Winners DMFF Awards 2024

Prize winners DMFF Awards 2024

At the Award Show on Sunday 10 November 2024,  the winners of the Dutch Mountain Film Festival Awards 2024 were announced:

 

  • Winner of the Crossborder DMFF Award 2024 is Sandstone Lovers by Laurent Chevallier.
  • De Spiegel Best Newcomer Award 2024 went to Greylands by Charlotte Waltert and Alvaro Schoeck.
  • The Parkstad Limburg Jury Award 2024 has been won by the film Elevated Art by Timian Hopf.
  • The DAV Climate Award 2024 went to A Shepherd by Louis Hanquet.
  • Winner of the Best Mountaineering Film Award 2024 is Montserrat, Integral 107 by Biel Macià.
  • The Filmhub Zuid (jongeren) Award has been won by the film Let it Baern by Hannes Tell, Alice Martin & Lando Pföst.

Crossborder DMFF Award 2024 – Grand Prize

Les Amants du Grès / Sandstone Lovers – Laurent Chevallier

The winner of the DMFF Award 2024 goes to a voyage of discovery in a setting consisting of thousands of rocks made from compressed sand. Surrounded by the past, present and future, various characters tell their stories, intertwined with the landscape, light and atmosphere of the area. This is a well-made documentary that encapsulates how this place in nature has connected people throughout history, no matter the age or their profession. The characters have been carefully chosen, their stories and actions are fascinating and together form a whole. The documentary is also a respectful and intriguing plea for the preservation of a legendary climbing area, close to a European metropolis. And even frequent Bleau visitors will look at the beloved sandstone with new eyes after seeing this film. The jury is deeply impressed by this final result of years of dedicated filming by the artist. The Heerlen / Aachen DMFF Award 2024 goes to: Sandstone Lovers by Laurent Chevallier from France.

The DMFF Crossborder Award is sponsored by the city of Heerlen and Stadt Aachen.

 

Special mention: Magda – Adela Kaczmarek

A dynamic animated film with a bold visual style, this story follows an elderly Polish woman as she recounts memories from her youth, growing up in the mountains during the Second World War. At just 14, she is not a victim as one might expect, but rather a hero and a courageous leader of the resistance. Impressively simple in style, following in the footsteps of Mies: less is more.

De Spiegel Best Newcomer Award 2024

Greylands – Charlotte Waltert & Alvaro Schoeck

The winner of the Royal Best Newcomer Award sketches a windy last autumn day. The boundaries between dream and reality slowly blur. The twilight world between green alpine meadows and grey mountain walls is the inspiration for the filmmakers. From the very first minute, the jury was amazed and fascinated by the masterful way in which the makers carry their audience along. A poetic and subtle film that feels like watching a painting unfold. This work of art transports us to the mountains through simple splashes of colour and strokes of line. The makers show that they have a promising, boundary-pushing script. Following two different stories across two seasons, we explore a rich tapestry of emotions, leaving much open to interpretation.

The jury is therefore pleased to award the Royal Best Newcomer Award 2024 to ‘Greylands’ by Charlotte Waltert and Alvaro Schoeck from Switzerland.

De Spiegel Best Newcomer Award is sponsored by Filmhuis De Spiegel.

 

Special mention: In between these Mountains – Olivier S. Garcia

A sincere family drama unfolds in the mountains, drawing us deeply into the lives of its main characters. Two men with larger-than-life personalities, two mountains—a father and son—navigate their complex relationship, while a younger brother strives to bridge the gap between them. We commend the director that he was able, throughout this emotional rollercoaster, to capture it all on film and share this story with the audience. A beautiful debut from a brave young filmmaker.

Parkstad Limburg Jury Award 2024

Elevated Art  – Timian Hopf

The Dutch Mountain Film Festival 2024 focuses on the theme of Mountains and Man-made Structures. While in the past both aspects could coexist in a certain harmony, today this is significantly different. Residents of mountain regions can also have considerable differences of opinion among themselves against the backdrop of their beloved and familiar mountain landscape, as the makers of this documentary illustrate. While art in the built environment often leads to questions and raised eyebrows, this is even more intense in an unspoilt landscape with a traditional population, as this documentary shows. It unravels the various layers of an art event held in the mountains. As different “actors” present themselves, contrasting opinions emerge. The makers record the story of clinging to traditions versus the growing awareness of the need for change, against the background of major socio-economic and climatological changes. Rather than providing definitive answers, the film invites the audience to engage in a thoughtful discussion. A story from the mountains whose echo reaches far beyond, the jury concludes. And finally, does this film hold up a mirror to the DMFF as well? The jury presents the Parkstad Limburg Jury Award 2024 to ‘Elevated Art’ by Timian Hopf.

The Parkstad Limburg Jury Award 2021 is sponsored by Stadsregio Parkstad Limburg.

 

DAV Climate Award 2024

Un Pasteur / A Shepherd – Louis Hanquet

In this cinematic film, we follow a young shepherd as he carries on his family’s tradition, just like his father before him. The feeling of harmony when the animals move forward, when the herd spreads out before you and everything seems to be going well, is how the protagonist defines his idea of life fulfilment. While seasons and mountains offered their residents something to hold on to for decades or even longer, in recent years uncertainties, dangers and a new reality have also forced themselves upon them. The shepherd is aware of the obvious danger posed by wolves, but it seems that he fails to see a more subtle, yet significant threat that looms over their profession and way of life: climate change.

Climate change is happening faster than the life of the herd. The film tells the story about doubt, but also the insight that the mountain residents have to adapt. In the hope of continuing their lifestyle in an adapted form, with respect for their basis: nature. The sober camera work, unpolished observation in original combination with images of night-time danger contribute to this in a compelling way. The story of the shepherds is the story of all of us. The jury therefore awards the DAV Climate Award 2025 to ‘A Shepherd’ by Louis Hanquet.

The DAV Climate Award is sponsored by the Sparda Bank.

Best Mountaineering Film Award 2024

Montserrat, Integral 107 – Biel Macía

Montserrat, Integral 107 is part of the global trend towards long link-ups. In Barcelona’s back garden too, there looms a chain of 107 summits made of conglomerate just waiting to be traversed in one single go: Montserrat. The film ‘Montserrat, Integral 107’ captures the challenge beautifully. The cinematography is gripping, the landscape splendidly portrayed, and the bivouac sites are a dream. The makers know exactly how to strike the right chord: the viewer gets the urge to take up the challenge and go on their adventure! At times, the storyline gets a bit confusing, but this is more than compensated for by a friendly bunch of climbers of which the viewer feels part. A proper mountain film from an unexpected quarter!

The Best Mountaineering Film Award is chosen and sponsored by Klimwandspecialist.nl

The Filmhub Zuid Award (Youth Jury Award)

Let it Baern – Hannes Tell, Alice Martin and Lando Pföst

The Youth Jury has declared ‘Let It Bearn’ the winner: as young people, this film really appealed to us. We recognise the fact that the climbers interviewed felt that young people are not taken seriously enough and are subject to restrictions. The most bizarre things are simply not permitted and this dynamic film discusses these issues. It is incomprehensible that there are bans on climbing in the most innocuous places, whilst many can experience fun and freedom here. It goes without saying, of course, that climbing on houses, large buildings and structures should be prohibited for safety and security reasons, but in public places where there is no chance of damage, danger or disruption to other people, climbing should be possible. For us, ‘Let It Bearn’ is a film that represents young people and gives them a voice. Apart from all this, the film was beautifully made in a unique film style: old school, skatepunk with the use of animations, which we didn’t see in the other nominated films.

The Filmhub Zuid Award (Youth Jury Award) is awarded annually by a dedicated youth jury and is a collaboration between Filmhub Zuid, CineSud and the DMFF. This year, the five-member jury consisted of Caleb Hagenaars, Charlie Rook, Maxime Nüsser, Zoë Hermsen and Otto Hermans, fourth-year students at Broeklandcollege in Hoensbroek.