Run the Alps’ Trail Running Film Festival: The Grant Winners!
Did you hear that Run the Alps and On have partnered on an Alps-themed trail running film festival? It’s true! You can read the news here.
We had an amazing response to our request for grant applications, with a high standard of submissions from across eight countries. Our esteemed panel had a tough job whittling it down to just four winners, but they did it!
Now, we’re ready to share them with you.
Each winner will receive €4000 of film funding. The films will debut in January 2024.
Before we showcase the grant winners, however, we want to offer a big thank you to our review panel: Hillary Gerardi, (Chamonix-based Black Diamond athlete, David Kilgore (Global Head of Athlete Strategy at On running), Steve Scott (Director at Kendal Mountain Film Festival), and Julie & Simon Freeman (Co-founders of Like the Wind trail running magazine).
We’d also like to extend a big thank you to everyone who sent in a proposal. We hope you’ll find a way to make your film, and we look forward to an even greater range of applications for future editions.
The Run the Alps Film Festival Grant Recipients are:
Film: Red Needle
Filmmakers: Dom Bush & Simon Sylvester (UK), Land & Sky Media
Ultra-runner Sarah Gerrish lost one ovary to cancer at age 15 and the second to surgery at 36, plunging her into surgical menopause and a bewildering world of hormone replacement therapy, brain fog, and loneliness. Red Needle explores the stigma, trauma, and lessons learned from Sarah’s life-changing experience while she trains for the Trail des Aiguilles Rouges, a 50km race in Chamonix, France.
Film: How High?
Filmmakers: Carl Adams, Colin Welsh, James Mitchell (UK), Primal Runners
How High? will tell the story of 21-year-old David Ervine – how he fell into the right crowd and how it led to him toeing the line of the UTMB Mont-Blanc YCC trail race coming up on August 29 this year. This was all part of the Alpine Run Project established by reformed criminal and Nike sponsored athlete, John McAvoy.
This film will show that there are no limits to the heights you can reach even when you’ve been dealt the hand David had. In fact, knowing adversity can become a superpower when it comes to endurance sport – the hottest fires forge the strongest steel.
Film: A Step Forward
Filmmakers: Carlos Duran (Mexico), Something Red Cinematography
Lupita starts trail running in Cuernavaca, Mexico as a way to cope with stress. Her goal is to run around Mont Blanc, but the mountains seem far away as she encompasses social stigma and unsafe trails. Running, whether on trails or on the street, is not common in Cuernavaca, Mexico due to cultural norms and safety issues. And it’s even harder for women. This film will show how someone overcomes these everyday challenges, from lacing up their running shoes to taking that first step.
Film: Beyond Boundaries
Filmmakers: Bruno Keustermans (Belgium), Fenomeno
Beyond Boundaries is a short film documenting Rik Goris and Dina Roman’s extraordinary journey in ultra running. From the Alps to Belgium, it captures the couple’s training, challenges, and unwavering passion. Stunning visuals and intimate interviews help tell the story of these untold heroes.
Our 2022 Winners:
In case you missed the films from last year’s winners, you can still watch them for free here:
Questions?
We’re here. Contact us any time at filmfestival@runthealps.com
