The sponsors, at the presentation ceremony of the 16th edition, held at the Euskalduna Palace. Front line: Nerea Lupardo (Euskaduna), Andoni Iturbe (Gobierno Vasco), Jabier Baraiazarra (Mendi Film), Lexeia Arrizabalaga (Diputación Foral de Bizkaia), Koldo Bilbao (BBK) y Alberto Iñurrategi (Ternua). Back line: Iñigo Aristegui (Lore-eguzki trophee), Susana Muro (Deia-Gr Noticias), Ricardo Hernani (Federación Vasca de Montaña), Ibon Momoitio (Japan Car), Gloria Coman (Pangea Travel Store), Carlos Sergio Atxotegi (Diputación Foral de Bizkaia), Argiñe Areitio (SUA), Mikel Renteria (WOP Foundation)
Bilbo, 28 Noviember 2023. The BBK Mendi Film Bilbao Bizkaia festival presents its 16th edition to once again make you enjoy the best mountain cinema between 8 and 17 December. At the presentation held at the Euskalduna Palace, the heads of Mendi Film were accompanied by representatives of the festival's main sponsors:
- Leixuri Arrizabalaga Deputy for Basque, Culture and Sports of Bizkaia
- Koldo Bilbao Head of Culture of BBK
- Andoni Iturbe Deputy Mintsre of Culture of the Basque Government
- Nerea Lupardo Managing director of the Palacio Euskalduna Jauregia
- Alberto Iñurrategi Ternua Group Mountain Team & Event Coordinator
- Jabier Baraiazarra BBK Mendi Film Bilbao-Bizkaia Director
BILBAO
The BBK Mendi Film Bilbao-Bizkaia film festival will be held in three cinemas in Bilbao: Sala BBK, the Golem cinemas of Azkuna Zentroa and the Euskalduna Palace.
A total of 30 film sessions have been scheduled for the 16th edition. In the parallel activities, 3 exhibitions have been set up, a day will be held for the mountain film industry, 4 masterclasses, a conference, and a panel talk.
Tickets for the sessions will be available through www.mendifilmfestival.com and the points of sale and platforms of Euskalduna, Golem and Sala BBK, on Tuesday, November 28. The advance purchase is cheaper compared to the purchase of tickets on the days of the session itself.
FILMS
In this new edition, 57 films will be screened.
- 51 will participate in the Official Selection, competing for the festival's official awards.
- Another 4 will be presented in the non-competitive Zabalandi section: "Corpórea", "The End of Eternal Spring", "Konfiantza itsua" and "Leizeta".
- Eliza Kubarska's "K2 touching the sky" (2015) has also been programmed in recognition of this year's IAMF Grand Prix.
- And "Oinez", the film of the project that last year received the Mendi Film Bizkaia Ternua grant, is premiered.
The producers and l@s director@s opt for Mendi Film for the premiere of their works:
- 17 international premieres
- 1 European premiere
- 27 international premieres
- 9 premieres in the Basque Country
Where they come from:
- The films represent 15 countries in Europe, North America, Asia and Oceania: Spain (16), USA (11), France (6), United Kingdom (4), Canada (4), Switzerland (4), Italy (3), Poland (2), Australia (1), Austria (1), Slovakia (1), Slovenia (1), Japan (1), and two co-productions, one Franco-Spanish and one Franco-Pakistani.
- 14 of the films are authored and/or produced by the Basque Country:
- Official selection:
212 MOUNTAINS | Dir: Luis Arrieta Etxeberria
CANTO RODADO | Dir: Ekhi Alde
HERMELINDA Y DIANDRA | Dir: Aner Etxebarria, Pablo Vidal
ICEWATERFALLS | Dir: David Arnaud
LA GARA | Dir: Julen Elorza
LA SENDA NO MARCADA | Dir: Igor Bellido Molina
NOIZKO BASOA | Dir: Mikele Landa
UDALATX, URA ETA ATXA | Dir: Eñaut Iturbe Anduaga, Iban Ayesa Azkoaga
ZERBAIT ALDATU DA | Dir: Mikel Sarasola
- Zabalandi:
CORPÓREA | Dir: Itxaso Díaz
EL FIN DE LA ETERNA PRIMAVERA | Dir: Migueltxo Molina
KONFIANTZA ITSUA | Dir: Ana Zamorano
LEIZETA | Dir: Ion Fontela
- Mendi Film Bizkaia Ternua grant:
OINEZ | Dir: Leire Egaña
- The films will have subtitles in Basque and Spanish.
AWARDS
A total of 24,800 euros is going to be shared out among the 12 prize-winners.
- Grand Prize: “Eguzkilore” trophy & €6,000
- Best Director: “Eguzkilore” trophy & €3,000
- Best Script: “Eguzkilore” trophy & €2,000
- Best Cinematography: “Eguzkilore” trophy & €2,000
- Jury Award: “Eguzkilore” trophy & €2,000
- Best Original Soundtrack: “Txalaparta” trophy & €2,000
- EITB Award for Best Film in Basque: “Eguzkilore” trophy & €2,000
- Best Mountaineering Film: “Eguzkilore” trophy & €1,200
- Best Climbing Film: “Eguzkilore” trophy & €1,200
- Best Culture & Nature Film: “Eguzkilore” trophy & €1,200
- Best Sport & Adventure Film: “Eguzkilore” trophy & €1,200
- Best Short Film: “Eguzkilore” trophy & €1,000
ILLUSTRIUS GUESTS and MAIN CHARACTERS
- IAMF GRAND PRIX awarded directors:
- Eliza Kubarska
- Pavol Barabas
- Michael Dillon
- Alastair Lee
- Fulvio Mariani
- Sender Films
- All of them have been awarded at the Mendi Film, as well as the following directors:
- Henna Taylor
- Jean-Michel Jorda
- Migueltxo Molina
- Jen Randall
- Aner Etxebarria
- Pablo Vidal
- Mikel Sarasola
- Ben Page
- Luis Arrieta
- Athletes and celebrities who will join us in Bilbao:
- Edurne Pasaban, mountaineer and entrepreneur
- Kazuya Hiraide, mountaineer
- Madaleine Sorkin, climber
- Aniol Serrasolses, extreme kayaker
- Mikel Sarasola, extreme kayaker and filmmaker
- Maialen Chourraut, Olympic medalist whitewater canoeist
- Nora Lopez, whitewater canoeist
- Xabier Zarranz, mountain runner
- Bertrand Delapierre, film director
- Fulvio Mariani, film director
- Oliviero Gobbi, film producer and grandson of Toni Gobbi
- Eduardo Martínez de Pisón, geographer and popularizer
- Yhabril, outdoor photographer
JURY
The International Jury, made up of five members, will evaluate the works in the Official Selection. The jury members are:
- Filmmaker and climber Eliza Kubarska (Poland)
- Journalist, producer and writer Michael Pause (Germany)
- Filmmaker, producer and scriptwriter Patricia Ayala (Colombia)
- Composer, orchestrator and arranger Nerea Alberdi (Basque Country, Bilbao)
- Composer and arranger Juantxo Zeberio Etxetxipia (Basque Country, Tolosa)
EXHIBITIONS
- The "HARRI, ORRI, ARkatz" exhibition, with contents based on climbing topos, will be held at the Yacimiento de la plaza Corazón de María (from the 24th of November to the 7th of January).
- The exhibition of the 20-prize winning works from the CVCEPHOTO international mountain activity, photography competition at the Sala BBK (from the 9th to the 14th of December).
- The exhibition of the Bilbao photographer Yhabril with 20 of his best works "Yhabril. Light, mountain, action!” will be displayed in Metro Bilbao stations (from the 15th of November to December 30th).
TALKS
In addition to films and exhibitions, four conferences will be held during the festival.
- The award-winning works of the ninth edition of the CVCEPHOTO competition (December 9th)
- The presentation of the book "El arte en el croquis de escalada" in connection with the exhibition "HARRI, ORRI, ARkatz" (December 9th)
- The conference "Lo que ví en las montañas" by the geographer, traveller and mountaineer Eduardo Martínez de Pisón
- "Gailurra! Comic and mountain", led by the prestigious expert in comics, Kike Infame.
WOP MENDI FILM AWARD and THE IAMF GRAND PRIZE
The mountaineer and business woman Edurne Pasaban will receive the WOP Mendi Film 2023 Award on December 8th, at the Opening Session of the festival at the Euskalduna Palace. Eliza Kubarska, this year's winner of the IAMF Grand Prize -the highest award of the International Alliance for Mountain Fim-, will preside over the revival of "K2 touching the sky" for which she received the Best Director Award at the Mendi Film 2015, as part of the session scheduled at the Sala BBK on the evening of December 12th.
MENDI PRO
This year Mendi Pro is going to stage a valuable series of conferences concerning the mountain film industry for this year's edition, aimed in one way or another at professionals working in the sector and amateurs who want to get into this industry.
The directors Eliza Kubarska, Dani Salas and Heather Mosher will give conferences. Aid and tax incentives for filmmaking activities offered by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia and the Bizkaia Treasury will be presented. And the projects of the Mendi Film Bizkaia Ternua Grant will be premiered and presented.
MENDI FILM BIZKAIA – TERNUA GRANT
Three years ago, Mendi Film, the Provincial Council of Bizkaia and the outdoor clothing brand Ternua created a grant to support initiatives by young filmmakers (18-35) with an endowment of €10,000 and an advisory service.
The filmmaker who received a scholarship in the third edition was Leire Egaña, who created the short film "Oinez", which will be premiered at the MENDI PRO conference on 11 December and 16 December at the Euskalduna Palace.
INCLUSIVE: SIGNING
In the sessions with invitad@s, and with films in the original Spanish version that do not have subtitles in the same language, there will be sign language interpretation so that deaf people can enjoy the films and their subsequent talks.
