The winner of the 60th TrentoFilmfestival is the Russian Director, Victor Kossakowsky with the documentary ¡Vivan Las Antipodas!.

The international jury had no doubts in assigning the Golden Gentian – City of Trento Grand Prize to this film, which is an unforgettable homage to the diversity, magnificence and antiquity of Mother Nature. The jury appreciated above all the ingenuity of the idea, the artistic quality and the technical brilliance of the film.
The Golden Gentian of Club Alpino Italiano, for the best climbing film, was awarded to the Director Davide Carrari for the documentary Verticalmente  Démodé, a film which embodies the pure spirit of free climbing. The protagonist of the documentary is one of the best climbers on the international scene, the Italian Maurizio Zanolla, known as “Manolo”. Through his actions we discover that free climbing is not just a sport but also a creative art form.
The  “City of Bolzano Prize” - Golden Gentian for the best exploration and adventure film goes instead to the French Director Marianne Chaud, for La nuit Nomade, which is a delicate account of the daily life of the nomadic Ladakh tribe, a film offering a rare exploration of the human condition.
The Jury Prize was awarded to the film Strong, a Recovery Story by the Hungarian Director Andras Kollmann, which tells the story of the climber Zsolt Eross, his comeback following the loss of a leg and his return to the Himalayas to climb an “eight-thousander” for the 9th time.
The three Silver Gentians were awarded to La vie au loin by Marc Weymuller, for best artistic and technical contribution and for its poetic and philosophical qualities, to La voie Bonatti by Bruno Peyronnet, because “it is a courageous film made with style, capable of subtly linking the heroic era of climbing and the challenges faced by contemporary climbers, offering clear proof that even today, when climbers can count on advanced equipment, the spirit of Bonatti is fundamental in order to reach the summit”, and to Cold by Anson Fogel – featuring the climbers Simone Moro, Denis Urubko and Cory Richards – as the best short film, because it is capable of showing what true suffering and survival means during the “winter” ascent of an eight- thousander (Gasherbrum II).
The “Luciano Emmer” Critics’ Prize, assigned by the Jury of the National Union of Italian Journalists and Filmmakers (SNGCI) was awarded to the film L'enfant d'en Haut by Ursula Meier.

“It has been a truly special edition”, said the Director Luana Bisesti this morning at the press conference.  “Initial assessment shows that the “extended” festival has been very fruitful and has taken off immediately. We were proud to hear that the number of participants has increased, with a total of 5000 spectators at the evenings in the auditorium, 1000 more than last year. There was also a marked increase in the number of visitors to the exhibitions, all new “.

“The feather in the cap for the festival, the part dedicated to films, has been very satisfactory”, added the film programme coordinator Sergio Fant  “starting from the opening film in the auditorium which was attended by 700 people. There was an increase of 20% in the audience at the films screened at Cinema Modena, with an average audience of 100 people per film. The public also showed their interest in more demanding films or those from further afar, rewarding the decision to diversify the content of the festival. I thank the international jury for having viewed the 26 works competing and for assigning the prizes and Luca Legnani from the cinema chain The Space, with whom we have started up a collaborative project for next winter, which will take these spectacular documentaries to Italian multi-screen cinemas.”

“Our thanks also go to the lively and dynamic city of Trento, which hosted this 60th edition of the festival and participated with us”, the President of TrentoFilmfestival wished to underline. “I believe I can say with certainty that we were the first and we are still the best”.

The comments of the international jury and special juries, with the grounds for their choices, are available at the link:
http://trentofestival.it/it/press/Download%20files.htm