Lorea Bilbao Euskara, Kultura eta Kirol saileko Foru Diputatua, Gonzalo Olabarria Bilboko Udaleko Kultura Zinegotzia, Andoni Iturbe Eusko Jaurlaritzako Kultura Sailburuordea, Gorka Martínez BBK Banku Fundazioko Zuzendari Nagusia, Imanol Muñoz Ternua Group Sales & Marketing Manager, eta Jabier Baraiazarra BBK Mendi Film Bilbao-Bizkaia Zuzendaria

Bilbao, November 19, 2021. The 134th edition of BBK Mendi Film Bilbao-Bizkaia will be held from December 3rd to the 12th. It will be a special edition, conditioned by the pandemic. At the event held today at the Euskalduna Palace in Bilbao, the main sponsors and representatives of Mendi Film presented the festival.

BILBAO


BBK Mendi Film Bilbao-Bizkaia will be held with a face-to-face audience at three Bilbao venues: The Euskalduna Palace, the Golem Cinemas and the The Sala BBK theatre.

44 sessions have been scheduled in the 14th edition. 11 conferences and 6 exhibitions have been programmed too.

Tickets will be on sale through www.mendifilmfestival.com, and the Euskalduna, Golem Cinemas and Sala BBK online sales platforms, as of Monday, November 22.

 

ON-LINE

The films of BBK Mendi Film Bilbao-Bizkaia can be seen online, giving continuity to the 2020 offer that was so well received by fans of the genre. Using the on-demand formula by the Vimeo social network, you can buy either the full pack of the films in the Official Selection, thematic packs, or individual films.

The rental will be available from November 22 (pre-purchase) until December 12. The viewing period will come into effect on December 4.

Additional content on films will be offered, such as: synopsis and trailers, posters, directors' presentations, and subtitles created by Mendi Film in Basque and Spanish.

 

FILMS

52 films of mountain, adventure, extreme sports and nature will be screened.

  • 50 films in the Official Selection
  • 1 film in the non-competitive section Zabalandi
  • 1 film as the winner of the Mendi Film Bizkaia-Ternua Section

 

Premieres:

  • 11 World premieres
  • 22 Spanish premieres
  • 14 Basque Country premieres

 

There are 52 films, including feature films and short films, representing 11 countries, mostly European. Spain and France stand out with 15 and 10 films, of which 11 are Basque films. The United States having 7 films, and Canada 4, are the Non-European countries that remain faithful to the Bilbao event. United Kingdom (5), Italy (3), Austria (3), Slovakia (2), Germany (2) and the Polish-German-Swiss co-production 'Sciana Cieni (The Wall of Shadows)', complete a luxury selection for the imminent edition of Mendi Film.

The Mountain Culture has known how to overcome the pandemic. 192 films have been inscribed presenting their candidacy to be selected in the festival's 10-day program. It is a record number of films to be presented for the Mendi Film, surpassing the 175 of the year 2020. The new common unified entry form, of the 27 member festivals, of the IAMF-International Alliance for Mountain Film has been very productive, and has perfectly complemented the registration through the mendifilmfestival.com form.

  

RENOWNED FILMMAKERS

There are many top-notch directors featured in the limelight of the films in this edition. Six winners of the International Alliance for Mountain Film Grand Prize: Pavol Barabás, Alastair Lee, Eric Crosland, Peter Mortimer, Zach Barr and Keith Partridge. The shortlist is bountied by directors awarded at the Mendi Film: Paul Diffley, Eliza Kubarska, Jim Aikman, Mathieu Le Lay, Flo Gassner, Paul Schweller and Mikel Sarasola.

Such a roster of directors, joined by many others with their most recent productions, make the level of the films in this new edition excellent.

 

A WORLD PREMIERE FOR THE OPENING CEREMONY: ‘MENDIAK 1976’

The official Opening Ceremony will be held on Saturday, December 4, in the Auditorium of the Euskalduna Palace with the international premiere of the film "Mendiak 1976" directed by Luis Arrieta. It promises to be a session full of emotions and energy, since the Navarrese and Polish expedition members who in 1976 lived an intense history of brotherhood around a memorable rescue in Shakhaur (Afghanistan, 7,116 m.), will meet again 45 years later in Bilbao.

 

AWARDS AND TROPHEES

Grand Prize. “Eguzkilore” and 6.000 €

Best Director. “Eguzkilore” and 3.000 €

Best Cinematography. “Eguzkilore”and 2.000 €

Best Script. “Eguzkilore” and 2.000 €

Jury Prize. “Eguzkilore” and 2.000 €

Best Mountaineering Film. “Eguzkilore” and 1.200 €

Best Climbing Film. “Eguzkilore” and 1.200 €

Best Sport and Adventure Film. “Eguzkilore” and 1.200 €

Best Culture and Nature Film. “Eguzkilore” and 1.200 €

Best Soundtrack. “Txalaparta” and 1.200 €

Mejor Film in Basque. “Eguzkilore” and 1.000 €

Best Short Film. “Eguzkilore” and 1.000 €

Audience Award. “Eguzkilore” and 1.000 €

 

A new Award is to be premiered: The Best Soundtrack. A composer/author of a soundtrack will be awarded the financial prize and the 'Txalaparta' trophy created by the sculptor, Iñigo Aristegui, who is also the author of the 'Eguzkilore' trophies for the other awards.

 

JURY

The Jury of the 14th edition of BBK Mendi Film Bilbao-Bizkaia:

  • Mauro Leveghi, President of Trento Film Festival
  • Kepa Sojo, Filmmaker and script writer
  • Paula Olaz Moratinos, Creator of soundtracks for film, television, theatre, dance and video games
  • Arrate Landaluze, audiovisual translator
  • Joaquín Gómez, composer, sound designer and producer

 

MENDI TALK / PANEL TALK

CVCEPHOTO

Rafa Elorza - Jan Zahula - Sandi Bertoncelj - José Allende - Javier Urbón

Dec4 / Itsasmuseum / 11:00

PASIÓN Vs ALGORITHM

Jaume Ripoll (Filmin)

Dec5 / Itsasmuseum / 11:00

CIAK SI SCALA

Marco Ribetti - Roberto Mantovani - Jabi Baraiazarra

Dec5 / Sala BBK / 18:00

WOP MENDI FILM AWARD:

SEBASTIÁN ÁLVARO

Sebastián Álvaro

Juanjo San Sebastián 

Dec5 / Euskalduna / 20:00

MUSIC FOR MOUNTAIN FILM

Paula Olaz – Joaquín Gómez

Dec6 / Itsasmuseum / 11:00

ATXARTE FRIENDS

Arantzazu Saez de Lafuente

Dec7 / Itsasmuseum / 11:00

THE REGIL SAGA

Los Regil - EMMOA - Juanjo San Sebastian

Dec7 / Pangea The Travel Store / 18:30

EVEREST 1924: EL ENIGMA DE IRVINE Y MALLORY

Sebastián Álvaro – Darío Rodríguez

Dec7 / Euskalduna / 20:00

THE GEO-ESSENCE OF MOUNTAIN CINEMA

Eñaut Izagirre - Ibai Rico - Cecilia Buil

Dec8 / Sala BBK / 18:00

TIRICH MIR 1976 DREAMS OF YOUTH

Expedicionarios Tirich Mir + EMMOA + Presentación Javier Alonso Aldama "Jabo"

Dec8 / Pangea The Travel Store / 18:30

TOOLS TO DETECT FRAUD IN MOUNTAINEERING

Rodolphe Popier – Oscar Gogorza

Dec9 / Sala BBK / 18:00

MENDI FILM BIZKAIA-TERNUA GRANT

Lorea Bilbao (Diputada Foral de Euskera, Culura y Deporte) 

Imanol Muñoz (Ternua)

Jabier Baraiazarra (Director Mendi Film) 

Dec9 / Euskalduna / 20:00

 

EXHIBITIONS

Bilbao breathes mountains and nature from the hand of 6 exhibitions.

CVCEPHOTO 2021

Obras premiadas en el concurso internacional de fotografía de actividad de montaña CVCEPHOTO

*Presentación: 1 de diciembre / Itsasmuseum / 10:00

*Panel Talk: 4 de diciembre / Itsasmuseum / 11:00

Nov 15 – Dec14

METRO BILBAO

Zazpi Kale (Unamuno)

Abando (Berastegi)

Moyua (Diputazioa)

Indautxu (Urquijo)

San Mames (Intermodala)

 

Dec1 – Jan 9

ITSASMUSEUM

ROCK THE MOUNTAIN

Selección de piezas de la gran colección de vinilos de Museo de montagna

*Presentación: 26 de noviembre / 18:00

Nov 26 – Feb 12

SALA ONDARE

MENDIAN GORA

EMMOA – Museo del Montañismo Vasco

*Presentación: 29 de noviembre / 11:00 / Calle Cruz 11

Nov 29 – Jan 16

ALDE ZAHARRA erakusleihoak

VIZCAYANS UP IN THE HEIGHTS

EMMOA – Historia del montañismo vizcaíno

Nov 29 – Jan 16

PANGEA

The Travel Store

MOUNTAIN WOMEN

Mujer protagonista y referente como escaladora, alpinista y esquiadora de montaña

Nov 29 – Dec12

ZABALGUNE

eraikineko atrioa

ATXARTE

Exposición fotográfica: entorno de Atxarte, la cantera, el conflicto, aficiones…

*Presentación: 1 de diciembre / 10:00

*Mendi Talk: 7 de diciembre / Itsasmuseum / 11:00

Nov 29 – Jan 9

ITSASMUSEUM

 

 WOP MENDI FILM AWARD: SEBASTIÁN ÁLVARO

The journalist, filmmaker and mountaineer Sebastián Álvaro will be awarded the WOP-The Walk On Project Mendi Film 2021 Award. The award, given for the 8th time, recognizes the defence and practice of Mountaineering values.

The event will be held on Sunday, December 5, within the Euskalduna session that will begin at 8:00 p.m.

WOP Mendi Film Award

 

MENDI FILM BIZKAIA – TERNUA GRANT

Last year the  Mendi Film, the Provincial Council of Bizkaia and the outdoor clothing and material company Ternua created the grant that promotes young filmmakers, (18-35) ,  who want to join the trend of Mountain Cinema.

The short film ‘Txango’ directed by local filmmaker Tamara Lucarini Cortés, the grant recipient of the first edition, will premiere on Thursday, December 9 at the Euskalduna, at 8:00 p.m. It is there where the project awarded for the 2nd edition will be announced (to premiere at Mendi 2022), and the 3rd edition will be presented (for 2023).

 

MENDI FILM FESTIVAL

Mendi Film began its journey in 2008 in Vitoria-Gasteiz, and from 2012 it moved to Bilbao. It is one of the most anticipated cultural events at the end of the year in the capital of Biscay, as evidenced by the data of public attendance at the event:

Edition

Attendance

2012

4.772

2013

5.669

2014

7.371

2015

8.710

2016

9.117

2017

10.371

2018

12.008

2019

12.360

2020*

*Covid19 restrictions

5.578

 The festival is one of the great world references for mountain cinema, and is a member of the International Alliance for Mountain Film (IAMF), chaired by Jabier Baraiazarra, director of Mendi Film.

The gratitude to those who have accompanied us during this journey is infinite, even more so with the endorsed support in times of pandemic. Together we form a solid team.