Festival Awards

Students in the Movies That Matter program grant this award from a select group of films.

This award of $3,000 goes to one nonprofit that is featured in a new film at this year’s festival. The judges watch each film and examine the mission of each nonprofit, considering its scope, impact and need in their decision.

It’s unlikely any distributors care about this award. It’s totally arbitrary (and certainly not democratic), but at least it’s completely transparent. This prize goes to a film that David Holbrooke has chosen from this year’s program.

Charlie Fowler was a mainstay of Mountainfilm for many years, and while we miss him terribly, we find some comfort in knowing his presence is with us for this award. The judges try their best to discern which mountaineering or climbing film Charlie would have liked most for this $1,000 prize.

Some distributors think the audience award is a much better harbinger of success for a film than a juried award. Please vote for the Audience Award (by secret ballot at the Closing Picnic and Awards Ceremony). Remember, voting helps ensure a productive and thriving democracy.