Gorka Martínez (BBK), Alberto Iñurrategi (alpinista), Lorea Bilbao (BFA-DFB), Eduardo Martínez (President Mendi Film), Iñaki López de Aguileta (Bilbao), Jabier Baraiazarra (Director Mendi Film), Mikel Renteria (WOP) and Andoni Iturbe (EJ-GV)
Bilbao, November 23, 2020. The 13th edition of BBK Mendi Film Bilbao-Bizkaia will be held from December 4 to 13. It will be a special edition, conditioned by the pandemic. This year the festival can be enjoyed in two ways: with screenings in Bilbao and the online offer for those who cannot attend Bilbao.
BBK Mendi Film Bilbao-Bizkaia will be held with a face-to-face audience at three Bilbao venues: the Euskalduna Palace, the Golem Cinemas and the Sala BBK theatre.
- The Euskalduna, in addition to hosting the Inaugural Session, will schedule a daily session throughout the festival (starting at 7:00 p.m.).
- At the Golem Cinemas of Azkuna Zentroa, the number of sessions almost doubled compared to last year, increasing the offer from 13 to 22 sessions. On Saturdays and Sundays there will be three sessions a day and two sessions per day during the week.
- In the Sala BBK, a total of 9 sessions have been scheduled -26 last year-, one daily between 5 and 13 December.
41 sessions have been scheduled in the 13th edition, one more than in 2019.
Tickets are already on sale through the Euskalduna, Golem Cinemas and Sala BBK online sales platforms. During the pandemic, a special effort has been made to maintain - and occasionally lowering - ticket prices compared to previous editions.
ONLINE
All the films in the official section of BBK Mendi Film Bilbao-Bizkaia can be watched online.
Using the on-demand formula by the Vimeo social network, you can buy either the full pack of the 54 films in the Official Selection, thematic packs, or individual films.
The rental will be available from November 23 (pre-purchase) until December 13. The viewing period will come into effect from 8:00 p.m. on December 4.
Additional content on films will be offered, such as: synopsis and trailers, posters, directors' presentations, and subtitles created by Mendi Film in Basque, Spanish and English.
In addition, the festival will publish other content on its social networks and the MendiTV channel, such as Mendi talks, panel talks, book presentations and awards ceremonies.
Mendi Film OnLine is an offer adapted to the fans of the festival, and in turn also seeks to generate new viewers. It is a geolocated offer, limited to Spain.
OFFICIAL SELECTION
57 films of mountain, adventure, extreme sports and nature will be screened.
- 54 films in the Official Section
- 3 films in the non-competitive section Zabalandi
175 films representing 36 countries have been presented.
The 54 films in the Official Selection come from 18 countries:
|
Country of origin |
Number of films |
|
USA |
11 |
|
Spain |
10 |
|
France |
7 |
|
Australia |
1 |
|
Austria |
1 |
|
Brasil |
1 |
|
Canada |
3 |
|
Finland |
1 |
|
Germany |
2 |
|
Greece |
1 |
|
Italy |
3 |
|
New Zealand |
1 |
|
Norway |
1 |
|
Poland |
2 |
|
Slovakia |
1 |
|
South Corea |
1 |
|
Switzerland |
3 |
|
United Kingdom |
3 |
- 7 World premieres
- 1 European premiere
- 44 Spain premieres
- 2 Basque Country premieres
World Premieres
ATERPEAN ATERI | Dir: Ruben Crespo Perez / Spain, Basque Country, 2020
IPARRALDEAN | Dir: Romain Jamet / France, Basque Country, 2020
JURRIA: GUARDIANES DEL GARROTE | Dir: Pedro Cubiles Quintana / Spain, 2020
MENDIAN HIL, HIRIAN HIL | Dir: Iñaki Peña Bandres / Spain, Basque Country, 2020
TENTE LAGUNILLA – UNA FILOSOFIA DE VIDA | Dir: Javier Cuevas Caballero / Spain, 2020
THE TEARS OF SHIVA | Dir: Mikel Sarasola / Spain, Basque Country 2020
URMUGA | Dir: Mattin Zeberio Larraza / Spain, Basque Country 2020
European premiere
A PLEA FOR REFUGE | Dir: Daniel Holmes / USA, 2019
Spanish premiere
A DREAM OF EDWIM DRUMMOND | Dir: Paul Diffley / United Kingdom, 2020
A THOUNSAND WAYS TO KISS THE GROUND | Dir: Henna Taylor / USA, 2020
ACONCAGUA, LA TRAVERSÉE SANS RETOUR | Dir: Antoine Girard / France, 2020
ALPINIST – CONFESSION OF A CAMERAMAN | Dir: Minchul Kim / South Korea, 2019
BEYOND THE BACKYARD: THE NATION’S RIVER | Dir: Michael Stevens / USA, 2019
BYC KOBIETA W HIMALAJACH (To Be a Woman in the Himalayas) | Dir: Eliza Kubarska / Poland, 2018
CARIE | Dir: Achille Mauri / Italy, 2020
CHARGE 2 | Dir: Anthony Bonello / Canada, 2020
DER BÄR IN MIR (Bear-Like) | Dir: Roman Droux / Switzerland, 2019
DIE GROBE ZINNE (The Great Peak) | Dir: Reinhold Messner / Italy, 2019
EL GRAN HITO | Dir: Ignasi López Fábregas / Spain, 2020
ÉRIC ESCOFFIER, LA FUREUR DE VIVRE | Dir: Bertrand Delapierre & Séverine Gauci / France, 2020
EVEREST – THE HARD WAY | Dir: Pavol Barabás / Slovakia, 2020
FORESIGHT | Dir: Dario Tubaldo / Italy, 2020
FREE AS CAN BE | Dir: Samuel Crossley / USA, 2020
HARDA – THE TOUGH | Dir: Marcin Polar / Poland, 2019
HERA’S ANGELS | Dir: Constantine Papanicolau / Greece, 2019
HILLARY - OCEAN TO SKY | Dir: Michael Dillon / Australia, 2019
INTO THE CANYON | Dir: Peter McBride / USA, 2019
L’ESCALADE LIBÉRÉE | Dir: Benoit Regord / France, 2020
LE MARATHON DE KATHERINE | Dir: Nicolas Falquet / Switzerland, 2019
LIFELINES | Dir: Frank Kretschmann / Germany, 2020
METANOIA | Dir: Florian Gassner / Germany, 2020
MYRTLE SIMPSON: A LIFE ON ICE | Dir: Leigh Anne Sldes / USA, 2019
NORTH COUNTRY | Dir: Nick Martini / USA, 2019
ORIGENS, A GRANDE ESCALADA | Dir: Murilo Vargas / Brazil, 2019
OUT OF THE BLUE | Dir: Davina Beyloos Montaz-Rosset & Sébastien Montaz-Rosset / France, 2020
POLYFONATURA | Dir: Jon Vatne / Norway, 2019
SALTO IS THE KING | Dir: Pavol Barabás / Slovakia, 2020
SHARED VISION | Dir: Keith Partridge / United Kingdom, 2019
SIN LÍMITE | Dir: Daniel Fernández Cañadas / Spain, 2019
SINGLEHANDED | Dir: Stash Wislocki / USA, 2020
SLACK SISTERS | Dir: Kelly Greenheart / USA, 2020
SPECIAL RUN | Dir: Isabelle Häcki / Switzerland, 2019
SPELLBOUND | Dir: Richard Sidey / New Zealand, 2020
SWEET HOME KAMCHATKA | Dir: Pep Cuberes Esgleas & Xavier Esgleas Tarifa / Spain, 2020
TERRA INCOGNITA – A EXPEDITION TO CLIMB SIBERIA’S UNKNOWN TOWERS | Dir: Corey Rich / Austria, 2018
THE CHAIRLIFT | Dir: Mike Douglas / Canada, 2020
THE WURL | Dir: Anthony Bonello / Canada, 2020
THIS LAND | Dir: Whit Hassett & Chelsea Jolly / USA, 2019
UNDISCOVERED | Dir: Chris Prescott / United Kingdom, 2019
VAELTAJAT - WANDERING IN THE WHITE | Dir: Otto Heikola / Finland, 2019
VALHALLA, CIELO DE ROCA | Dir: Karel Downsbrough, Esteban Lahoz & Sergi Latorre, David López / Spain, 2020
WHEN GLACIERS GO | Dir: Corey Robinson / USA, 2020
Basque Country Premiere
PYRÉNÉISME D’HIER ET D’AUJOURD’HUI | Dir: Laurence Fleury / France, 2019
THE RED LAKE PARTY | Dir: Vladimir Cellier / France, 2019
ZABALANDI
Along with the 54 films that are presented in the Official Section, another 3 films will be screened in the non competitive section Zabalandi:
ARRIESGARSE A VIVIR | Dir: Santiago Ron / Spain, Basque Country, 2020 / A production of WOP Foundation / World Premiere
HIRE HIMALAYA | Dir: Alberto Iñurrategi / Spain, Basque Country, 2002 / Tribute to basque mountaineer Felix Iñurrategi
VOICES OF THE EARTH: MOGGA & BAYANDALAI | Dir: Aner Etxebarria & Pablo Vidal / Spain, Basque Country, 2020 / Produced by Gariza Films-Lara Izagirre / World Premiere
NO INTERNATIONAL GUESTS
There are many directors with previous successful Mendi Film experience making headlines in this year's films: Pavol Barabás, Keith Partridge, Bertrand Delapierre, Paul Diffley, Reinhold Messner, Anthony Bonello, Mike Douglas, Vladimir Cellier, Ignasi López, Michael Dillon, Nicolas Falquet, Eliza Kubarska, Seb Montaz-Roset, Alberto Iñurrategi, Lara Izagirre, Aner Etxebarria, Pablo Vidal, Mikel Sarasola, Mattin Zeberio ...
The most palpable effect of the pandemic on the development of the festival will be the absence of international guests in Bilbao.
The Jury of the 13th edition of BBK Mendi Film Bilbao-Bizkaia:
- Asier Altuna Iza, film director and screenwriter
- Paula Olaz Moratinos, creator of soundtracks for film, television, theater, dance and video games
- Itziar García Zubiri, creative producer specialized in documentary
- Iwona Zielińska-Sąsiada, cultural manager and coordinator of musical and sports projects at the Polish Institute of Culture in Madrid
- Jon San Sebastián López, student of audiovisual media
AWARDS
|
Grand Prize. “Eguzkilore” and 6.000 € Best Director. “Eguzkilore” and 3.000 € Best Cinematography. “Eguzkilore”and 2.000 € Best Script. “Eguzkilore” and 2.000 € Jury Prize. “Eguzkilore” and 2.000 € Best Mountaineering Film. “Eguzkilore” and 1.500 € Best Climbing Film. “Eguzkilore” and 1.500 € Best Sport and Adventure Film. “Eguzkilore” and 1.500 € Best Culture and Nature Film. “Eguzkilore” and 1.500 € Mejor Film in Basque. “Eguzkilore” and 1.000 € Best Short Film. “Eguzkilore” and 1.000 € Audience Award. “Eguzkilore” and 1.000 € |
WOP AWARD: Baltistan Fundazioa foundation
The Baltistan Fundazioa foundation, an international development cooperation NGO that works in the Pakistani Karakorum, will be recognized with the WOP-The Walk On Project 2020 Award from the BBK Mendi Film Bilbao-Bizkaia.
The award ceremony will be held on Saturday, December 5, within the Euskalduna session that will begin at 7:00 p.m. Pedro Ibarra and Alberto Iñurrategi will represent the Baltistan Fundazioa Foundation as its President and Ambassador, respectively.
WOP Award predecessors: Nives Meroi and Romano Benet (2019), Juanjo San Sebastián (2018), Peter Habeler (2017), Sir Chris Bonington (2016), Josep Manuel Anglada (2015) and the film “Drawn” directed by Jeremy Collins (2014) .
BOOK PRESENTATION: IÑURRATEGI, JUANJO SAN SEBASTIAN and IÑAKI OCHOA DE OLZA
BBK Mendi Film Bilbao-Bizkaia is once again the presentation platform for 3 books related to the world of mountains.
HERMANOS IÑURRATEGI UN LATIDO EN LA MONTAÑA
This comic basically reflects the mountaineering trajectory of Felix and Alberto Iñurrategi. Felix died 20 years ago in the descent of the Gasherbrum II, his 12th eight thousander, after suffering an unfortunate accident. His death shocked the entire Basque Country. The comic is part of the tribute to Felix Iñurrategi.
This comic is the result of the collaboration between BBK Mendi Film Bilbao-Bizkaia and the SUA publishing house, and joins the collection with the book “Everest, Todo un pueblo en la cumbre” (2018).
CUANTO ES MUCHO TIEMPO. RETAZOS DEL CAMINO.
Juanjo San Sebastián uses a selection of articles published over several decades in different media, some letters, texts from the drawer and much of what he had kept inside to explore his own evolution: his past seen from the present.
LAS AVENTURAS DE IÑAKI EN HIMALAYA
There is a great variety of motivations behind each ascent, and Iñaki Ochoa de Olza traveled a world full of them looking for that place that would fill him fully. Finally, it was the Himalayan range that he took as his vital lover, not only for its wonderful peaks, but also for its people. Entering this story, you will discover a little more about Iñaki.
CVCEPHOTO
Classic appointment with the exhibitions of the 20 finalist photographs of the CVCEPHOTO international mountain activity photography contest, which are presented at the Bilbao Metro stations (Abando, Moyua, Indautxu and San Mamés) and in the atrium of the Ensanche building.
It is the exhibition of the 5th edition of the contest organized by the Club Vasco de Camping Elkartea de Donostia-San Sebastián. Among the finalist works for 2020 are “Into the Light” by the Slovenian photographer Sandro Bertoncelj, chosen to be the main image of the 13th edition of BBK Mendi Film Bilbao-Bizkaia, and “Split Walls” by the Portuguese photographer Ricardo Silva Alves, winner of the contest's Grand Prize.
“Into the Light” Sandi Bertoncelj
ROOTS
Mendi Film began its journey in 2008 in Vitoria-Gasteiz, and from 2012 it moved to Bilbao. It is one of the most anticipated cultural events at the end of the year in the capital of Biscay, as evidenced by the data of public attendance at the event:
|
Edition |
Attendance |
|
2012 |
4.772 |
|
2013 |
5.669 |
|
2014 |
7.371 |
|
2015 |
8.710 |
|
2016 |
9.117 |
|
2017 |
10.371 |
|
2018 2019 |
12.008 12.360 |
The festival is one of the great world references for mountain cinema, and is a member of the International Alliance for Mountain Film (IAMF), chaired by Jabier Baraiazarra, director of Mendi Film.
The gratitude to those who have accompanied us during this journey is infinite, even more so with the endorsed support in times of pandemic. Together we form a solid team, well rooted, and this year's theme revolves around that concept: #roots
