Mendi Film and the Biscay Provincial Government announce the 5th edition of the Mendi Film Beka grant, aimed at the creation of documentary film projects whose aim is the audiovisual promotion of Mountain Culture.
Mountain Culture is understood from multiple points of view, whether sporting, cultural, social or projects related to sustainability, ecology and/or climate change. The youth of the filmmakers, the projects filmed in Bizkaia, and the local-global nature of the projects will be considered. However, none of the three will exclude factors when obtaining the grant.
The grant consists of a financial contribution of 10,000 euros and an accompanying program to develop the selected project. The main novelty of this 5th edition is that it is open to both amateur filmmakers and experienced professionals, as long as they reside in Spain, and that there are no age restrictions for applicants over the age of 18.
The selection process will consist of two phases. In the first one, the five finalist projects will be selected to move on to the next phase. In the final selection phase, which will take place in person during the 17th edition of the BBK Mendi Film Bilbao-Bizkaia, a jury made up of members of the audiovisual community and the mountain world will rule on which of the projects is to be awarded the 5th Mendi Film Grant.
The project will be premiered at the BBK Mendi Film Bilbao-Bizkaia festival in 2025.
The deadline for the submission of applications is the 30th of September 2024. The terms and conditions and the application form can be found at www.mendifilmfestival.com.
The project idea must be original. And the theme of the projects submitted must be oriented towards mountain sports (mountaineering, climbing, hiking, skiing, mountain biking, trail-running, kayaking, caving, slackline, paragliding, and others), adventure, exploration, nature, other cultural, artistic, linguistic, social or economic activities, ecology, sustainability and/or climate change. All of them developed in the mountain environment.
The sponsors of the grant are active agents in these facets:
The Biscay Regional Government stands for the identity of the territory, promoting its preservation and knowledge.
The Mendi Film Association spreads Mountain Culture to the four winds through the International Mountain Film Festival BBK Mendi Film Bilbao-Bizkaia, and during the months of the Mendi Tour circuit. It is a member of the International Alliance for Mountain Film, which is a major player in the industry of this film genre.
5th edition
The first edition of the Mendi Film Beka was held in 2020. Since then, three films have been premiered at Mendi Film and a fourth is in the pipeline.
2021: TXANGO
The first fruit was Basque director Tamara Lucarini's film "Txango", premiered at Mendi Film 2021. A meeting between four people to complete the excursion from Bilbao to the Pagasarri. Four girls, from diverse backgrounds, who, without having mountaineering habits, get together under the pretext of the excursion.
2022: LOBOS
The Catalan director Marina García Andreu received the impulse of the Grant in the second call with the project "Lobos". The film premiered at Mendi Film 2022 and focuses on the unease and superstitions generated by the presence of the wolf in rural villages in Asturias.
2023: OINEZ
The winning project of the 3rd call of the grant is directed by the Basque filmmaker Leire Egaña with the film "Oinez", a story that takes us to the essence of mountaineering: sharing the path at a leisurely pace. This film can be seen in the Mendi Tour 2024 along with the best films of Mendi Film. Between January and November, the Mendi Tour circuit reaches fifty towns and cities all over Spain.
Finally, the winning project of the 4th call of the grant, HIGHLINE NERVIÓN, is now being made. It is a film directed by the Andalusian filmmaker Dani Cascales, and is based on the high-line activity carried out by members of the Oreka Tolosa and Slackline Pays Basque, in the Nervión jump, crossing a 900-metre-long line.
