2015 Winners

Best in Show Award: 500 Miles to Nowhere  by Cloudbase Collective
Best Documentary/Narrative Film: Dorais  by Duct Tape Then Beer
Best Pacific Northwest Film: Tumwater Daydream  by Patrick Hennessey
Best Outdoors Sports & Adventure Film: Important Places  by Gnarly Bay Productions
Best Point-of-View: CP & the PCT  by Wesley Trimble
Creative Excellence: Ocean Gravity  by Guillaume Néry and Julie Gautier

Bounce by: Guillaume Blanchet
Follow Guillaume as he travels with his friends to discover the universality of the football. Guillaume has developed a passion for stop motion animations and short films, using his writing skills to enhance his images; he tries to bring emotions through images that evoke movement, travel and freedom

500 Miles to Nowhere by: Cloudbase Collective

An elite group of paragliding pilots attempt an unsupported vol-biv (fly-camp) from Hurricane Ridge to Jackson Hole, Wyoming; a line that has never been flown. Cloudbase is a diverse collection of professionals who aim to create unique content based around incorporating raw adventure and the accompanying lifestyle to brand awareness.

Afterglow by: Sweetgrass Productions
Night. It’s the hour of infinite possibility. Follow the likes of Pep Fujas and Eric Hjorleifson, Chris Benchetler and Daron Rahlves as they take to Alaskan spines and BC pillows, shredding the biggest and boldest lines ever ridden at night. Sweetgrass is a collection of filmmakers, adventurers, artists and dreamers that through the strange alchemy of aesthetic, story, and stoke, our films inspire people to explore the mystery of their own canvas.

Ocean Gravity by: Guillaume Néry

Before He Wakes by: Steven Gabriel Gnam
Every day around the world millions of people run for fun, exercise, and to commune with nature; this film is about one. Steven has been photographing wildlife, landscapes, and people in adventure across the Western United States and Canada for over a decade. Most of his work focuses on celebrating and protecting the wildlands of the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest.

CP and the PCT by: Wesley Trimble
A man with a mild form of cerebral palsy defies the odds and hikes 2,660 miles from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail. This is his story. Wesley enjoys sharing his many unique experiences with others through speaking, writing and videography. He is currently working towards climbing all 54 of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks; he has four remaining.

Rey Del Rio by: Ben Sturgulewski
A stunning capture of the world’s first big waterfall kayaking competition. Ben grew up on a rugged and remote island in Alaska’s Aleutian Island Chain, inspiring a life dedicated to the exploration of the wild, and the people who call it home. He strives to bring a unique and critical cinematic perspective to action sports, documentary, narrative, and commercial pursuits.

Day Dream by: Patrick Hennessey
Last October Patrick broke his foot and had lots of time to daydream. During the slow healing process he learned to never give up and live life to the fullest. This film highlights Tumwater Canyon and “just” a few ways it can be experienced. Patrick’s motto is simple: “I love the outdoors and want to keep enjoying life as long as it lets me”.

El Sendero Luminoso by: Camp4 Collective

On January 15th, 2014, Alex Honnold free-soloed El Sendero Luminoso, The Shinning Path. It could be the most difficult rope-less climb in history. Director Renan Ozturk’s cinematography and visual story telling style has emerged as one of the leaders for the outdoor industry. He’s a globally recognized expedition climber, landscape artist and filmmaker; he co-founded Camp4 Collective to push the boundaries of expedition storytelling.

Dorais by: Duct Tape Then Beer

Watch Amanda Cattaneo/Dorais as she tells her inspiring story where she realizes that the cliché is true: we must embrace each moment, good and bad. And in the way she handles this life challenge, Amanda is a Dorais. Director Fitz Cahall is a Seattle based filmmaker and writer whose passion for climbing, skiing and being outside is fundamental to his creative endeavors

Nature RX by: Dream Tree Film & Productions

One lost man, longing for the apocalypse, crippled by modern life, finds an answer… an obvious truth he was missing all along. This film is an award-winning comedy about a struggle affecting all us humans today, revealed in a suitable post-modern capsule. Director Justin Bogardus is an independent filmmaker Producer / Director / Editor that produces compelling, funny and thought- provoking television, documentaries, ads, and films. He lives in Boulder, CO where he often gets lost outdoors.

Light Goes On by: Darius Twin
You’re never too old to skateboard. This is an animated work of Light-Artist Darren Pearson. Specializing in illustrated long-exposure photographs, each of the over 720 frames was drawn on location at night with an LED light. Darren is a resident of Los Angeles, where he works by night, exploring the varying landscapes of California in search of the perfect scene for one of his life-sized light-sculptures where he makes complex light-effect photographs, none of which are Photoshopped.

The Important Places by: Gnarly Bay Productions

Forest Woodward is an amazing photographer. Back in the day, his dad, Doug, was a pioneer of kayaking and rafting. 44 years later, as Forest watched his dad age quickly and lose his sense of adventure he decided to challenge him to a 28 day float down the Grand Canyon. Using a mix of old 16mm footage, and new, this film documents the special bond of father and son while exploring the necessity of returning to “The Important Places” in our lives.

A Tribute to Discomfort by: Blue Chalk Media

Climber and visual storyteller, Cory Richards was named National Geographic Adventurer of the Year in 2012 and is part of the North Face athletic team. This film brings the viewer through Cory’s stunning work, his unique sense of humor, and his quest to create photographs that relate a common humanity. Director Rob Finch is a visual storyteller who has won multiple prestigious awards including a shared Pulitzer Prize in 2007 where he was a team member at the Oregonian.

Work Hard Climb Harder by: Luke Allen Humpfrey

Petzl/Sportiva athlete Audrey Sniezek has been climbing for 22 years, and for most of those she’s had to hold down a super competitive corporate job. This film explores the challenges of balancing work with a passion for climbing outdoors, something most of us face. Her first female ascent of Lost Horizons (5.14b) at Little Si in North Bend is highlighted in this context. Director Luke Humphrey has been exploring, photographing and filming in the mountains for the past 6 years.

Out of the Black and into the Blue by: RockingStone Films

This is a story about drive, passion and ambition and what it means to put everything into something and gamble it all. Director Luke Pilbeam has a love for the ocean and all things surrounding it. He tells stories through film, using the bare essentials with the philosophy that beauty comes from the composition and concept before equipment.

Tying the Knot by: Kyle Duba
A not so common wedding story… Brian and Mandy left their home on bicycles (rode 14 miles), hiked into the Cirque of the Towers in Wyoming’s Wind River Range (24 miles), climbed the Northeast Face of Pingora Peak (1,200′ of climbing, 11,884′ summit elevation, Grade IV, 5.8, 9 pitches), got married, and reversed the approach. On their wedding day they were awake and moving for 24 hours. Director Kyle Duba grew up in the Pacific Northwest where family camping trips and boyscout outings taught him a love of the outdoors. Now Kyle has found himself in the unique position of being able to share his love of the outdoors with others through the format of filmmaking.

ChamAlive by: Michael Bird Shaffer
A celebration of life dedicated to those that love. This film is shot in Chamonix, France, and depicts the ultimate life game we play and love we share that can be felt in mountain communities across the world. Director Michael Shaffer aka Bird, is a Leavenworth local dedicated to sharing his passion for the mountains through capturing not only our sports, but the people involved in the high vibration life that we live.