jury, consisting of president of the International Mountain Film Association Javier Barayazarra, alpinist and filmmaker Stipe Božić, and photographer and cameraman Marko Magister.



The best alpinism film is Manaslu (Gerald Salmina, Germany), in which, through excellent photography, narration, and dramatized scenes, we learn about the successes and tragedies of Hans Kammerlander, while also revealing the beauty and cruelty of the mountains; the best climbing film is Free Solo (Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, USA) with incredible photography and an extremely demanding, almost impossible sports achievement, probably one of the greatest of the last century. The award for the best film about mountains, sports, and adventure went to Življenje z gorami (Grant Baldwin, Canada), a study and collage of exceptional people irresistibly drawn to life and adventures in the mountains; in the mountain nature and culture category, Zeleni Everest (Jean-Michel Jorda, France) triumphed, using exceptional footage and excellent narration to debunk media-created stereotypes about the growing number of visitors to the Himalaya and its highest peak, where a lot of trash remains. The award for the best short mountain film went to Viacruxis (Ignasi López Fàbregas, Spain), which excellently presents alpinism stereotypes and traditions.



The jury also awarded honorable mentions to the alpinism film Marcel na vrhuncu moči (Nicolas Falquet, Switzerland), the climbing film Odločitve (Teresa Hoerl, Germany), the film Odprava na konec sveta (Alastair Lee, UK) in the mountains, sports, and adventure category, and among films about mountain nature and culture, to the Slovenian Nepoškodovane by Rožle Bregar, Matic Oblak, and Miha Avguštin about the Balkan River Defence movement and its protagonist Rok Rozman, and about the last free-flowing rivers in Europe found in the Balkans. "With the entire Balkan River Defence team, with whom we connect with locals in the Balkans and fight against dams, we are more than satisfied that the film has been excellently received both at home and abroad. The documentary represents a top tool for raising awareness about this issue. This year we will fight for the fourth year. Come all see how we started this fight, which is pure rock n roll, and you will see that anyone can do something for preserving rivers and nature," invites director Bregar, who won at last year's Mountain Film Festival with the film Zadnji ledeni lovci.



Televizija Slovenija (the jury consisted of Aleša Valič, Andrej Otovčevič, and Andraž Pöschl) awarded the German film by Jochen Schmolla A. O. - V Coni, distinguished by its multi-layered deepening into the world of top climbing. The film narrative not only brings the viewer close to the extreme efforts and unimaginable details that lead to top results but also visually and emotionally draws them into the world of Adam Ondra's zone.



"We are concluding the biggest mountaineering celebration in the country. I hope I won't be too wrong if I predict that it will be attended by more than eight or nine thousand visitors in total. I am proud that the festival tree we planted in 2007 has grown so beautifully and borne abundant fruit. The recipe for this is very simple - you have to work with love and heart," emphasizes festival director Silvo Karo.



In addition to quality films, the Mountain Film Festival is characterized by lectures by prominent names from the world of alpinism and climbing. The sold-out Linhart Hall at Cankarjev dom was thrilled by the camaraderie of the members of the 1979 Everest expedition led by Andrej Štremflj, joined on stage by 13 other members of the expedition that toiled for victory on the world's highest mountain. The resonant ascent of Latok I was presented by the most successful alpinists of 2018 Aleš Česen and Luka Stražar; her alpinism path was vividly outlined by the most successful female alpinist of the previous year Marija Jeglič; American alpinist Colin Haley took the breath away with his story of sport alpinism in Patagonia, Canada, and Alaska; at the round table of the PZS Alpinism Commission, a debate ignited about drilling in the mountains. On Saturday, Rado Kočevar and Mojca Volkar Trobevšek will present the long-awaited book Tista lepa leta: Spomini Rada Kočevarja, sport climber Klemen Bečan will take the audience on a climbing journey around the world, and Austrian alpinist Hansjörg Auer will demonstrate his mastery of soloing the most difficult routes, which for him is Povsem običajno, as the lecture title goes.



The 13th Mountain Film Festival from February 18 to 24 brought to Cankarjev dom in Ljubljana, Mestni kino Domžale, Mestni kino Metropol in Celje, and Linhart Hall in Radovljica 32 films about alpinism, climbing, adventure, mountain nature, and culture, as well as numerous filmmakers. The film Utrinki iz Drašnic was enriched with a discussion by director Anja Bečan and protagonist Klemen Bečan, Lukomir, moj dom by authors Manca Filak and Žiga Gorišek. At the premiere screening of GreGor, the main character Gregor Selak and his family joined, along with the film's creators led by Alias Tepina and Tinet Škrbec. The film Nepoškodovane was sent off to audiences in both Radovljica and Ljubljana by the Balkan River Defence team with Rožle Bregar and Miha Avguštin, ultrarunner Katja Kegl Vencelj spoke at the screening of Tekači, and the film Onkraj stereotipov was presented by the creative duo Tina Lagler and Blaž Miklič. At the Manaslu screening, the main actor of the award-winning film Michael Kuglitsch joined, along with team members Katrin Pischounig and Michaela Wartbichler.



Screenings of award-winning films of the 13th Mountain Film Festival



CANKARJEV DOM, LJUBLJANA

Saturday, February 23

18.00, Linhart Hall: Viacruxis, A. O. - V Coni, Marcel na vrhuncu moči, Odprava na konec sveta

20.00, Kosovel Hall: Življenje z gorami



>>> rest of the program

16.00, Kosovel Hall: Rado Kočevar: Tista lepa leta (book presentation and discussion with authors, free entry)

18.00, Kosovel Hall: Klemen Bečan: Plezalni popotnik (lecture)

20.00, Linhart Hall: Hansjörg Auer: Povsem običajno (lecture)



KINO RADOL'CA, RADOVLJICA

Saturday, February 23

18.00: Dawn Wall

20.00: Manaslu



MESTNI KINO DOMŽALE

Saturday, February 23

18.00: Viacruxis, A. O. - V Coni, Marcel na vrhuncu moči, Odprava na konec sveta

20.00: Manaslu



Sunday, February 24

18.00: Dawn Wall

20.00 Free Solo