Bilbao, December 18, 2024. The 17th edition of BBK Mendi Film Bilbao Bizkaia was held from December 6th to the 15th and gathered 9,837 spectators, an increase of 34% over last year's number of spectators.
In addition, it has covered 81% of the capacity of the cinema sessions offered (77% with all the events of the program included). This percentage of occupancy represents a new record, the best of all editions so far, surpassing the 74% of 2022, and recovering from last year's drop of 60%.
In the venues of Euskalduna Bilbao and Sala BBK, this year a total of 23 film sessions have been offered, and in 10 of them the cinemas have filled, the tickets being sold out.
“An incredible atmosphere”. This has been underlined by both the public and all those who have come to Mendi Film to present their films. Bilbao has been a meeting point for more than 50 filmmakers, producers, and protagonists from all over the world, the base camp of the international community around mountain culture.
This was witnessed by representatives from the Basque Country and Spain, as well as from countries such as Japan, Pakistan, Australia, the United States, Canada and, above all, Europe. In addition, many representatives of international mountain film festivals have come to Bilbao, such as the Dutch Mountain Film Festival and the institutional committee of the city of Heerlen; the Korean delegation of the Ulsan-Ulju Film Festival and the Korean Mountain Federation; the Banff Festival of Canada; the Cracow Festival of Poland; or the Festival de Les Quais de L 'Aventure of Bordeaux, among others.
A special and emotional tribute was paid during the Opening Ceremony to the Japanese mountaineers Kazuya Hiraide and Kenro Nakajima, with the presence of the widow of Hiraide, Shoko Etoh, and their children. The presence of the Pakistani activist Aniqa Bano, the Italian writer Erri de Luca, and numerous directors also had a special shine: Eliza Kubarska, Bertrand Delapierre, Kenji Tsukamoto, Luke Kaneb, Marco Zingaretti, Mateo Maggi, Cristiana Pecci, Vincent Groos, Yohan Guignard, Pierre Cadot…
Among the locals, the Bilbao production companies Alborde Films and Labografías received the award for best direction with 'Flying Hands', with Marta Gómez and Paula Iglesias in the front row. Mikel Lizarralde is also delighted to receive the EITB award for Best Film in Basque with 'Zazpi', a film that brings to light the issue of Multiple Sclerosis.
Mendi Tour attendance
Another 13,000 spectators have joined throughout the year in the 88 Mendi Tour film sessions (50 locations/cities), making more than 23,000 people who have come to the call of the Mendi Film in 2024, almost 2,000 more spectators than last year.
Now is the time to work towards the start of the Mendi Tour 2025, a circuit that will start in January offering the possibility of seeing the best mountain films in different places. The Mendi Tour is the traveling exhibition of mountain cinema that starting in the Basque Country offers throughout Spain the best mountain cinema.
This will be the case until the end of the year. Then will come the 18th edition of BBK Mendi Film Bilbao Bizkaia: the festival will be held between December 5 and 14, 2025 next year.
