NZ Mountain Film Festival 2015 – Kiwi Filmmakers Shine

NZ Mountain Film Festival 2015 – Kiwi Filmmakers Shine


The 2015 NZ Mountain Film Festival line-up sees Kiwi adventurers, Directors, environmentalists and filmmakers, shine. New Zealand films have been awarded top accolades at this years’ event and unprecedentedly taken out the award for the Best Environmental film.

This year the festival will also feature several unseen films as it hosts 4 world premiers. The Best NZ film captures and presents the true spirit of the festival perfectly with heart stopping footage, beautiful scenery and wonderful storytelling.

The award for the Best NZ film goes to a phenomenal short film and a prime example of the cinematographic caliber and stunning content of films at this years’ festival. David Walden Directs and features in ‘2 Minute Men’ a mindblowing exposé of a 1800m wingsuit descent from Rob Roy Low Peak to the valley floor in Aspiring National Park. Audiences can expect to view this world premier with their hearts in their mouths.

A different view of the wilderness in which Walden and his team play is seen through the lens of the nature warriors that work so hard to conserve it.

Brendon Maloney, wildlife documentary maker offers the audience a glimpse of the Department of Conservations’ activity in Fiordland to eradicate pests and save New Zealand’s native vegetation. ‘Pest Free?’ wins the Best Environmental Film award for 2015. This film follows passionate DOC rangers into the depths of New Zealand’s most remote and precious native forests and tells the story of the hard fought battle to save our national treasures from pests.

The films at the festival will showcase adventures that include first ascents, first flights, first descents and final frontiers. It is fitting that the festival will feature 4 world premiers and reveal never seen before footage of climbing, freeskiing, wingsuit base jumping and youth development in the outdoors. World premiers include ‘Re-Establishment’ a short film that follows Freeskier Sam Lee on his journey recovering from injury back to the Freeride World Tour. ‘The Moments We Make’ by NZ Director and festival stalwart Paul Hersey, follows two teams as they attempt to reach 6815 metre summit Anidesha Chuli, an unclimbed mountain in eastern Nepal. ‘Branches Camp - Learning in the Outdoors’ presents an insight into how Kiwi kids can get a taste for adventure as it retraces a three-day tramp to Lake Lochnagar.

Festival Director Mark Sedon comments, “It is extremely satisfying to see so many high quality Kiwi films winning awards at this years festival. The level of the films increases year on year and the creativity of not only the filmmaking but also in the adventures people are dreaming up and undertaking is awesome. We hope the festival continues to inspire more films and more adventures.” The festival programme is released, other awards announced and tickets go on sale June 3rd.

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About the New Zealand Mountain Film Festival

The NZ Mountain Film Festival will return to Wanaka and Queenstown for it’s thirteenth year on July 3 to 11.

The Festival is run by a non-profit charity organisation aimed at encouraging people, especially youth, to enjoy safe adventures in the outdoors. The films inspire healthy and active lifestyles and the outdoor backdrops set the scene for addressing current environmental issues.

The Festival holds an international adventure filmmaking competition that receives submissions from filmmakers from all corners of the globe. The finalists make up the Festival programme screened in Lake Wanaka Centre and Queenstown Events Centre. The standard is exceptionally high and the event sits on the world stage alongside the well know Banff and Kendal Mountain Film Festivals. Entries for film submissions close on April 30th.

The Festival includes many additional activities and events that celebrate and promote adventurous lifestyles. There is an interactive adventure film editing competition, an art exhibition and international guests and Kiwi adventurers will regale audiences with tales of their journeys, challenges and exploits. The Adventure Film School, avalanche safety and environmental lectures, writing, art and photography workshops round off a programme that provides something for everyone.

The Festival has a history of inspiring adventurers and filmmakers to take more adventures and make more films. The inspirational power of this Kiwi Film Festival continues to motivate and empower audiences to seek safe and healthy adventures. Capturing adventuresome fun on film perpetuates this cycle year on year, as audiences look forward to the next instalment of the NZ Mountain Film Festival.

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