Scenes from the film series The Lord of the Animals

The Banff film festival ended November 3, when the international jury announced the Best of the Festival winners and presented the awards.

As well, the Bill March Summit of Excellence Award was presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the mountain world. This year's recipient is Tim Auger.

Grand Prize
$2,000
Sponsored by the Banff Centre for Management

The Tsaatan--The Reindeer Riders
(France/1995/26 minutes)
Director: Jacques Malaterre
Producer: Boreales
Set in the outermost limits of northern Mongolia, this film illustrates the life of Bat, the leader of the nomadic Tsaatan people, and his mutually enriching relationship with the reindeer. The Tsaatan's way of life reflects their reverence for the environment. Says Bat, "Nature agrees to give if man only takes what he needs."
(Read our interview with one of the company's filmmakers.)

Best Film on Mountain Environment
$2,000 prize
Sponsored by Canadian Mountain Holidays

Mountain Gorilla: A Shattered Kingdom
(England/1995/51 minutes)
Director/Producer: Bruce Davidson for Survival Anglia
In Zaire, one of the most spectacular and politically unstable areas of Africa, thousands of refugees from Rwanda move higher and higher into the mountains in search of wood for cooking and heat. This human tragedy is creating a new kind of threat for the mountain gorrillas living on the forested volcanic slopes in the region.

Best Film on Mountain Culture
$2,000 prize
Sponsored by PMI Petzl

The Tsaatan-The Reindeer Riders
(France/1995/26 minutes)

Best Film on Climbing
$2,000 prize
Sponsored by the Alpine Club of Canada

San Valentin
(South Africa/1996/26 minutes)
Director/Producer: Nic Good
Six South African friends journey to Chile's northern Patagonia icecap to climb the highest mountain in northern Patagonia, San Valentin. They travel by boat for 900 kilometers to the foot of San Rafael Glacier, then spend another month on the icefield to reach and climb the mountain of their dreams.

Best Film on Climbing--Special Mention

Infinito Sud (Italy/1996/27 minutes)
Director/Producer: Ermanno Salvaterra
An attempt to climb the south wall of Cerro Torre in Patagonia with three climbers: Ermanno Salvaterra, Roberto Manni and Piergiorgio Vidi who are accompanied by an unusual metal box which becomes their home for 24 days on the mountain wall. It is the protection this innovative and perhaps controversial bivouac device which allows them to escape, albeit temporarily, from the harsh and unforgiving Patagonia weather.

Best Film on Mountain Sports
$2,000 prize
Sponsored by Banff Mount Norguay

Snowboard (Italy/1995/14 minutes)
Director: Alessio Viola
Producer: ARTIME S.p.A.
Extreme snowboarding first descents by Jerome Ruby and Andre-Pierre Rhem on the Mount Blanc massif.

Special Jury Award

Legacy
(Canada/1996/10 minutes)
Director/Producer: Peter McAllister
A poignant commentary on the political acts which have led to the current logging practices in British Columbia’s coastal temperate rainforests.

People's Choice Award
$2,000 prize
Sponsored by The Hostel Shop

Mountain Gorilla: A Shattered Kingdom

The 1996 finalists were:
A Documentary on Impracticality
Advertising Missionaries
Al Filo de lo Imposible: K2
Beating the Odds
Broken Promises
Dead Last - A Tale of Triumph
Diamonds in the Rough
Don Sergio...The Man Who Reinvented the Automobile
Expedition Inspiration
Fire!
Freestylin'
Hydrospeed
Infinito Sud
Inside Story: Alison's Last Mountain
Karakorum - Wild and Free
Kayaks and Coconuts
Land der Berge
Legacy
Le Rocher
Les Aretes de Lumiere
Mountain Gorilla: A Shattered Kingdom
Passe-Moi les Jumelles: L'Ecume des Cimes- Erhard Loretan
San Valentin
Snowboard
Sotano
Swinging Ski in Austria
The Ice Hose
The Llamero and the Boy with the White Llama
The Luis Trenker Project - I'm A Movieman
The Mystery of the Inca Mummy
The Natural World: Himalaya
The Survivor
The Tsaatan-The Reindeer Riders
Thule Beri - Himalayan Whitewater
Turning Point: Mountain Without Mercy--The Everest Story

The "Best of the Festival" on Tour
As of November 20, this year's films hit the road. If you have a chance to see them, be sure to vote for your favorite. For more information on the festival and tour locations, go to Festival and Tour information.