Winning Films 2026
Grand Prix
Better Up There (FR, 2025) – The Grand Prize goes to Better Up There, directed by Mathis Dumas. Jury member Maria Coffey shared her thoughts on the film: ,,One film stood out for how it tells a dramatic and painful story with great sensitivity and a restraint that pulls the viewer deep into the world and the emotions of the protagonist. It is an important film about overcoming adversity, about love and loss, and about finding a balance between what the mountains give, and what they take away.”
Jury Award
Billy (Argentina, 2024) – “A film about what fulfills us, what makes us happy, and what also stirs worry and fear within us. We only live once, and 70-year-old Billy fills me with a joy for life. Visually fresh and dynamically edited – almost like a family film – it is a portrait of a man who, even as he grows older, will not stay sitting at home. It is about those we meet on a ski touring trip without knowing anything about their lives. The jury appreciated the idea and the film’s visual form,” evaluates the film by director Pablo Damián Schiel, jury member and cinematographer Ľudo Hičár.
Literary Fund Award
Into the Carpathian Wild – Autumn (Život v Karpatoch – Jeseň, SR, 2025) – Director Erik Baláž made a film about the wild nature of the Carpathians: “The jury appreciated the filmmakers’ years-long effort to capture and masterfully process authentic footage of the wild Carpathian nature, which the film presents in the context of Europe’s disappearing wilderness. Placed within a broader story, however, it does not offer skepticism or resignation, but rather hope—that wild nature can still be protected and preserved,” summarized jury member Natália Bokníková, a long-time collaborator of the Hory a mesto Festival and the founder of the Festival of Good Film.
Special mention WATER
A Baffin Vacation, Love on Ice (US, 2025) – Directors Rush Sturges and Skip Armstrong have prepared an optimistic cinematic treat for us. ,,This film is about a couple who embarked on an unsupported 69-day multi-sport expedition across one of the most remote and wild places on earth, and filmed the entire experience themselves. The result is funny, self-deprecating and full of joy – a film about a serious adventure that never takes itself seriously,” says jury member Maria Coffey, an internationally published author of thirteen books.
Special mention EARTH
Songs and Flowers (Cantos Y Flores, ES, 2025) – Director Julen Elorza follows the story of Karina Carsolio. “The jury appreciated the delicacy with which the film approaches the theme of coming to terms with the death of a loved one. It is a story that connects achievements in the mountains and the breaking of speed records with a sensitive approach, respect for the spiritual dimension of the mountains, and a humble perception of oneself as part of a greater whole. A film about our relationship with the Earth, the mountains, and nature, full of genuine humility and spirituality,” explains jury member Natália Bokníková.
Special mention ROCK
Girl Climber (US, 2024) – The film by director Jon Glassberg is reviewed by jury member Ivan Hughes as follows: ,,This is a film that goes far beyond performance, capturing the weight of ambition, identity, and the cost of pushing limits at the highest level. It places us on the wall for a career-defining objective, while never losing sight of the deeply human stakes unfolding alongside it. What emerges is both a gripping climbing story and a powerful reflection on risk, consequence, and what it means to carve out a place in climbing history in a space that hasn’t always made room for everyone.”.
Special mention AIR
K2 Mon Amour (FR, 2025) – ,,The jury was drawn to a film that reminds us the biggest mountains are not just physical, they are shared. Set against one of the most formidable peaks on Earth, this story is less about conquest and more about connection. Between partners, between risk and trust, and between a dream that only works if it is carried together. What sets this film apart is its rawness. Self filmed, unfiltered, and at times unexpectedly funny, it captures the spirit of adventure in a way that feels immediate and real. There is boldness here, an objective that borders on the absurd, but what stays with you is the intimacy and the understanding that in the high mountains, success is rarely an individual pursuit,” says jury member Ivan Hughes, an award-winning filmmaker, editor, and mentor, about the film by director Mathieu Rivoire.
Special jury mention
Just Climber / Cap ou pas Cap ? (FR, 2025) – “You will watch this film holding your breath, because it is about the resilience, strength, and courage of an exceptional para-climber. Another film that shows you human extraordinariness and makes you reconsider your own problems. This remarkable film won admiration because it demonstrates the power of will and the desire to pursue one’s dreams. Let us also pay attention to such people and give them a standing ovation,” summarized the documentary by Jerôme Tanon, jury member Ľudo Hičár.
Special jury mention
Embers (CAN, 2025) – ,,The subject of this multi-layered, deeply personal and beautifully shot film examines how her art helped her make sense of the world during very challenging times, and how it is also her form of activism around the pressing issue of climate change,” says jury member Maria Coffey about the film by director Trixie Pacis.