Mountainfilm

  • Festival
  • World Tour
  • News & Views
  • Initiatives
  • Support Us
  • About Us
  • Donate

News & Views

  • Mountainfilm News
  • Watch Mountainfilm
  • Image Gallery
  • Press Releases
  • Festival Archives
  • Upcoming Events
Toggle Menu
 Melissa Plantz

Mountainfilm Announces Over $12,000 in Additional Prize Money

March 10, 2020

Thanks to generous donors, filmmakers will see more financial support and a new award in 2020

Supporting filmmakers has always been an important part of Mountainfilm’s mission, and now, thanks to generous donors, the organization will be awarding a new Women in Film Award and over $12,000 in additional prize money at the 2020 event and future festivals.

The increase in award funding was made possible by generous donors who strongly believe in the value of filmmaker support. Their donations upped nearly every existing Mountainfilm award, with both the Best Documentary Feature and Audience Choice Award seeing a significant increase from 2019’s $1,000 to $5,000 in 2020.

“Filmmaker support is a crucial part of our mission at Mountainfilm. We already support projects that are in progress through our Commitment Grants and offer mentorship and development assistance with our Emerging Filmmaker Fellowship, but we think it’s important to honor people who have completed their films,” said Mountainfilm Festival Director Suzan Beraza. “It's fantastic to be able to hand a filmmaker a check for $5,000. It’s an impactful way to support their work, which at the end of the day, is what makes our festival possible.”

In addition to increased prize money, the Women in Film Award will debut in 2020. The award will be presented to an outstanding woman in the film industry who shows excellence and indomitable spirit either in front of or behind the camera. The award is generously funded by Riccarda de Eccher and Bill Goldston, who Beraza said “really believe in supporting women and art.” Mountainfilm’s hope is that the prize will encourage and support women in a historically male-dominated industry.

“Women should be encouraged to speak out using their creative instincts both behind and in front of the camera,” Riccarda de Eccher and Bill Goldston told Mountainfilm by email. “We are looking for courage, innovation, commitment to a specific cause and an awareness of women's importance in today's world.”

2020 Mountainfilm Awards will include:
Best Documentary Feature: $5000 (previously $1,000)
Vimeo Staff Pick Award: $2500 (sponsored by Vimeo)
Audience Choice Award: $5000 (previously $1,000)
Women in Film Award: $2500
Moving Mountains Award: $1500 to film, $1000 to associated nonprofit (previously $3,000 to nonprofit)
Charlie Fowler Best Adventure Film: $2500 (previously $1,000)
Norman Vaughan Indomitable Spirit Award: $1500 (previously $1,000)
Student Choice Award: $1000 (previously $600)

The 2020 festival will be held May 22-25, in Telluride. In addition to plenty of free local programming, a limited number of festival passes are still available to purchase.

Mountainfilm Announces 2020 Emerging Filmmaker
Mountainfilm Announces 2020 Emerging Filmmaker
Important Mountainfilm 2020 Festival Update
Important Mountainfilm 2020 Festival Update

Join Our Community

Stay up-to-date with all the latest news and event information.

Sign Up Now

Thanks for signing up! Please check your email and confirm your details.

Please complete the following form. Fields marked * are required.

By submitting this form, you are granting: Mountainfilm, P.O. Box 1088, Telluride, Colorado, 81435, United States, http://www.mountainfilm.org permission to email you. You may unsubscribe via the link found at the bottom of every email. (See our Email Privacy Policy for details.) Emails are serviced by MailChimp.

Thanks to all our Sponsors!

Mountainfilm's sponsors choose to partner with us for more than just return on investment considerations; they strongly believe in Mountainfilm's mission to use the power of film, art and ideas to inspire audiences to create a better world.

Presenting

The North Face

Summit

Osprey

The Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation

Yeti

Nonprofit Partner

Woodwell Climate Research Center

National Media Sponsor

Grist

Camp III

1% For The Planet

Stio

Tandem Vault

Telluride Express

Telluride Foundation

Telluride Mountain Village Owners Assocation

Telluride Ski Resort

View All Sponsors

Main menu

  • Festival
    • Passes
    • Films
    • Presentations
    • Speakers
    • Submit
    • Awards
  • World Tour
    • About the Tour
    • Tour Schedule
    • Tour Films
    • Host a Tour Show
    • Host Support
  • News & Views
    • Mountainfilm News
    • Watch Mountainfilm
    • Image Gallery
    • Press Releases
    • Festival Archives
    • Upcoming Events
  • Initiatives
    • Commitment Grants
    • Emerging Filmmaker Fellowship
    • Take Action
    • Mountainfilm for Students
  • Support Us
    • Our Donors
    • Our Sponsors
    • Lodging Sponsors
    • Become a Donor
    • Become a Sponsor
  • About Us
    • About Mountainfilm
    • Staff
    • Festival Staff
    • Boards
    • Media Resources
    • Employment
  • Donate
  • Submit a Film
  • Special Events
  • Festival Archives

Mountainfilm has a rich history, beginning in 1979. Check out our festival pages or world tour. Need something you don’t see here? Contact us.

  • About Mountainfilm
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Contact Us
  • Vimeo
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

©2021 Mountainfilm - All Rights Reserved

Toggle Menu Close

Mountainfilm

  • Festival
    • Passes
    • Films
    • Presentations
    • Speakers
    • Submit
    • Awards
  • World Tour
    • About the Tour
    • Tour Schedule
    • Tour Films
    • Host a Tour Show
    • Host Support
  • News & Views
    • Mountainfilm News
    • Watch Mountainfilm
    • Image Gallery
    • Press Releases
    • Festival Archives
    • Upcoming Events
  • Initiatives
    • Commitment Grants
    • Emerging Filmmaker Fellowship
    • Take Action
    • Mountainfilm for Students
  • Support Us
    • Our Donors
    • Our Sponsors
    • Lodging Sponsors
    • Become a Donor
    • Become a Sponsor
  • About Us
    • About Mountainfilm
    • Staff
    • Festival Staff
    • Boards
    • Media Resources
    • Employment
  • Donate
  • Submit a Film
  • Special Events
  • Festival Archives

Mountainfilm has a rich history, beginning in 1979. Check out our festival pages or world tour. Need something you don’t see here? Contact us.

  • Vimeo
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
donate purchase passes

Share this page via social media

Use one of the following services to share this content with your friends.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Show/Hide this window