New Zealand Filmmakers Take Top Honours at NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival

The NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival has launched its 2023 programme and tickets are on sale. 

The programme boasts a world-class collection of speakers and adventure films. View the 2023 NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival teaser video here: https://mountainfilm.nz/festival-video/

The International Adventure Film Competition attracted 177 entries, with 58 films being selected to screen at the event; this includes 11 world premieres and 36 New Zealand premieres. As New Zealand's only adventure film competition the NZMFF is proud to be providing a platform for Kiwi creatives to showcase their talents. The 2023 programme includes 17 NZ-made films.

Nick Kowalski is the winner of the prestigious Hiddleston/ MacQueen Award and $2500 prizemoney for the Best NZ-made Film for his film Changabang: Return to the Shining Mountain.  

The film follows three climbers from the New Zealand Alpine Team as they try to repeat the iconic first ascent of the West Wall of Changabang made by British alpinists Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker in 1976 and featured in the book Shining Mountain. One of the team members, Kim Ladiges, will be speaking at the festival in Wānaka on Sunday 25 June. 

“As a keen mountaineer myself, making this film has been a real treat,” says Kowalski. “Getting to see behind the scenes of such a legendary climb and getting an insight into the minds of some of the best climbers in the world really has been special and I'm so stoked to receive the award and share the film with everyone.” 

Kowalski also takes out the award for Best Climbing Film – Enchainment which follows 2022 festival speakers Alastair McDowell and Hamish Fleming on their quest to enchain New Zealand’s 24 highest mountains above 3,000m in a continuous 31-day push. This is the first time in the festival’s 20-year history a NZ made film has won this award.

For the first time, a New Zealand director has also won the award for the Best Film on the Environment. NZ director Nathalie Nasrallah takes out the prize for her film For the Blue. Created and funded by a group of young ocean-loving Kiwis, the film details how plastic pollution is damaging our environment and shows real world solutions on how to fix it.

The film competition Grand Prize was awarded to UK director Jake for his film, New Way Up. The film is set in the Karakoram mountains in Pakistan where a team of climbers have an ambitious plan to scale a technical granite pinnacle that has never been summited, known as Gulmit Tower. The tricky part is the approach. Maybe a paraglider can help...  

“When we travelled to Pakistan, we really didn't know what we would get done,” Jake explains. “So much relies on the weather and conditions in the mountains. When Fabi and Will started to discuss the idea of attempting Gulmit Tower, an obvious story started to emerge, which as a filmmaker was a very exciting prospect.  For the film to win the grand prize, is a beautiful surprise.” 

The full list of award winners is as follows: 

Grand Prize  

New Way Up Director Jake Holland, UK 

Best Short Film Award  

Janwaar Director Danny Schmidt, USA.  

Best Mountain Culture Award    

Spindrift - The Barry Blanchard Story Director Ivan Hughes, Canada.  

Award for the Best Film on the Environment

For the Blue Director Nathalie Nasrallah, NZ

Best Climbing Film

Enchainment Director Nick Kowalski, NZ

Best Snow Sports Film  

Balkan Express Directors Philipp Becker and Johannes Mueller, Germany.    

Best Film on Adventurous Sports & Lifestyles

Wild Waters Director David Arnaud, France 

NZ Specific Awards: 

Hiddleston/MacQueen Award for Best NZ-Made Film 

Changabang: Return to the Shining Mountain Director Nick Kowalski, World Premiere  

Spirit of Adventure Award    

The Old School Coast to Coast Directors Dylan Gerschwitz and Deane Parker, NZ, World Premiere.  

Grass Roots Award  

Mitre Peak Director Jean-Luc Lazet.  

Making an Impact Award  

Turn the Corner Director Ned Brannigan, World Premiere.  

Best Cinematography Award  

Flow State Director Jacob Bowling, Producer Will Nelson.  

Best Documentary Award 

Mountain Turks Director Mark Johansson, NZ, World Premiere.  
 

“I’m quite chuffed and proud to see the quality of the NZ filmmakers and they really deserve the awards they received this year,” says Festival Director Mark Sedon. “Kiwis have adventure in our blood and we often play down our accomplishments, but with the use of film we can recreate and share these experiences and receive deserved praise from our peers.” 

Find the full festival programme and buy tickets at mountainfilm.nz

Programmes will also be available at Paper Plus in Wanaka or The North Face Store at 38 Shotover Street in Queenstown. The NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival will run in Wānaka from 23 – 27 June and in Queenstown from 29 – 30 June. The festival films will also be available to watch online in New Zealand and Australia from 23 June until 23 July.