- Fredom Under Load has been chosen the Best Film of 9th edition of the Bilbao Mendi Film Festival by the Jury, due to its “beauty, hope and the modesty of this perfect movie”
- Those are the other winners: Anca Damian (La Montagne Magique) Best Director, Samuel in the Clouds as the Best Cinematography, The Important Places as the Best Script, The Great Alone as the Jury Prize, E.B.C. 5.300m as the Best Short Film, Link Sar West as the Best Mountaineering Film, Boys in the Bugs as the Best Climbing Film, Dodo´s Deligth as the Best Sport and Adventure Film, Above The Alley, Beneath the Sky as the Best Mountain Culture and Nature Film
- NON STOP Programme:
The Slovakian film directed by Pavol Barabas, and produced by K2 Studio, has won the “Eguzkilore” and 6.000 euro because “it's a beautiful film and it offers hope, in a modest way. It's a film about the faith, and the devotion in the wonderful mountains of Tatra. The film offers calm and harmony, both very necessary nowadays”.
Those are the other winners:
Best Director (Eguzkilore and 3.000 euro): Anca Damian, for her film La Montagne Magique, a Romanian-Polis-French coproduction. The film has got the recognition owing to the excellent narration of a real history by using different animation techniques. It keeps the interest of the spectators in all the lenght. Anca Damian demostrates in each scene an amazing imagination and originality.Best Cinematography (Eguzkilore and 2.000 euro): The Belgium film Samuel in the Clouds, directed by Peter Van Eecke and produced by Clin d´oeil films, has won this prize owing to the sense of observation and pacience. Not only shows the beauty of the landscape in Bolivia, but it also narrates the story of a lovely personality and the nature around him. Thanks to this cinematography we can understand what Samuel feels while watching how the world changes around him.
Best Script (Eguzkilore and 2000 euro): The American film The Important Places, directed by Gnarly Bay and Forest Woodward, wins the prize for weaving youth an aging, and enlightenment of the flow of nature and life in a very elegant way.
Best Climbing Film (Eguzkilore): the American film Boys in the Bugs directed by Zachary Barr, Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen, produced by Sender Films has won the prize. Excellent camera work accompanies them in the world of splitter seams and smooth slabs.
Best Mountain Culture and Nature Film (Eguzkilore): Above the Alley, Beneath the Sky directed by Dominic Gil and produced by the American Encompass Films, it's a life lesson and a message of hope for a better tomorrow, linked to a sport like climbing.
The Jury has been formed by the Basque Director Jon Garaño; the Polish Director Pawel Wisoczanski; the Director of Coupe Icare, the Free Flight Festival of France, Hélios Gracia; the Director of the Mountaineering Festival in Gorniskega, Silvo Karo, and the programmer of UMFF in South Corea, Billy Choi.
Audience Award, spectators have given their vote to Jean Troillet, Toujours Aventurier, film directed by Sébastien Devrient.
The schedule of the Non Stop sessions for the Sunday, 18th December: 12.00h:LINK SAR WEST 32’BOYS IN THE BUGS 18’JEAN TROILLET, TOUJOURS AVENTURIER 54’ 15.00h:THE IMPORTANT PLACES 9’ABOVE THE ALLEY, BENEATH THE SKY 24’SAMUEL IN THE CLOUDS 70’ 17.15h:DELIVERY OF PRIZESE.B.C. 5300m 15’FREEDOM UNDER LOAD 58’ 19.30h:THE GREAT ALONE 80’DODO’S DELIGHT 28’