45 films will compete this year in the Official Section of the BBK Mendi Film Bilbao Bizkaia festival, from December 5th to the 14th. These are films about mountains, adventure, extreme sports and nature, all recent productions, no more than two years old.
A total of 226 films have been submitted directly to participate in Bilbao. This is the same number as last year; equalling Mendi Film's all-time high.
Alongside the films in the Official Section, nine more films will be screened in the non-competitive Zabalandi section, making this year's festival a rich offering with a total of 54 films.
Mendi Film will screen films from all continents, with productions from Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. This confirms Mendi Film's status as a global reference.
Spain is the country with the most films, with 16 productions. It is followed by France, with 12, and adding the films from the United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia and Belgium, the European mountain film industry is the most represented, participating in a total of 44 productions.
Among those of American origin, there are 8 productions from the United States, 2 from Canada, one from Argentina and another from Brazil. There are also productions from less common countries, such as Pakistan (2), Afghanistan, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Japan, and New Zealand.
Distinguished filmmakers and 14 Basque directors
Films by 14 Basque directors will be premiered, representing the majority in terms of origin. Directors with experience at Mendi Film, such as Jesús Mari Lazkano, Jon Herranz, Luis Arrieta, Julen Elorza, Rubén Crespo and Alfonso García, will present their new films. Among the new authors, the debut as filmmakers of singer Mikel Urdangarin and composer Haizea Huegun is generating a lot of excitement. Ibon Gaztañazpi, Nagore Eceiza, Imanol Lamana, Unai Jaureguibeitia, Jon Mendizabal and Gorka Ipiñazar will present their films for the first time at Mendi Film.
Official Section
2000 JOURS AU PARADIS | France | Véronique, Anne & Erik Lapied
ALONE ACROSS GOLA | United Kingdom – Sierra Leona – Liberia | Jude Kriwald
BEST DAY EVER | USA | Ben Knight & Berne Borudy
BILLY | Argentina | Pablo Schiel
B.I.G. – A WORLD FIRST | Austria | Johannes Mair
CANTOS Y FLORES | USA | Julen Elorza
CHAMPIONS OF THE GOLDEN VALLEY | Afghanistan – Germany – USA | Ben Sturgulewski
CLIMBING FOR LIFE | Japan | Junji Sakamoto
DEAR SUPERHERO | New Zealand | Corinna Halloran
EPHEMERAL | USA | Josiah Jones
ERRIO | Spain | Ibon Gaztañazpi
ETERNAL SOLO | Italy – Pakistan | Andrea Cossu
GIRL CLIMBER | Austria – USA | Jonathan Glassberg
IN COLD BLOOD | France | Alex Heitler
INTO ALTAI | France | Yannick Boissenot
ITSASORA | Spain | Mikel Urdangarin
IZARREN ZAUNKA | Spain | Nagore Eceiza Mujika
JAVIER Y LA MONTAÑA | Spain | Rodolfo Montero de Palacio & Mario de Benito
K2 MON AMOUR | France | Mathieu Rivoire
L’ESCALADE DU FUTUR | France | Pascal Barneville
LE MOULIN DES ARTISTES | France | Pierre Cadot
MARÉE NOIRE | Canada| Chantal Caron
MON PRINTEMPS AU MONT BLANC | France | Bertrand Delapierre
MONT BLANC ETERNEL | France – Italy | Bertrand Delapierre
NATURA FUGIT | Spain | Jesús Mari Lazkano
ODYSSEA BOREALIS – L’IGNOTO ESISTE ANCORA | Italy | Alessandro Beltrame
OIARZÁBAL. ENTRE JUAN Y JUANITO. | Spain | Javier Álvaro Palomares
OLD MAN LIGHTNING | USA | Dawn Kish
PASTRANA | Brasil | Gabriel Motta & Melissa Brogni
RETRO | United Kingdom | Brian Hall
SEE THOSE FLOWERS? | France | Julien Caldarone
SEE WHAT I SAW: KARAKORAM | Pakistan – Nederland | Boris Peters
SIMMERING | Italy | Giulia Bertolazzi
STREAMERS, STEAMERS & STRUGGLES ON THE KRKA | Slovenia | Rozle Bregar & Rok Rozman
SUSTRAIAK, RAÍCES PERDIDAS | Spain | Luis Arrieta Etxeberria
TALA | Spain | Joel Badia Vila
TALKING TRANSITION | Austria | Marco Tribelhorn
THE FAST LINE | Switzerland | Jochen Schmoll
THE ROAD WE NEVER RODE | Spain | Iñigo Lamana
THE SAMI SONG OF SURVIVAL | USA | Iara Lee
TRANGO | USA | Leo Hoorn
TRAS LA HUELLA NORUEGA | Spain | Unai Jaureguibeitia Arias
TREELUDE | Italy | Marco Zingaretti
UN DÍA AL AÑO | Spain | Alfonso García
WILD AERIAL | Canada | Trixie Pacis
Zabalandi
ALDABIDE | Spain | Jon Mendizabal
AXIE AND THE WUNDER DACHSIES | Nederland | Lisette Wansink
BÁTISSEURS DE RÉVES ATHOMIQUES | France | Antoine Le Menestrel
BHAGIRATHI III | Spain | Rubén Pérez Blázquez
HARRI, ORRI, ARKATZ | Spain | Jon Herranz
QUÉ LI PASSA AL CEL? | Spain | Irene Iborra
SINKRONIA| Spain | Gorka Ipiñazar & Haizea Huegun
TÊTE EN L’AIR | Belgium – France | Rémi Durin
OUT OF THE BLUE | France | Davina Beyloos Montaz-Rosset & Sébastien Montaz-Rosset
