BMC Women in Adventure 2020: The Winners

BMC TV and Womenclimb along with proud sponsors Montane are pleased to announce the 2020 Women in Adventure Film Competition winners. The original announcement of the winners, due to take place during the Women in Adventure screening at Sheffield Adventure Film Festival, was regrettably delayed after the cancellation of ShAFF earlier this year. All film entries can be watched on TeamBMC Youtube channel.

Montane Best Film Award: Uncomfortable

Rachel Ross, 2020 Women in Adventure winner of the Montane Women in Adventure Award when told of her win said “There were some absolutely brilliant films this year, I watched them all! The short [Uncomfortable] really did come from the heart and those feelings feel even more relevant now with everything that is happening. It is a shame the festival couldn’t happen, but it would be lovely for something to happen later on in the year to meet the other filmmakers.

“When the films for the women in adventure festival first went live online, I sat there and watched every single one, enjoying the different stories of different women, all beautifully told."

Commenting on the nature of the competition, she said “like everybody, I am mostly inspired by people I can relate to, which is why going through this catalogue of films felt more inspiring than a ‘normal festival’. And I hope that in coming film festivals this feeling can be felt by everybody, and diversity in all aspects is brought more to the forefront of our outdoor storytelling. It would be brilliant to see one day that a women in adventure film festival doesn’t need to exist, but for now I’m really glad it does.”

As overall winner, Rachel has been awarded £600 prize money, entry into Kendal Mountain Festival and Banff Mountain Film Competition for 2020 and a special Montane prize jacket.

Second Place: Child of the Teign

Winner of the Second Place category for her film Child of the Teign, Maddy Earp said “As a first time filmmaker with this competition I'm really proud of the award, especially as it was for Women in Adventure - something a little overlooked I believe but such a fun thing to make a film about and awesome to empower young women! Also congratulations to the winner and other nominees. I loved watching all of the other entries when they came out and seeing the variety in this competition.”

Most Watched Award: Hers to Take

Judge and BMC President Lynn Robinson said “It’s no wonder that Hers to Take has won the Most Watched category. This is a film that can be watched over and over again. It’s an open, honest and challenging account of how the women featured tackle fear, and is relatable to all aspects of our lives. “Taking a risk and facing the fear” shows that Annie, through persistently tackling her fear, is ultimately successful: a clear message to us all.”

Protagonist and filmmaker Annie Martin added “The response to the film was overwhelming, I'm so touched! It's so nice to have had that after all the work and waiting to release it.“

Best Professional Film Award: Bob & Marion

Best Professional Film was a new category this year and there were some outstanding entrants. However the judge’s panel chose Bob & Marion, by filmmaker Amanda Bluglass, because they found it inspirational and challenging on many levels. Marion is a fabulous role model. Even though the film was about marathon running, the concepts explored in the film can be transferred to many aspects of our lives. How being outdoors has such a positive impact on our mental health, daring to be different and challenging ‘the norm’. The powerful messages are portrayed in such a gentle way.

Judge's Special Mention Award: Wild Swim

Star of Wild Swim, Amy Louise Walker said “Having our film chosen for the Judges Special Mention feels like a real honour. I was especially excited to be involved in a women's adventure film competition as so much of the adventure world is male dominated. I was delighted when we were even selected to be involved as I've often found myself on the fringes of outdoor communities. With wild swimming though I feel like I've found my people. Thanks so much for choosing our film, as I said in it, I feel like if 15 year old me had seen herself represented more in the world maybe she'd have made peace with herself a little sooner.

Women in Adventure film judge, Emily Pitts said: "Watching this year's film entries was a real pleasure. What I loved was listening to the diversity of women's voices that were projected on screen and seeing the diverse ways people’s own and stories were told.

“Since its inception in 2015, the competition has built and developed each year, with you all stepping up and creating stories that resonate with people, that inspire people and which give people great joy. The effort, passion, attention and care that went into all of the films was evident and has provided me with inspiration for my own adventures. Thank you to the filmmakers for the time and energy you've invested in your films. It's our most popular year yet, with treble the number of watches already. Go you and your crews, you did this."

The BMC TV team would like to thank all the judges - Emily Pitts, Claire Carter, Lynn Robinson and Emma Brennand - our sponsors Montane and all those who submitted their incredible films to the competition this year. The full 2020 shortlist featured the following films:

I am a Fellrunner
Bob and Marion
Uncomfortable
All the Tors: A Dartmoor Story
Revel in the Climb
Conquer the Kent Coast - Swimming
Child of the Teign
Wild Swim
MTB vs Mountain Runner
Pirate of the Canals
Hers to Take

Sheffield Adventure Film Festival and Women in Adventure Film Competition 2021

The organisers of Sheffield Adventure Film Festival are planning for a rearranged ShAFF event early in the autumn where a revised Women in Adventure Film event will feature. More details to follow.

As for the continuation of the film competition, the 7th annual BMC TV Women in Adventure film competition will be launched for 2021 very soon, where filmmakers will be able to submit their films.

📺 WATCH: All the films EVER entered into the Women In Adventure Film Competition

Any questions, feedback or ideas about the competition can be sent to emma@thebmc.co.uk