Budding Filmmakers And Writers Invited To Take Part In 2025 NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival

Lake Wānaka, New Zealand (20 January 2025) – Adventure filmmakers and writers are once again invited to take part in the annual NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival. The 23rd edition of this popular seven-day event will be held in Wānaka from 20 to 24 June and in Queenstown on 26 and 27 June this year. The Online Film Festival will then be broadcast to New Zealand and Australian audiences throughout July.

Festival Director Whitney Oliver says she is delighted to get the ball rolling for the 2025 festival with entries now open for the Mountain Film and Book competitions. $9000 of prize money will be awarded across a range of categories with the grand-prize-winning film and the Best NZ-made film each eligible for $2500 and the Mountain Book of the Year $2000. The festival programme – to be released in May – will be made up of competition winners and finalists.

The festival theme is adventurous sports and lifestyle but competition entrants are invited to add their own creative spin, so long as there is a link with adventurous sports or people, the world’s mountains, lakes, rivers, oceans or skies provide the stage, or there is a cultural or environmental theme.

A member of the International Alliance for Mountain Film, over the past two decades, the Mountain Film Festival has gained a reputation for attracting world-class films as well as providing a stepping stone for up-and-coming creatives. Supporting homegrown talent is integral to the work of The NZ Mountain Film Festival Charitable Trust which runs the festival. The Trust is committed to promoting NZ arts, film, culture, environment and outdoor lifestyles and alongside the film competition, subsidises a film school during the festival.

The biannual advanced Adventure Film School provides an opportunity for emerging filmmakers to advance their skills under the instruction and guidance of industry-leading professionals. Participants learn how to produce, direct and edit adventure films, and learn about storytelling, interview technique, audio and camera work and special effects. The goal is that students will come away with the skills and inspiration to produce a film to submit to future film competitions and have it screened at the festival. Since its beginnings in 2011, the Adventure Film School has produced several award-winning filmmakers including 2023 Best NZ-Made Film award winner Maddie Whittaker and 2024 Best Documentary award winner Ben Wallbank.

Oliver, who has been involved with the NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival for several years and filled a variety of roles including volunteer, projectionist, filmmaker, trustee and programme coordinator, has taken over from Mark Sedon as Festival Director this year. Sedon, who co-founded the festival with his wife Jo in 2002, remains on the festival team as Executive Director and Head Judge.

“I am stoked to see Whitney step into the Festival Director role and her amazing filmmaker talents and organisational skills will see the festival continue to be truly epic and enjoyable for artists and patrons,” says Sedon. “But I’m not going far! After 23 years I’m still excited to put on a fantastic event and to be working alongside Whitney."

“Mark and Jo have grown the festival into a top tier event, and it's a privilege to be involved,” says Oliver. “The calibre of films and books has consistently impressed, and the energy of the crowds is infectious. We're always brainstorming new ways to serve our filmmakers, audiences, and community, and I'm excited about what's to come.”

Entries for the NZ Mountain Book competition close on 30 March while the deadline for the Film competition is 20 April. Bookings for the Adventure Film School will open on 1 April. For more information about the competitions, the Adventure Film School, and the history of the NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival head to mountainfilm.nz

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