„Valley Uprising” wins Grand Prix KFG 2014

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„Valley Uprising” wins Grand Prix KFG 2014

On Sunday afternoon, this year’s winners of the International Film Competition and the Polish Film Competition were announced during the official award ceremony of the 12th Krakow Mountain Festival (12 KFG).
12 films, including 4 Polish productions, participated in the International Competition. The Jury of 12 KFG, consisting of Jerzy Surdel, Martyna Wojciechowska, Katarzyna Kalwat, Marcin Koszałka and Robert Sowa, chose to award the Grand Prix to „Valley Uprising”, directed by Peter Mortimer, Nick Rosen and Josh Lowell. The Jury explained its decision in the following words:

The Jury wanted to distinguish the immense creative effort put into the film by its makers, which allows us to get acquainted with the most comprehensive documentation of Yosemite climbing history. In this film great historical figures, that have shaped the global history of mountaineering, have been de-demythologized through employment of witty and innovative language. Moreover, this film should have won additional prize in the category: The Greatest Mountaineering Comedy.

The jury member Martyna Wojciechowska is presenting the Grand Prix KFG 2014 (fot. Wojciech Lembryk / KFG)

The jury member Martyna Wojciechowska is presenting the Grand Prix KFG 2014 (fot. Wojciech Lembryk / KFG)

The First Award of the International Film Festival went to Thomas Dirnhoffer for his film „Cerro Torre. A Snowball’s Chance in Hell”.

This epic story, narrated in modern language, was juxtaposed against historical climbing achievements – this provokes viewers to ponder on the issue of faithfulness towards one’s ideals. According to the 12 KFG Jury, the film presents an intriguing psychological portrait of David Lama – his faith in his own climbing goals, but also his personal evolution in recent years. Additionally, the Jury appreciated an exceptionally high visual level of the picture – as we may read in the Jury’s statement.

Jury member Martyna Wojciechowska is presenting the Secound Award of the KFG (fot. Wojtek Lembryk / KFG)

Tje jury member Martyna Wojciechowska is presenting the Secound Award of the KFG (fot. Wojtek Lembryk / KFG)

The Special Mention of the International Film Competition was given to „Distilled” by Paul Diffley. The Jury emphasised the quality of camerawork and photographic asceticism of shots dominated by white.

Now let’s consider results of the Polish Film Competition for which 14 films were selected.

I Nagroda w Konkursie Filmu Polskiego (fot. Wojciech Lembryk)

The First Award of the Polish Film Competition – Wojciech Jachymiak and the film – „Halny. Morfologia tematu” (fot. Wojciech Lembryk / KFG)

The First Award of the Polish Film Competition went to Wojciech Jachymiak for his film „Halny”. The film was awarded for its unconventional approach to the complex, scientific subject of halny wind and the artistic presentation of nature and this atmospheric phenomenon.

The Second Award of the Polish Film Competition went to Julian Rachwał for his film „Podkrakowskie do-liny”.

Respect for the author’s tenacity! The award was given in recognition of consequent visual stylistics of the 1980s. This consequence allowed the author to construct an authentic portrait of people and places that most influenced the beginnings of Polish sport climbing.

The film „Unplugged”, directed by Rafał Szopa and Maciej Tarnawski was distinguished with the Special Mention for:

Credible presentation of alienation of people living on the margins of traditional lifestyle, not only in case of climbing. This film provokes reflections on the subject of counter-cultural models of functioning in the society.

Furthermore, the Special NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER Award was awarded by Martyna Wojciechowska(Editor in Chief) to „Dzięki wszystkim, jesteście wielcy!” by Szymon Kowalczyk and Adam Śmiałek. Martyna Wojciechowska motivated the award as follows:

This special award goes to the film makers and, maybe even more importantly, to the main character of the film – Olek Ostrowski – for his distance towards himself and the world despite his great achievement; for his sense of humour, authenticity and resistance to commercialization. Olek, keep up the good work! Thank you so much, you’re great!

This year, the audience fully agreed with the Jury and decided that the Audience Award should go to the film „Valley Uprising”.

There were two additional specialized awards – the Best Climbing Film and the Best Freeriding Film. The Best Climbing Film Award was granted by wspinanie.pl to „Free Stone” by Alastair Lee, while „Trial and Error” was chosen by the Pure Powder as the Best Freeriding Film.

We heartily congratulate all winners!

The screening of the "Metanoia" (fot. Wojtek Lembryk / KFG)

The screening of the „Metanoia” (fot. Wojtek Lembryk / KFG)

The Polish premiere of „Metanoia”, a film by Jim Aikman, should be considered a separate and unique event during Saturday screenings at the Krakow Mountain Festival. The film, which has recently won Best Mountaineering Film at the Kendal Festival, was also appreciated by Polish audience. The hall was packed and the final applause was deafening. This was owed to the film’s director, but above all to the protagonist of the film – Jeff Lowe, who is unquestionably one of the greatest figures in the history of climbing.

The word metanoia (meaning 'change’ or 'transformation’, and also a name of Lowe’s route on the North Face of Eiger, whose establishing marked a very symbolic moment in Jeff’s life) conveys the essence of the film – transformation of the main character’s way of thinking, perception of the world and his attitude to life.

Metanoia is a portrait of an exceptionally creative climber, a true master of his trade, who exhibits a great self-confidence in his climbing. At the same time, this is a story of a lost man who is is not fully reconciled with his life and people surrounding him. Furthermore, it is a cinematic reflection upon passage of our life, encounter with our mortality and ways of dealing with the inevitable. It was worth sitting in front of the screen and allowing ourselves to get immersed in the atmosphere of the film. We strongly recommend this film to anyone who hasn’t seen it yet.

 

Awards of the 12th Krakow Mountain Festival

 

Grand Prix KFG 2014

Valley Uprising w reżyserii Petera Mortimera, Nicka Rosena i Josha Lowella

 

Secound Prize

Cerro Torre. Szanse kuli śnieżnej w piekle w reżyserii Thomasa Dirnhoffera

 

Best Climbing Film, Wspinanie.pl Prize

Free Stone w reżyserii Alastaira Lee

 

Best Freeride Film, Pure Powder Prize

Trial and Error w reżyserii Simona Platzera

 

Public Choice Award

Valley Uprising w reżyserii Petera Mortimera, Nicka Rosena i Josha Lowella

 

Special Jury Mention

Distilled w reżyserii Paula Diffley’a

 

First Prize Polish Film Competition

Halny. Morfologia tematu w reżyserii Wojciecha Jachymiaka

 

Secound Prize Polish Film Competition

Podkrakowskie do-liny w reżyserii Juliana Rachwała

 

Special Jury Mention

Unplugged w reżyserii Rafała Szopy, Macieja Tarnawskiego

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More photos – KFG FB Profile.