President of the Regional Council of Aosta Valley
“You have a watch, but I have time” is a saying common to many cultures, especially in Africa. This turn of phrase underlines how important it is for western societies to make peace with the fleeting nature of time. We created the concept of timekeeping, but we have no time. And yet in this pandemic year, coming to a sudden halt has given us the impression of being suspen- ded in time, a feeling that has changed our perceptions. Today the Cervino CineMountain festival helps us to reflect on this theme, with the cadence of the mountains, with the rhythm of cinema, with due consideration. Once again Valtournenche is at the heart of great mountain cinema and as with every edition, it leaves its special mark on the festival.The Regional Coun- cil will follow this example by putting its name to the Grand Prix des Festivals Conseil de la Vallée, known as the Oscar of mountain film. A great thanks goes to the Monte Cervino cultural asso- ciation for the time they put into organising this festival, an event as we see once again from this year’s programme, that has deep roots in Aosta Valley, roots which continue to grow throughout the wide world of mountain culture, traditions and sporting activities.
Alberto Bertin
Regional Minister for Cultural Heritage, Tourism, Sport and Trade
Cervino Cinemountain is Europe’s highest altitude festival and makes an important contribution to our understanding of mountains, their customs and inhabitants. The festival has become an important cornerstone for Aosta Valley and gives us the op- portunity to fully explore the Alpine world in all its variety and complexity. Since 1998 the festival has screened and awarded some of the best films in this genre and has come to represent a kind of Oscars of mountain film.This prestigious event has become a great attraction as it gathers together an array of mountain experiences and stories and unites a group of people who are key proponents and sup- porters of mountain culture.This year we have cho- sen the image of a falling leaf for the logo of our 24° festival edition, this gently drifting leaf represents all the fleeting narratives and captured experiences of mountain life that surround us.This event also plays an educative role in deepening public awareness of mountain culture and habitat: while alpine envi- ronments are magnificent and generous in aspect, they are also fragile. The mountain’s delicate equi- librium defines the way of living and activities that are central to these places. The festival’s collection of fascinating and impactful visual moments offer us a cross-section of this environment. Our mission is to spread this message to the outside world: that mountains are to be respected, safeguarded but also valued. I want to thank the organisers for all their work and for their enduring dedication and passion in creating this outstanding festival that both promotes tourism and is of great cultural worth for the Aosta Valley.
Jean – Pierre Guichardaz
the Mayor of Valtounenche
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you once again to the upcoming 24th edition of Cervino Ci- neMountain festival. During this long and obligatory closure our community has remained active. We saw this time as an opportunity to reconsider the way we run our town – the pedestrianisation project of Via Carrel as it leads up to Breuil is a good exam- ple – we also have strengthened our relationship with our Swiss neighbours by setting up for the first time, a cross border skiing competition for the world cup. In the same fashion we worked together with the dedicated and innovative organisers of Cervi- no CineMountain, to help bring about a top of the range cultural event. We appreciate just how much the crossover between the worlds of film and moun- tain culture can help introduce people to the great attributes of this region, generating footfall and visi- tors.We are delighted to learn of the ever-increasing interest the festival has generated, proving how this event is becoming one of the most important and respected in the sector. It is an honour for us to wel- come you here to this vibrant week of culture with films, performances and encounters from the publi- shing world, driven by the desire to come together to enjoy and learn from all that this experience offers.
Jean Antoine Maquignaz
Jean Antoine Maquignaz