THE 16TH EDITION OF THE DUTCH MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL
Scheduled from November 6th to November 16th, the Dutch Mountain Film Festival is a week-long event which places mountain scenery, mountaineering and mountain culture centre stage. Its films and documentaries pay homage to the great outdoors, the majesty of the mountains, the awe-inspiring role of mother nature, and the diversity of mountain cultures, both near and far. The annual festival puts together an exciting programme of historical dramas, gripping documentaries, accounts of do-or-die and experimental outdoor adventures, and exceptional arthouse films.
With its rolling uplands, sunken lanes, steep-sided valleys with fast-flowing streams, charming half-timbered houses and a softly spoken dialect, Zuid-Limburg defies all the preconceptions that most of us have about the Netherlands: the perfect backdrop for the DMFF.
“The first edition in 2011 was on demand of an arthouse cinema and we had some good experience with a mountain film event we organized some years before to celebrate a survival race we had won. – declares the DMFF director, Toon Hezemans – The goal was to introduce a larger audience to the world of mountains and mountain sports and to have a annual gathering of mountain enthousiasts”
So how did the festival grow throughout the years then, and what is its main goal today?
“In order to become a member of the International Alliance for Mountain Film we studied other festivals, extended the festival by two days and launched the DMFF Film Awards. Through films, art and ideas, we inspire people to work towards a liveable planet, a better world and the protection of the mountains far away and close by. We like to show that adventure begins right on your doorstep – and with it, the responsibility for the nature in your immediate surroundings. So every year we create with filmmakers, writers, artists, volunteers and the audience an imaginary mountain with new and adventurous routes, different view points and surprising and beautiful valleys, slopes and ridges”.
How many people work at the festival?
“The Dutch Mountain Film Festival is the only cross border international mountain film festival organized in two countries. In Aachen our team consists of members of the DAV- sektion Aachen with longtime volunteers as Utz Breunig and Hannah Kuhn. This team prepares for DMFF Aachen all year round. Through the year we have a team of around ten volunteers and people who work on project basis. All year through our PR and communication team is operational to tell our stories. In no particular order we have Jeroen Daemen, who is our film technician, film maker and director on stage events. Karin Eken is our graphic designer and content manager of the website. Mariska Kastelic is the marketing manager of the team and initiates the different PR moments, newsletters and press releases. In the run-up to the festival we expand the team. Jos Horbach will take the lead in the production and location management of the festival, Jos Habets is the hospitality manager and a team of eight / ten people will be working on the preselection of the films and writing the film reviews”.
Is there a particular episode in the festival’s history that you would like to mention?
“Throughout the festival’s history, we have always had to deal with issues relating to venues and funding. These challenges keep us creative and the festival vibrant. The pandemic in particular has been challenging. In 2017 a small team of DMFF visited the BANFF Filmfestival. During long evening discussions in a camper van in snow-covered Canada, we laid the foundations for the future DMFF; a new date and a new venue for the festival”.
Why do you think it’s important for the festival to be part of the IAMF?
“There are many different festivals affiliated with the IAMF, each with its own history, culture and support base. It’s very enlightening to discover all these different approaches and see what suits your own festival. The IAMF is a platform for exchanging ideas. Another important point: I started the DMFF because I wanted there to be a film festival like that in my city, one that I could then attend. But when you organise a festival yourself, you can never go to it as a visitor. Fortunately, there are all those other festivals run by IAMF members…”.
Share your dream and vision for the future of your festival and of the mountains generally speaking.
“I hope I once can be a visitor of the DMFF as soon as there will be a new generation willing to take over. But if the festival will ceases to exist, so be it, new things will emerge. As for the mountains, they will always be, mysterious, cold, beautiful, challenging, dangerous, unknown, distant…”.