· The festival’s attendance rises on a 18% in comparison with 2014, but practically doubles it from its arrival at Bilbao back in 2012
· 14 out of 31 screenings had the sign “Sold out” hanging, with a record-breaking attendance that surpasses 70%
· ‘This is one of the best mountain film festivals in the world,’ said Zachary Barr (Sender Films)
Bilbao, December 2015. Data prove it. Bilbao Mendi Film Festival keeps growing every year, thanks to its followers, who throughout ten years have crowded the streets of Bilbao in order to enjoy a Festival that combines mountain, nature, adventure and culture.
In overall, 8,710 people have attended the 30 sessions offered from the 11th to the 20th of December, both screenings and lectures. With this figure, Bilbao Mendi Film Festival has climbed its first eight-thousander. ‘Not only is it a record, but it’s also a very special number for us,’ said Jabier Baraiazarra, Director of the Festival. He compared this figure with one of the biggest challenges of alpinism, and this makes the festival one of the main events of Bilbao in terms of attracting visitors to the city.
Mendi Film Festival, sponsored by the City Council of Bilbao, the Regional Council of Biscay, the Basque Government, Kutxabank and Ternua, has managed to break its own record of attendance, increasing on an 18% the figures from last year (7,371 people). But the amount of people attending the festival is nearly twice in comparison with 2012 (4,772 people), its first edition in Bilbao.
14 out of the 31 screenings of the festival hung the sign ‘Sold out,’ in Sala BBK, Golem and the Euskalduna Palace, where the opening ceremony took place. The average attendance on every screening reached the 70%, the best figure in the history of Bilbao Mendi Film Festival.
Benchmark worldwide
For lots of its followers, ‘Mendi’ is becoming a scheduled date on the calendar and they don’t want to miss it. In 2015, there’s been more than 60 guests from different countries that think the festival ‘is one of the best festivals in the world, comparable to Banff in Canada −main benchmark in the world−’ said Zachary Barr, producer at Sender Films, one of the main production companies of climbing films in the world.
List of winners of 2015 and dates of 2016
The winner of the BMFF 2015 was ‘Unbranded’, awarded with the Golden Eguzkilore. The remaining winners are: ‘Urzulo,’ Best Film in Basque; ‘High and mighty,’ Best Short Film; ‘Sunakali,’ Best Culture and Nature Film; ‘Jurek,’ Best Mountaineering Film; Eliza Kubarska, Best Director; ‘A line across the sky,’ Best Climbing Film; ‘Reach your limits,’ Best Sport and Adventure Film; ‘Snowman,’ Best Script, ‘Meru,’ Best Cinematography; ‘Suspentes et cordes de violon au Pakistan,’ Jury Award and ‘Jeff Lowe´s Metanoia,’ Audience Award.
Once its 8th edition is over, the dates for the 2016 edition of the Bilbao Mendi Film Festival have already been set. It will take place from the 9th to the 18th December and it is expected to keep breaking records.
