BMC Women in Adventure 2022: The Winners

This year the 2022 Award Winners were at Sheffield Adventure Film Festival.

The screening brought together many of the talented filmmakers and adventurers who entered their films this year. For many of the filmmakers, it was a chance to see their films up on the big screen for the first time. As each award was announced, the filmmakers and stars were invited up on stage to join hosts Molly Thompson-Smith and Em Lyons and share exclusive insight into the behind the scenes of their films. As an accessible screening, we also had two BSL interpreters and ensured that all films that were screened had captions.

With both the quality and quantity of the submitted films being at an all-time high, each year the competition becomes tougher for our judges to choose the winners of the five awards. So, did your favourites win? You can watch them all on our BMC Women in Adventure Films playlist. Here are the deserving winners:

Montane Best Film Award

A Good Place To Be | Wild Swimming & Mental Health - by Reuben Worlledge and featuring Pauline Latchem.

This film explores the mental health and well-being benefits of wild swimming through the unique experience of Pauline.

Best Professional Award

Rise by Chris Thomas featuring Delyth Owen

In a place like Snowdonia, weather forecasts are often dotted with high chances of rain and strong winds. When climber Delyth Owen was diagnosed in 2017 with a Functional Neurological Disorder, manifesting in episodic loss of control of mind and body, her inner landscape began to mirror the tumultuous Welsh skies. For Delyth, finding strength and serenity on the sheer rock of a severe landscape has become much more than an athletic pursuit or a mental exercise, as she realises along the way that the challenges of life are not an impasse but another wall to be scaled.

Most Watched

Three Lakes by Roxy Barry

Make A Difference Award

Solo Surrender by Alexandra Ridge

This short film was created during the Women’s Outdoor Leadership Course 2021, run by The Outward Bound Trust. The title is also the title of the accompanying poem, which came to me during a solo expedition. This time alone in the mountains was intended as time to reflect on ourselves as leaders, as women in the outdoors and our experiences. Having not written a poem in over 10 years (I never liked creative writing at school!), I’m still unsure why my reflection came to me in this form. Ultimately, Solo Surrender was inspired by the sensations I feel when I spend time outdoors… with inspiring women; with my partner Ryan and other empowering men; and with myself, solo. The film wasn’t planned – it came about as I just happened to be compiling video clips throughout the course and in the final week I decided to combine them, as best as I could, with a recording of my poem. This was intended as a ‘gift’ to share with other “WOLC” members before the course-end… but they have since encouraged me to submit the film here!

Judges Special Mention

The Mountains are Pink by Ailsa Brock

A poem file describing being raised as a woman in the mountains, accompanied by a painted animation.

Judges Special Mention Award

Ladylike by Rosie Aldridge

Ladylike explores the idea that overcoming societal expectations of women and girls starts at a young age. Zoning in on the International Scout Centre in Kandersteg Switzerland, Rosie tells the story of how participating in scouting has changed her life for the better and enables young women from around the world to start their own adventures, get outside and stay true to themselves and their passions.

The following films were shortlisted:

• Walk on by Grace TSP
• Five Ways to Feel Cosy by Susanna Thornton

📺 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.