We present the list of winners of the New Zealand Mountain Film Festival that took place from July 1st – 9th in Wanaka, Cromwell and Queenstown (New Zealand).

Grand Prize Winner

Locked In – First Descent of the Beriman Gorge by Bryan Smith & David Pearson – Austria | 53 min.

Four kayakers travel to Papua New Guinea to conquer whitewater that no kayakers have tried before: The Beriman River Gorge, one of the most dangerous and committing expeditions undertaken in a kayak.

Best Short Film

55 Hours In Mexico by Joey Schusler – USA | 9 min.

For those with 9 to 5 office jobs, the weekend is a source of freedom and balance. How adventurous can one get in a single weekend and 55 hours away from home?

Best Film on Mountain Culture

Mira by Lloyd Belcher – Hong Kong| 41 min.

Follow the journey of a spirited Nepali village girl on her pursuit to being a world-recognised mountain runner. This inspirational story tells of Mira’s journey in the face of adversity to compete against the world’s best mountain runners.

Best NZ Made Film – Hiddleston/MacQueen Award

Paddle for the North by Simon Lucas – New Zealand | 55 min.

Six mates paddled 1500km over six rivers in remote North America to show the world the true value of wild places.

Best Film on the Environment

Jumbo Wild by Nick Waggoner – USA | 60 min.

A film showing all sides of an epic struggle between backcountry protection and development in British Columbia’s iconic Jumbo Valley.

Best Film on Adventurous Sports & Lifestyles

The Rocky Mountains Traverse by Will Gadd and Gavin McClurg – Canada |25 min.

2010 Festival guest speaker Will Gadd grabs a thermal air lift towards Mt. Robson and then sets flight for the Canada-US border 640 kilometres away, hopping between seriously exposed landing sites where he would camp. A 35-day journey across rugged landscapes which is the longest air journey by a paraglider ever recorded.

Best Snow Sports Film

Degrees North by Guido Perrini – Switzerland | 54 min.

Hair-raising action footage of the most adventurous skiers and snowboarders with a story of adventure and discovery. The plan was simple – head to the remote northern territories of Svalbard and Alaska, then use a paramotor wing to access areas unreachable by helicopter. However the realities were not so simple.

Best Film on Climbing

A Line Across The Sky by Peter Mortimer & Josh Lowell – USA | 40 min.

The Fitz Roy traverse is a gnarly journey across seven jagged summits and over 4,000m of vertical climbing. Join Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold on the inspiring, and at times hilarious quest that earned the Piolet d’Or.

To know more about the festival you can see the FESTIVAL PROFILE or go to the official website HERE.