An engaging lecture by zoologist and educator Jerguš Tesák for children and families.
The lecture will uncover the most fascinating facts and secrets of large predators—bears, wolves, and lynxes. It will explore their daily lives, the challenges they face, and the ways they sometimes challenge us. How can humans and wild animals coexist in the same land that both need?
The lecture will also feature captivating videos from camera traps used for monitoring these predators, capturing both ordinary and extraordinary moments of their lives.
Do we even need wilderness? A moderated discussion about forests where humans do NOTHING, and Nature does everything. Forests where bears, wolves, lynxes, eagles, salamanders—and even people—live. What can we do to ensure a healthy life in a thriving, balanced landscape?
As part of this section, there will be a screening of the Czech Television documentary Slovak Predators in the Crosshairs (2025).
Moderator: Pavel Vondráček, INFO
Discussion guests:
Mgr. Miroslav Kutal, Ph.D. – Institute of Forest Ecology, Mendel University in Brno, and expert consultant for Hnutí DUHA Šelmy
Vladimír Antal – Specialist in preventive sheep protection in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, longtime employee of the State Nature Conservancy of Slovakia
Janka Zajaková – Author of scientific studies on wolf feeding ecology and the impact of wolf populations on disease transmission
Katarína Ondrejová – Former member of the Ministry of the Environment's Large Carnivore Commission
Juraj Lukáč – Member of the Ministry of Agriculture’s committee on wolf hunting quotas, leader of the conservation group Lesoochranárske zoskupenie VLK
A filmmaker retraces the longest known dispersal of a wolf in Europe, from Switzerland to Hungary for more than 1900 kilometres, and the outer journey unexpectedly sparks an inner one. In this nonfiction documentary, Veronica investigates the spectral nature of this animal in the collective imagination and her experience turns in an exploration into wandering and wilderness as therapy. Official Selection: Open City Documentary Festival 2024. Film made during the MA in Ethnographic and Documentary Film by Practice (UCL).
The Nordland Trekking Trail is an 18-minute short film. The film follows several individuals as they hike parts of the Nordland Trekking Trail. This is a 650-kilometer long trail which is crossing three national parks, world heritage site Laponia, ancient Sami lands and the Arctic Circle itself. The film delves into the personal stories of these trekkers, revealing what is their motivation for the simple outdoor life (friluftsliv). For some, it is a quest for adventure and solitude, for others, a pilgrimage to reconnect with the land and traditions of their ancestors. Through stunning visuals and reflective narration, The Nordland Trekking Trail not only showcases the breathtaking beauty of this Arctic Norway and Sweden but also poses deeper questions about the relationship between humans and nature.
Magsar and Ankhaa raise their children and reindeer in a remote valley in northern Mongolia. How do they cope with the onslaught of winter in the high taiga? Chloé and Dominique want to find out. The kindness that emanates from their symbiotic relationship with the animals is matched only by the warmth with which they welcome their first winter visitors. The winters are long and Magsar and Ankhaa work hard to secure a future for their families. Thanks to them, the new generation now has a choice: stay on the Great White Steppe and take over the herd, or leave for an uncertain future elsewhere, probably in the city. The choice is theirs.
Devastated by the death of his sister, wildlife photographer Amit Eshel embarks on the difficult journey to capture a phantom: the elusive snow leopard of the Altai Mountains of Mongolia.
A humorous film about mountain sports practices commented on and filmed in the style of a wildlife documentary. “Man is a rational animal” according to Aristotle, “he is everything one wants, except rational” according to Oscar Wilde. Rational or not, man is therefore an animal! But to which species does he belong? Artificial intelligence may help us see a little clearer. However… Moving from one ecosystem to another, this film travels through the mountains in search of groups of strange mammals, capable of reproducing among themselves and possessing physical and moral abilities extremely close. But according to Albert Einstein, “Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity”! Therefore, this film is far from reasonable and includes scenes where stupidity is anything but natural! However…
Only 1% of climbers bolt new routes. We approach a world unknown to many through the eyes of four climbers from the Basque Country who have devoted their lives to bolting. Their lives intersect to show us a personal story about something that unites all of us – passion.
What do you get when you mix a bunch of ice climbers, a frozen prairie, and a whole lot of determination? You get the Prairie Ice Farmers, the coolest (pun intended) group of climbers this side of the Canadian Rockies! Here in the heart of the Canadian Prairies, a vibrant community of ice climbers live and breathe the thrill of the climb. They pick up where Mother Nature left off, sculpting ice climbing playgrounds on the flatlands. Join us on this epic journey exploring the lives of these ice climbers and the challenges they face in their quest to build and conquer the frozen “peaks” of the Canadian Prairies. It’s a story that will leave you feeling inspired, awestruck, and maybe even a little chilly!
About Kristýnka Kwasniaková, who climbs the legendary Údolka (VIIIb) on Hláska in Teplice in RP style. Where men struggle and groan, she flows with the rock… The story of only the second female free ascent of this route.
To mark the 70th anniversary of the first 7A in Fontainebleau, Seb Berthe and Hugo Parmentier have set themselves quite a challenge: to complete 100 7A boulders on a single day, linking the crags by bike or on foot. An extraordinary journey of over 80 km through the magic forest! And an extraordinary feat when you consider how demanding these rocks are. Crimps, climpers, falls, slips but above all a magnificent human adventure, sublimated by the poetry of director Jérôme Tanon.
Yelda embarks on a quest that drives her to achieve much more than her climbing dreams. She aspires to make a mark in history by becoming the first Cuban to conquer three legendary ascents.
NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER LOSE HOPE, KEEP TESTING YOUR LIMITS – this is the credo of Dina Štěrbová, the first woman and the first Czech to have conquered the eight-thousand metre peaks of Cho Oyu, in 1984. At that time, women with ice axes and crampons were considered a rarity at eight-thousanders. When she secretly climbed Gerlach at the age of fourteen, she could not yet provide the right answer to her mother’s question: “Why do you climb those mountains?” Fifteen years later, she expressed herself in her book Cho Oyu, The Turquoise Mountain: “To conquer the mountains is to conquer purposelessness. They are beautiful in their endless variations, treacherous and heartless like the Sirens. Not tailored to the person who comes uninvited into their sanctuary. There is no winners’ podium at the summits, only an icy rock where the marathon takes a turn and where we may have grasped the essence of being.” We will accompany the eighty-one-year-old mountaineer on her farewell trip to the high mountains, on an expedition to Pakistan during a humanitarian mission.
The emotional documentary “CLARITY” takes us through the life of Sebastian Kuhn and provides intimate insights into the depths of his feelings. Sebastian was confronted with ADHD as an adult. A neurobiological disorder whose diagnosis brought relief and change. Nature becomes Sebastian’s refuge, a source of healing and balance. The film captures how he adapts his life by focusing on the simple beauty of nature to minimise sensory overload and find clarity, how he experiences the transformative effect of ice bathing where the cold manages to calm his mind and how he rediscovers his deep connection to snowboarding and freedom on the snowy hills in the midst of nature.
In the remote mountain villages of Bamyan, Afghanistan, a newfound passion for skiing attracts young athletes from rival ethnic groups to the slopes. With minimal gear and makeshift wooden skis, the determined ski coach Alishah Farhang organizes a thrilling ski race that fosters camaraderie, joy, and triumph. However, after the shocking collapse of their country, many of the skiers are displaced across the globe as refugees, and must call upon the lessons learned in the mountains of their homeland to find a way to rebuild. CHAMPIONS OF THE GOLDEN VALLEY captures the thrill of a sports rivalry intertwined with a poignant portrait of a community in profound transition — parallel stories converging to explore what it means to be a champion, in all its forms. The film has been winning the hearts of juries and audiences alike. Recent awards include Audience Choice at Heartland, Denver, Banff, Austin, and Crested Butte; Best Documentary at SCAD Savannah; Grand Prize at Banff; and Best Documentary at Crested Butte.
DESCENDANCE is Dennis’ story—the story of a kid who, in the town where he was born and raised, had to answer the question, “Where are you really from?” It’s a story of identity, everyday racism and self-discovery, as Dennis seeks to define himself not only as a skier, but as a Black man who’s spent his life in predominantly white spaces.
Chris Rubens was living the dream. As a professional skier, for years he travelled the globe in search of the best skiing, until an expedition to Greenland brought the reality of climate change and his impact into sharp focus. Forced to confront his footprint and values, he takes action, risking his career as an athlete to become an organic farmer in a quest to foster a stronger, more sustainable community and connection to the mountains.
Once upon a time there was a rough-and-ready ice-climber who didn’t come home. Together with her two precocious dachshunds, the Wunder Dachsies, the courageous Axie goes off in search of her long-lost knight in armour. High up in the mountains, she finds herself in an ice blizzard. Who knows what happens next… During the DMFF Awards ceremony in 2023, we challenged puppet-maker and Fröbelfrau Lisette Wansink to make a stop-motion film using her puppets of famous mountaineers. Without further ado, she took up the challenge and knew straightaway who the main protagonist would be in her film: the dachshunds of Dutch ice-climbing champions, Marianne van der Steen and Dennis van Hoek. For months on end, Lisette has worked with great ingenuity on the sets and props in her cellar in Teuven in Belgium. With help from the DMFF Academy (Jeroen Daemen), on a steep learning curve, she has mastered the art of stop-motion film. The music has been composed and performed by Rik Huijts. Now we are all curious to find out what happens in her first ever film!
, Tomas Bucek, Michal Mikusinec, Martin Krasnansky.JPG)
"The world’s highest rock tower, standing at 6,254 meters, with its over 1,100-meter steep walls, offers some of the most extreme big-wall climbing challenges. That’s what Wikipedia tells you. But we wanted to know more. How would we hold up during 13 days of climbing on this wall? Had we bitten off more than we could chew by attempting its sheer west face, which had only seen one repeat ascent in 37 years? How did we cope with its altitude, steepness, harsh weather, and our relatively young team? And most importantly—what did we learn about ourselves? Our talk will cover all this and more."