Festival Awards

2013 Student Award

High-school students in Mountainfilm’s "Making Movies That Matter" program select the film that they think will most inspire their generation.

2013 Norman Vaughan Indomitable Spirit Award

The great polar explorer Norman Vaughan was a friend to Mountainfilm whose motto was "Dream big and dare to fail." Funded by his widow Carolyn Muegge-Vaughan and Rick and Lindsey Silverman, this award is given to a film that epitomizes Vaughan's indomitable spirit.

Past Award Winners

2012 — Tie of Two Films: Chasing Ice and Fambul Tok

2013 Moving Mountains Prize

This $3,000 prize goes to a nonprofit featured in a film at the festival. Judges watch the nominated films and examine the mission of each organization, considering its scope, impact and need. The quality of the film is not part of the decision.

Past Award Winners

2008 — Free the Slaves for Dreams Die Hard
2009 — Tie of Two Nonprofits: Democratic Voice of Burma for Burma VJ and and Dr. Rick Hodes for Making the Crooked Straight
2010 — Higher Ground for Fish Out of Water
2011 — Wampanoag Language Reclamation Project for We Still Live Here
2012 — Peaceful Uprising for Bidder 70

2013 Festival Director's Award

This award is chosen by Mountainfilm’s festival director.

Past Award Winners

2007 — Loop
2008 — Red Gold
2009 — Tim DeChristopher
2010 — Sons of Perdition
2011 — Undercity
2012 — Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry

2013 Cinematography Award

This juried award goes to the film with the most outstanding cinematography.

Past Award Winners

2011 — Into Eternity
2012 — All.I.Can JP Auclair Street Segment

2013 Charlie Fowler Award

Charlie Fowler was a Telluride local and world-class climber. We miss him and find some comfort knowing that he’s represented in spirit by this $1,000 juried award that goes to a climbing film.

Past Award Winners

2007 — E11
2008 — King Lines
2009 — Samsara
2010 — Alone on the Wall
2011 — Cold
2012 — Ice Revolution