2006 Festival Competition Winners

Film Competition

For the first time the film festival ran a film competition. Our aim is to celebrate mountain life and culture giving both amateur and professional filmmakers an opportunity to show their work and share their passion for sport, culture and the environment.

The films were judged by a panel which will included Norrie MacLarren, a professional filmmaker.

Grand Prize

Crossing the Lines
(Austria, 68 mins)
By “Style of Gravity”
Armin Buchroithner, Christoph Hoerner and Stefan Ribitsch

A ten thousand mile road movie. The intrepid three take off in a dude-mobile from the snow-capped peaks of Canada to the sandy beaches of Mexico, indulging their passions – climbing, paragliding and even a spot of nightlife in Las Vegas. It’s funny with great graphics and landscape views.

Best Short Film

Caught Short in the Park
(UK, 12mins)
Gormless Boulders Production
Produced and Directed by Paul Raistrick

Paul Raistrick’s short films are well known to Fort William audiences. In particular he is known for his amazing one-man filming technique. He walks or climbs to the top and lowers himself on ice axes into near-vertical gullies where he has previously placed a static camera. He boards down the gully, climbs back up, replaces the camera lower in the gulley, goes to the top again, boards down and repeats this ‘til he gets the footage he wants. Incredible. For this film he and 4 climbers, including his brother, head for Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic circle with Mount Asgard the climbing goal. There’s footage of spectacular, remote scenery and, as always, a great soundtrack.

Young Filmmaker (under 18)

Poached Salmon Eggs
(UK,2005,8mins)
By the “Young people of Lochaber”
Supported by Cal MacAninsh, Gerald Kyd and Ian Busted

The children were supported in making of this film by Cal MacAninch the actor who played the leading role in the BBC series “Rockface”, set in Fort William. While his was on location filming Cal started climbing and doing some of his own stunts. Such is his affinity with the place, he established a trust to support young people in outdoor and film pursuits.

The idea and the script is the work of Martin MacLeod, a pupil at Lochaber High School who is undertaking his silver Duke of Edinburgh award under the auspices of the pupil support unit at the school. This film is irreverent look at a cultural aspect of Lochaber life.

Each prize winner will received a specially commissioned commemorative plate made by Fired Art, Fort William and a cash prize as follows:

• Grand Prize £500
• Best Short Film £250
• Young Filmmaker £250

Photographic Competition

2006 saw the first photography competition, as part of the calander of ever growing events. Entries were received from all over the UK and even Europe. Our judge Colin prior had the task of placing the winners, from a very high standard of entries, over the three catagories. The results are as follows;

OVERALL GRAND PRIZE - Dave Cuthbertson

MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE

1st  Dave Cuthbertson
2nd Dave Patterson
3rd Ken Marsden

MOUNTAIN CULTURE

1st Dave Cuthbertson
2nd John Penrose
3rd Ken Marsden

MOUNTAIN MOODS  (Ben Nevis)

1st Dave Cuthbertson
2nd Alex Gillespie
3rd John A Cameron

ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD

Alex Farquhar

We would like to thank all of the people who took the time to enter.If you have any suggestions, or feedback on the competition please contact us.

Details will soon be released for the 2007 competition,so keep your eyes peeled to the website for updates.

To see all the prize winning images click here.

Peoples Choice Art Competition

This was the first year of the people’s choice art competition and it proved an enormous success.

Most of the visitors to the art and photo exhibition were keen to participate in the voting process, some people brought their friends along to vote and some people wanted to vote for paintings which were not on the shortlist.

Main Prize

The winner of the main prize was Derek Young from Nethybridge for an oil painting - Frozen Landscape, Caithness.

Young Person's Award

The winner of the young person’s award was Gillian Ness from Fort William.