Taking place at an altitude of 2000 metres, Cervino CineMountain is the highest international film festival in Europe. Cervinia and Valtournenche have acted as film forums since the festival’s debut at the height of the summer of 1998. The culture of these localities nurtures the imagination and that sense of the evocative which film but also theatre and live performance can give us.
The festival works to reveal the relationship between the mountains and how the mountains are narrated and explores the epic nature of real adventure and how that is represented in film. The unique profile of Mount Cervino overlooks this vast natural stage like some extraordinary backdrop, a living manifesto of the spirit of the festival.
Having become a pivotal event in Aosta Valley’s summer culture programme, our festival has earned itself the accolade of the Oscars of mountain cinema. What makes our festival special is that the week-long programme offers screenings of those films that have stood out the most in international film festivals – festivals which make up the International Alliance for Mountain Film circuit, stretching from Trento to Kathmandu and representing some of the most important film events throughout the world.
From these cinematic gems we choose a winner for the Grand Prix des Festivals – Conseil de la Vallée. We are proud that Cervino CineMountain provides an overview of the best and the most up to date international film productions on this theme and that our programme line-up of award winning productions gives the audience a ‘state of the art’ synopsis of mountain filmography.
Cervino CineMountain’s two directors, Luisa Montrosset e Luca Bich are intent on furthering the concept of mountains as heritage: our mountain heritage is finite and at risk, it can be exploited, eroded and destroyed. Environmentally, the mountains are a fragile resource: we need to develop a heightened awareness of this fragility and follow an intelligent and conscientious line of action to protect and invest in proper stewardship of mountain areas.
Telling the story of mountain heritage also helps to protect it; this after all should be a shared responsibility, just as we share in the incomparable emotions and experiences the mountains bestow on us.
Our jury changes each year and is made up of an international team of directors, critics, mountain climbers, actors and writers who share an affinity with mountain culture and who are involved in the world of film.
Cervino CineMountain is supported and promoted by the Municipality of Valtournenche and is organised by the Monte Cervino Cultural Association.
Over the years the Festival has hosted important figures such as Walter Bonatti, Erri De Luca, Enrico Camanni, Paolo Villaggio, Renato Pozzetto, Manolo, Amanda Sandrelli, Irene Grandi, Igor Man, Simon e Samuel Anthamatten, Kurt Diemberger, Stephen Venables, Silvio Mondinelli, Antoine Le Menestrel, Ben Moon, Simone Moro, Hans Kammerlander, Nives Meroi, Alex Bellini, Christophe Profit, Hervé Barmasse, Alessandro Gogna, Adam Ondra, Isolde Kostner, Christian Ghedina, Herbert Plank, Antoine Dénériaz, Mauro Corona, Richard Galliano, Javier Girotto, Catherine Destivelle, Mario Tozzi, Bahman Ghobadi, Claudio Chiappucci and Ivan Basso, Giovanni Soldini and many other well known directors, actors, writers, journalists, musicians, mountaineers ,climbers and extreme sports exponents.
The awards
- Grand Prix des Festivals Conseil de la Vallée d’Aoste Award
- Best foreign film Award
- Best Italian film Award
- Best Short film Award
- Best cinematography Award
- Film Commission VDA Award
- Best mountaneering, climbing, exploration film Award
- Audience Award
- Mountain Kids Audience Award
- Grand Prix Circuit Audience Award
- CineAdrenaline Audience Award
Festival directors
Cervino CineMountain benefits from a co-directorship arrangement where two diverse skill sets compliment both roles:
Luisa Montrosset has worked in the ambit of the EU for many years and her objective has been to broaden the horizons of the festival by creating collaborative opportunities and forging new partnerships. Luca Bich holds a degree in documentary film from the University of Bologna’s DAMS department; in 1992 he devised and organised the outdoor travelling film review Filmontagna and then in 1995 he set up the Strade del Cinema programme which became an international festival dedicated to celebrating silent film set to music by live performers. Luca is a director of documentaries and specialises in the filmography of mountain themed and anthropological productions.
Staff
Luisa Montrosset e Luca Bich Artistic directors
Gian Luca Rossi Film programming and coordination
Sara Colombini Selection support and secretary
Gian Luca Rossi, Luisa Montrosset, Sara Colombini Editorial staff
Seana Kevany e Sally Larder Translations
Barbara Mazzocco Press office
Tamara Vecchione Web site
Giuseppe Di Mauro Social media manager, photo and video
Davide Grimoldi Screenig services
Francesco Martinet Subtitles
MLAB Technical services
Arianna Cento, Martina Cassol, Giulia Macello Violetta, Pietro Perrone, Kenneth Remels e Leonardo Kevany Bich Reception, logistics and promotion
Gaël Truc e Filippo Pontiggia Filming, editing and streaming
Edoardo Demagistri per BINARIA Book store
Alessia Gasparella (AIACE) e Nicole Seris (LA CLE’ SUR LA PORTE) Chamois and La Magdeleine projections and presentations
Carmelo Termine Administrative office
A. Dario Cardella Graphic design
Enrico Massetto Festival Image
Grafiche ITLA e Tipografia Valdostana Printing