Winning films 2025
Grand Prix
Champions of the Golden Valley (US, 2024) – The documentary film by director Ben Sturgulewski received the highest award. Jury member Martin Krasňanský shared his thoughts on the film: “There are films that entertain, there are films that inspire, and then there are films that stay with us, resonating long after the credits roll – urging us to ask questions about ourselves, the world around us, and our place within it. Champions of the Golden Valley is undoubtedly one of those films. Set against a landscape perpetually covered in snow – and even more so in uncertainty surrounding freedom and rights – ski races begin to take place through a nearly unbelievable twist of fate. A passion that unites young men and women from rival ethnic groups brings about solidarity, joy, and triumph. It highlights the strength of the individual within a society even more vividly. But nothing lasts forever. A beautiful dream turned reality, showcasing the very best of humanity and what truly matters in life, is soon met with the harsh truth of losing what is most precious – freedom. And once again, we are challenged to rise and move forward. A powerful story, masterfully crafted by Ben Sturgulewski, that touches the viewer’s heart and rightfully garners awards around the world.”
Jury Award
Descendance (AT, 2023) – The film Descendance tells the story of professional skier Dennis, who uses sport as a way to cope with his racial otherness and to search for his roots in Ghana, Africa. The powerful theme of identity is intertwined with his genuine passion for skiing, while the film amplifies this personal narrative with visually striking shots from the field. Beyond the aesthetic experience, the film raises questions about persistent racial stereotypes in traditionally defined sports categories, to which skiing still belongs. And although it might seem that the topic of racism in sports has already been overcome, the film reminds us that it still persists. Descendance stands out for its visual quality, the heartfelt confession of the main protagonist, and his pure joy of skiing, which the camera captures perfectly, says jury member, university lecturer, and co-organizer of the Hory a Mesto festival in Prešov, Martina Martausová, about the film by directors Michael Haunschmidt and Mathias Kögel.
Literary Fund Award
JAMES – Storočie nad oblakmi (SR, 2024) – Director Pavol Barabáš made a film about a legendary mountaineering club: “This year, the Literary Fund Award goes to a film that captured and expressed the significance of the history of Slovak mountaineering. The film deserves this award especially because it reflects a timeless tradition built by mountaineers in Slovakia over the past 100 years. The award goes to the film, but above all to the people behind this story—those thanks to whom this tradition, founded on friendship, a love for the mountains, and freedom, continues to endure,” summarized jury member and representative of the Literary Fund, Paľo Pekarčík.
Special mention WATER
Big Water Theory (FR, 2024) – Director Emile Dominé brings us a French cinematic delicacy. “Almost everyone has experienced sweaty palms while watching a film at a mountain festival. But rarely is that feeling associated with kayaking… Usually, the viewer holds their breath, trying not to drown alongside the film’s heroes. In Big Water Theory, it’s not just about adrenaline—it’s a metaphor for uncertainty, impermanence, and the question of how long water will keep flowing for us. In one of the deepest canyons in the world, we struggle not only with a wild river, but with the very meaning of our direction,” reflects jury member, director, cinematographer, and producer Paľo Pekarčík.
Special mention EARTH
Emme | A Wolf’s Odyssey (UK, 2024) – Director Veronica Ciceri embarks on a journey alongside a tracked wolf. “The debut documentary by director Veronica Ciceri follows the life journey of a single wolf—from birth to death. At the same time, it delivers a message about our relationship with the wilderness, which people try to push as far away as possible from their homes, their property, and their minds. Yet despite these efforts, the wild still manages to cross our paths—often without us even noticing. The tracked wolf, Emme, avoided Slovakia, only to be shot dead by a Hungarian hunter. It’s a sad reality, but I must admit that had he passed through Slovakia, his fate would very likely have been the same,” explains jury member, dramaturge, and founder of the 4 Elements Festival in Banská Štiavnica, Silvia Klasová.
Special mention ROCK
The Cobra & The Heart (US, 2025) – The film by director Josh Lowell, part of the Reel Rock 19 series, is reviewed by jury member Martina Martausová as follows: “The Cobra and the Heart captures, in a time-lapse style, 20 years of a turbulent relationship between two exceptional climbers—Thomasina from Canada and Didier from the Swiss Alps—who, after more than 15 years apart, find their way back to each other through climbing in Squamish, Canada. The film sensitively handles the authenticity of their testimonies by presenting both perspectives, effectively intertwining their life paths—Didier’s climbing failure, religious transformation, and years spent in a cult, with Thomasina’s journey as a single mother and professional boulderer living a nomadic life. The film stuns the viewer with its unfiltered honesty, authentic camerawork, and the raw romanticism of the entire story—all set against the backdrop of a climbing community for whom climbing is not just a sport, but above all a passion and a way of life.”
Special mention AIR
Des équilibres (FR, 2024) – “The film Des équilibres follows a group of highliners known as the ‘Travelers of the Void’. As they move through space, they seek a silence that emerges when a person is truly present—fully aware of being exactly where they are. And that presence is something we can watch with fascination throughout the film. Its length and spectacular visuals allow us, at least for a moment, to turn inward alongside the main protagonists. In today’s information-saturated world, it is a truly inspiring film,” says jury member Paľo Pekarčík about the film by director Antoine Mesnage.
Special jury mention
Bleau dans la Peau (FR, 2024) – “There are many ways to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the first 7A boulder in the legendary Fontainebleau. Seb Berthe and Hugo Parmentier chose a truly original one: to climb 100 boulders graded 7A in a single day, moving between sectors only by bike or on foot – covering over 80 kilometers. Documentarian Jerôme Tanon decided to capture this ‘cocktail’ of maximum strength, time pressure, and above all, pure fun in the way bouldering itself should be portrayed: direct, honest, with no unnecessary effects – yet still beautifully, in that unmistakably French way,” summarizes climber and host of the successful podcast Za skalami, Martin Krasňanský.
Special jury mention
Ostatnia Wyprawa (PL, 2024) – “A powerful portrait of a remarkable personality – Polish mountaineer Wanda Rutkiewicz. Several documentaries have been made about this extraordinary, nonconformist woman who never quite ‘fit in’ and stirred significant controversy even during her lifetime. Eliza Kubarska’s film offers an excellent entry point into Wanda’s mental world, thanks to archival footage that allows Wanda herself to speak. The jury was impressed by the film’s distinctive directorial style, while also noting the intriguing—though somewhat far-fetched—hypothesis about Wanda’s disappearance,” says Silvia Klasová in her evaluation of the film by renowned director Eliza Kubarska.