23rd Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival, 14-18 October 2026 – Presse Release –
Press Release / Awards Ceremony – October 17, 2026
23rd Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival, 14–18 October 2026
“Kongo – Le sang et la boue” wins the Great Prize of the City of Tegernsee
The winning film of the 23rd Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival has been announced: this year’s Great Prize of the City of Tegernsee, worth €3,000, goes to Jean-Gabriel Leynaud’s “Kongo – Le sang et la boue” (Kongo – Of Mud and Blood). Alexis Berg receives the German Alpine Club (DAV) Prize for the Best Alpine Film in the category Mountain Experience for “Run Again”. “2000 Jours au Paradis” (2000 Days in Paradise) wins Best Film in the category Mountain Nature, “Materia Prima” takes Best Film in the category Mountain Life, and “This Isn’t Me” receives the Otto Guggenbichler Prize for a Junior Filmmaker. Each award comes with €1,000. Luis Klimt is the winner of the LOWA Young Talents Award 2026.
Filmmaker Jean-Gabriel Leynaud is the big winner of the 23rd Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival. His film “Kongo – Le sang et la boue” (Kongo – Mud and Blood”) takes the €3,000 Great Prize of the City of Tegernsee, seeing off competition from 87 international productions.
As important as it is powerful, Leynaud’s film takes audiences into the lives of people in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, shaped by coltan mining, extreme poverty and recurring attacks by armed militias. Alongside its social relevance and topicality, the jury praises its masterful storytelling: unvarnished and honest, the film reveals the consequences of globalisation — and who pays the price. In the jury’s unanimous verdict: “A film that demands to be seen, because it concerns us all.”
Two contrasting worlds come together
At the heart of Alexis Berg’s “Run Again” is charismatic singer Dave Pen’s passion for music and trail running. Two seemingly different worlds are connected by an addiction to pushing body and mind to their limits. “The film brings together its protagonist’s contrasting passions in a way that is both spectacular and sensitive,” states the jury. The result is “a sensitive, honest and visually compelling portrait”. “Run Again” receives this year’s German Alpine Club (DAV) Prize for the Best Alpine Film in the category Mountain Experience.
Patience, passion and dedication
There are no prettified images or flashy effects in “2000 jours au paradis” by wildlife filmmakers Véronique, Anne and Erik Lapied, winners of the Great Prize of the City of Tegernsee in 2011 and 2018. Instead, the film quietly follows the Lapied family — father, mother and daughter — as they seek out the elusive inhabitants of the high Alps. Capturing such footage requires patience, passion and dedication. “The film puts nature centre stage without lecturing its audience,” says the jury, explaining its decision to award “2000 jours au paradis” Best Film in the category Mountain Nature.
A work of profound significance
Through powerful images, German filmmaker Jens Schanze creates a work of profound social significance in “Materia Prima”. The film explores competing interests in Bolivia’s vast lithium deposits — against the historical backdrop of colonial silver mining at Cerro Rico. International investors are in conflict with local residents, and the film considers the situation from several perspectives. The jury praises Schanze’s exceptionally precise gaze. Without passing judgement, he documents the loss and destruction of a place people call home in the name of the global energy transition. The jury unanimously awards “Materia Prima” Best Film in the category Mountain Life.
Emerging talent award goes to climbing-film parody “This Isn’t Me”
Gabriele Giuso and Brando Carasso receive the Otto Guggenbichler Prize for a Junior Filmmaker 2026 for “This Isn’t Me”. Climbing films rarely deliver such a heady mix of humour and self-mockery, the jury agrees — especially when the climbers perform at this level. The jury commends the film’s humorous and provocative approach, which playfully explores Hamish McArthur’s personality. His extraordinary athletic achievements take a back seat, making room for an original portrait of the climber. “An accomplished parody of the classic climbing film” is the expert jury’s verdict.
Best Camera Work, Special Film and Honourable Mentions
The Prize for the Most Outstanding Camera Work goes to Jean-Gabriel Leynaud’s “Kongo – Le sang et la boue” (Kongo – Mud and Blood). Ignasi López Fàbregas’s stop-motion film “Kronoshock” receives the Prize for the Special Film. The jury also awards Honourable Mentions to two films: “Loving Karma” by documentary filmmakers Johnny Burke and Andrew Hinton, and “Zahir” by Julien Nadiras.
This year’s Bayern 2 Audience Award goes to “Six Days to the Edge” by Valentin Rapp.
LOWA Young Talents Award 2026
Now in its second year, the € 5,000 LOWA Young Talents Award gives emerging filmmakers a chance to establish themselves in documentary filmmaking. Presented jointly by the Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival and Bavarian sports footwear manufacturer LOWA, the 2026 award goes to Luis Klimt. His “Ice Swim Project” won over Festival Director Tom Dauer straight away. The planned film will follow 21-year-old German ice swimmer Kilian Graef, who has one goal for the coming season: to become the youngest winner of the Ice Swimming World Cup. His journey takes him to Morocco’s Atlas Mountains and Germany’s Ore Mountains. Through encounters with athletes, pioneers and people working behind the scenes, the film explores the growing world of ice swimming. Its premiere is scheduled for October 2027 at the 24th Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival.
Festival Director Tom Dauer delighted by enthusiastic response
At Saturday’s Closing Ceremony, Festival Director Tom Dauer looks back with satisfaction. “I’m thrilled that we once again welcomed international filmmakers who brought us outstanding films. Our ambitious programme reached a large audience, and the enthusiasm for the festival has been remarkable. Events featuring our special guests had a real buzz. The conversations with them after the screenings were particular highlights.” The 24th Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival takes place from 13 to 17 October 2027. Save the dates!
Further Information: Sonderbüro Bergfilm-Festival Tegernsee, Phone +49(0)8022-1801 – 36; bergfilm@tegernsee.de
23rd Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival, 14-18 October 2026 – Press Release – Opening
23rd Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival, 14–18 October 2026
“Our four-day journey starts today
The 23rd Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival is underway. Opening Night audiences in the Barocksaal at Tegernsee Castle and the town’s Sporthalle were treated to two impressive films by young local filmmakers: “Six Days to the Edge” by Rosenheim director Valentin Rapp and the 17-minute short “Forever Young” by Schliersee’s Moritz Attenberger. Both whetted the appetite for more.
Tom Dauer seems to be everywhere at once during Opening Night of the 23rd Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival. He moves back and forth between the grand surroundings of the Barocksaal at Tegernsee Castle and the Sporthalle across the road. He welcomes the audience, introduces the films and afterwards talks to the directors and crew about their latest work. Between screenings, he and his guests head to the other venue. At both locations, guests of honour, filmmakers, mountain enthusiasts and festival regulars reward his efforts with enthusiastic applause. As ever, Dauer keeps his introductions short and snappy. His choice of films is a hit — and leaves audiences eager for more.
As the lights go down, Opening Night audiences are transported to faraway worlds and remarkable landscapes in South America. First, director Valentin Rapp’s “Six Days to the Edge” takes them to Venezuela, currently one of the world’s most dangerous countries. After the interval, the journey continues to Bolivia with “Forever Young”, the short film by Schliersee’s Moritz Attenberger. The pairing is deliberate, as Dauer explains: “I’m particularly pleased because these two films capture what mountain filmmaking is all about: two filmmakers setting out to discover a world of adventure.” Rapp follows a crew rigging a highline across Angel Falls, the world’s highest waterfall, plunging 800 metres from the Auyán table mountain in Venezuela’s Gran Sabana. Attenberger, meanwhile, documents a road trip taken by four friends through Bolivia’s Altiplano. “For us at the Tegernsee Mountain Film Festival, it’s important to showcase local filmmakers and give them a platform,” says Dauer.
Dauer begins by thanking the three jury members present — Simon Messner from South Tyrol, Ursula Hack from Germany and Monika Dalmasso from France — for their excellent work. In his welcome speech, Tegernsee’s mayor Johannes Hagn pays tribute to the festival’s many sponsors, particularly main sponsor LOWA. Without their support, he says, the festival simply wouldn’t happen. He leaves the stage with an enthusiastic appeal: “Go and see the films. They’ll knock your socks off!” His personal recommendation is Tom Dauer’s latest film, “Nanga Parbat – Echoes of Sisyphus”. It premieres in Tegernsee on Sunday evening at 7 pm in the Cinema Tent and screens out of competition.
The films speak for themselves, but the filmmakers prove just as captivating when they join Tom Dauer on stage after the screenings. Filmmaker Valentin Rapp and slackliners Antonia Rüede-Passul, Karl Schrader and Jens Decke look back on their expedition to Angel Falls a year ago. Their highline adventure was “the longest 150 metres of our lives” — and pushed them all to their limits. A remote spot, difficult to reach, not another soul around and a 1,000-metre drop beneath them: “A dream!” “Stepping out onto that highline was sheer madness,” says Jens Decke. Dauer’s response: “Thank you for this wonderful film.” Filmmaker Moritz Attenberger talks about Bolivia, a country he has felt closely connected to since his youth and where the climbing community is relatively small. Professional mountaineer and extreme climber Stefan Glowacz reflects on his gratitude “for the freedom to keep setting off on new adventures. What a privilege!”
It’s a privilege, too, to spend a few days in one place discovering the best mountain films from around the world. As the evening draws to a close, Tom Dauer sends a visibly delighted audience on their way with an almost poetic invitation to the days ahead: “Our four-day journey starts today. I hope some of you will join us. And that our paths will cross.” The festival’s 88 films travel to every continent and many of the world’s mountain ranges. Along the way, audiences will meet all sorts of fascinating people — on foot, on the rock, by bike, in a kayak and in the air.
Before saying goodbye, the festival director announces one new feature: voting for the Audience Award is going digital. Paper ballots are making way for a QR code displayed on the big screen at the end of each film. The other competition awards will be decided by an international jury chosen for its expertise. Screenings continue until the Awards Ceremony on Saturday evening, which starts at 7 pm in Tegernsee’s Barocksaal. Films are showing at five venues: the Barocksaal at Tegernsee Castle, Altes Schalthaus, the Medius health centre, Sporthalle and the Cinema Tent in the Kurgarten. Some tickets are still available.
Further information: Sonderbüro Bergfilm-Festival Tegernsee, Phone +49(0)8022-1801 – 36; bergfilm@tegernsee.de – online at www.bergfilm-tegernsee.de
Full details of every film and the accompanying events can be found in the programme booklet and online. Tickets are available from the Tegernsee Tourist Information office: Phone +49(0)8022-92738 – 62; tegernsee@tegernsee.com; you can also book online at www.bergfilm-tegernsee.de or at www.muenchenticket.de
23rd Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival, 14-18 October 2026 – Press Release – Almost Showtime!
Press Release / Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival – October 6, 2026
Almost Showtime!
The Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival returns from 14 to 18 October 2026, drawing visitors from far and wide to the Tegernsee valley. With Opening Night just around the corner, here’s everything you need to know.
Two local talents kick off the 23rd Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival on Wednesday, 14 October. Director Valentin Rapp from Rosenheim and Schliersee’s Moritz Attenberger will present their latest films, “Six Days to the Edge” and the short “Forever Young”, on Opening Night. Extraordinary mountain adventures await on the big screen, with films showing at five venues across Tegernsee every day until Sunday: at the Barocksaal at Tegernsee’s Gymnasium, Medius, Sporthalle, Altes Schalthaus and the Cinema Tent (Kinozelt) in the Kurgarten. With 88 films from around the world, the programme explores mountain experience, mountain nature and mountain life.
Advance ticket sales are giving the organisers plenty to smile about. “Demand is strong,” says Manuela Brandl, head of the festival office. “That’s a vote of confidence in our programme. Action, nature, children’s films or retrospectives — there’s something for everybody.” Tickets are still available for every screening, but that could change quickly. Booking ahead is strongly recommended. Please note that there are no box offices at the screening venues. Online tickets are available right up until each screening begins via www.bergfilm-tegernsee.de and München Ticket. During the festival, you can also buy tickets at the Tegernsee Tourist Information office, open daily from 9am to 8pm. Deciding at the last minute? Look for the posters at each venue: scan the QR code to go straight to online ticket sales.
Away from the screens, there’s plenty of opportunity to meet, swap stories and share a passion for the mountains. “We’ll once again have so many fantastic filmmakers here whose work I admire,” says festival director Tom Dauer. “I’m really looking forward to their films.” Other expected guests include climber and expedition mountaineer Stefan Glowacz, alpinist Robert Jasper, and brothers Moritz and Philipp Hans, both climbers and Ninja Warrior Germany competitors. They’ll be joined by Noemi Kreuz, a Summit Scholarship Foundation recipient supported by LOWA, and high-altitude mountaineer David Göttler. Also attending are Christoph Mitterer of the Tyrol Avalanche Warning Service and Stephan Harvey of the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research in Davos. Rounding out the line-up are Basanta Thapa, the long-serving director of the Kathmandu Mountain Film Festival, and multiple award-winning filmmaker Jürgen Eichinger.
Explore the full programme, with a synopsis of every film, at www.bergfilm-tegernsee.de.
Further information: Sonderbüro Bergfilm-Festival Tegernsee, Phone +49(0)8022-1801 – 36; bergfilm@tegernsee.de. Tickets and the festival programme are available from the Tegernsee Tourist Information office: Phone +49(0)8022-92738 – 62; tegernsee@tegernsee.com; you can also book online via www.bergfilm-tegernsee.de or at any München Ticket outlet listed at www.muenchenticket.de. Full details of every film and the accompanying events can be found in the programme booklet and online.
23rd Tegernsee International Mountain Film-Festival, 14-18 October 2026 – Press Release – Programme available, advance ticket sales begin
Press Release – Tegernsee Mountain Film Festival – August 31, 2026
Two Local Legends Open the Festival
The 23rd Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival (14–18 October 2026) will screen 88 productions over the course of five days, bringing together extraordinary mountain experiences and bold adventurers. The programme will be available from the end of August, and ticket sales begin on 11 September.
The 2026 Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival will open with “Six Days to the Edge” by Rosenheim director Valentin Rapp and the short film “Forever Young” by Schliersee filmmaker Moritz Attenberger. Festival director Tom Dauer deliberately chose the two films by Upper Bavarian filmmakers: “For me, both embody what motivates people to create mountain films: two filmmakers setting out to discover a world full of adventure.” Rapp follows a crew attempting to rig a highline above Salto Ángel, an 800-metre waterfall on Auyán-tepui in Venezuela’s Gran Sabana. And Attenberger documents four friends on a road trip across Bolivia’s Altiplano. Dauer adds: “It’s something special to see the world through the eyes of two well-known filmmakers from our own region.”
Both films also show that filmmaking is not only about overcoming creative and logistical challenges. Filmmakers also have to navigate political realities. While Rapp was filming in Venezuela, there were already signs that the US government was planning a military operation. In Bolivia, the largely Indigenous population was protesting against living conditions marked by poverty, unemployment and exploitation.
Guests expected on opening night include Rapp and Attenberger, slackliners Lukas Irmler and Antonia Rüede-Passul, professional climbers Stefan Glowacz and Philipp Hans, and jury member Simon Messner. More prominent names from the mountain and mountain-film world are expected over the coming days: Basanta Thapa, long-time director of the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival, is expected to attend the Nepal Night (Friday, 16 October, 7.30 pm). Award-winning nature filmmaker Jürgen Eichinger will take to the stage at Sporthalle on Friday, 16 October, at 7.30 pm. On Saturday, 17 October, professional mountaineer Robert Jasper and mountain-film legend Gerhard Baur will join the panel for the Bergauf-Bergab afternoon from 5 pm. And on Sunday, 18 October, at 7 pm, leading high-altitude mountaineer David Göttler will appear live and present his acclaimed film “Nanga Parbat – Echoes of Sisyphus” – one of the many highlights of this year’s festival.
As every year, the Bayern2 and German Alpine Club evenings will feature thought-provoking panel discussions. This year’s Bayern2 evening, titled “Frauen, die ihr Ding machen” (Women Doing Their Thing), takes a female perspective on the mountains. Guests include mountaineer Noemi Kreuz and Berchtesgaden-based mountaineer Ines Papert. The evening will be hosted by Antonia Schlosser, presenter of the BR podcast “Bergfreundinnen” (Mountain BFFs), who accompanied an all-female team on an Alpine crossing in 2026. The German Alpine Club (DAV) evening, provocatively titled “Ski Touring Is Deadly”, focuses on avalanches and risk. In winter 2025/26 alone, 151 people were killed in avalanches. The expert panel will examine which tools genuinely help when planning and carrying out a ski tour – and whether the sheer number of aids now available can sometimes create a false sense of security.
A total of 88 films are competing in 2026. They will be shown across several venues, including the cinema tent in Tegernsee’s spa gardens (Kurgarten). The Medius Center has established itself as the festival’s home for action films, while Schalthaus is the place for more unusual and occasionally challenging films. Sporthalle, Tegernsee’s largest “mountain film cinema”, is where many of the biggest names appear. The ornate Barocksaal at Tegernsee Castle will offer a different programme focus each day – from the official opening on Wednesday, 14 October, to themed evenings and the closing ceremony.
As always, the five-member jury will carefully assess all films before selecting the winners. Anyone who wants to share in the celebrations can attend the awards ceremony at Barocksaal on Saturday evening. Guests will meet the winning filmmakers – either in person or via video message – and see excerpts from every award-winning film. On Sunday, 18 October, the cinema tent at Kurgarten and – if demand is high – the Medius venues, will offer one final opportunity to see the best films in full at the matinée screenings.
New this year for lovers of Alpine literature – and anyone who might become one – is a bookstall run by librarian Axel Straßer from the Allgäu region. He will bring a large collection of historic and contemporary mountain books to the festival office (Rathausplatz 1) in Tegernsee. These will be on sale on Friday, 16 October, from 2–7 pm, and Saturday, 17 October, from 10 am–5 pm. All festival guests are welcome to browse – and to add a few new titles to their own shelves.
Please note: There will be no physical box offices at the screening venues! However, tickets can be purchased online right up until each screening begins at www.bergfilm-tegernsee.de and via München Ticket. They are also available from München Ticket advance sales outlets and, on festival days, from the Tegernsee Tourist Information Office (open from 9 am to 8 pm).
The programme will be available from the end of August and can also be viewed at www.bergfilm-tegernsee.de. Ticket sales begin on 11 September.
Further information: Tegernsee Mountain Film Festival, phone +49(0)8022-1801 – 36; bergfilm@tegernsee.de. Ticket sales (from 11 September) and programme information are available from the Tegernsee Tourist Information Office, phone +49(0)8022-92738 – 0; tegernsee@tegernsee.com; online at www.bergfilm-tegernsee.de or from all advance sales outlets via www.muenchenticket.de. Full details of all films and supporting events can be found in the festival programme and online.
23rd Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival, 14 – 18 October 2026 – Press Release – LOWA Young Talents Award
Press Release Incentive Award Tegernsee – 13 August 2026
23rd Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival, 14–18 October 2026
A Boost for the Budget
Calling all young talent! This October, the Tegernsee Mountain Film Festival will present the LOWA Young Talents Award for the second time. The award supports young filmmakers whose projects explore “Alpine culture”. The €5,000 incentive award is open to filmmakers aged 29 or under. The deadline for submissions is 30 September 2026.
Tegernsee is giving young filmmakers a chance to step into the spotlight alongside some of the biggest names in mountaineering. The opportunity comes through the LOWA Young Talents Award, presented for the second time this year by the Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival and LOWA. The award is open to filmmakers aged 29 or under whose projects “explore Alpine culture”. Festival director Tom Dauer explains: “We are looking for films that approach the mountain world from a historical, political, social, ecological, cultural or sporting perspective.” Projects must be filmed in the Alps and have a documentary focus, but filmmakers otherwise have plenty of creative freedom. Subjects can range from mountain nature and mountain life to adventure, tourism, the economy, the arts and sports such as climbing, hiking, mountain biking, trail running, ski touring, freeriding, kayaking, slacklining and paragliding. Applications must include a treatment of around ten pages covering the subject, narrative structure, protagonists, locations, film length and the filmmakers’ intentions, along with a schedule and financing plan. A short trailer is also encouraged.
The LOWA Young Talents Award was first presented in 2025, when Hanna Schneider and Paul Schweller received €5,000 for a documentary project on the Alpine tradition of “Strahlen”. Their film follows a young Swiss man searching for mountain crystals, exploring a traditional practice that has long been part of life in the Alpine region. The completed film “will premiere at this autumn’s Tegernsee Mountain Film Festival.
Completed LOWA Young Talents Award project to premiere in October 2027
Festival director Tom Dauer, himself a screenwriter and director, knows how difficult it is for young mountain filmmakers to break into the industry and realise their own projects. “I’m delighted that our long-standing main sponsor shares our commitment to young talent and that we can present the LOWA Young Talents Award again in 2026,” he says. Dauer will also advise the winning filmmakers throughout the project.
The award will go to the most striking project in terms of subject, originality and commitment. An expert jury will assess all submissions, and the winning project will be presented at the 23rd Tegernsee Mountain Film Festival. The winner will then need to complete the film by 30 June 2027, and it will premiere in October 2027 at the 24th Tegernsee Mountain Film Festival.
The submission deadline for the next Tegernsee Incentive Award is 30 September 2026.
Information, terms and conditions, and the application form are available at www.bergfilm-tegernsee.de and www.bergfilm-tegernsee.de/2026-2/young-talents-award-2026.
23rd Tegernsee Internat. Mountain Film Festival Tegernsee 2026 – Press Release May 26, 2026 – Visit in Trento – Preselection Jury
NL/Press Release – May 26, 2026
23rd Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival, 14 to 18 October 2026
“Films Give us Hope and Confidence”
Things are moving fast right now. Festival director Tom Dauer, office manager Manuela Brandl and festival patron Michael Pause had barely returned from Trento, Italy, where they attended the world’s oldest mountain film festival in early May. Then it was straight on to the next task: the preselection jury began, viewing the 213 films submitted for this year’s festival. The selection process ran in Tegernsee until 22 May.
Preparations for the 23rd Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival are currently in full swing at Lake Tegernsee. A total of 213 films from 26 countries have been submitted. From early May, the team viewed the latest productions. Tom Dauer explains the process: “We watch and evaluate one film after another based on a rating system. We usually agree surprisingly quickly on which entries are strong and which less convincing. There are many films again this year that score a 9, meaning only small details are not quite right. And we have already awarded one film a 10, because it scores in every respect.” One theme stands out for festival director Dauer this year: “We have several films about people overcoming personal crises in the mountains. These films give us hope and confidence.”
Until 22 May, a six-member selection jury was busy choosing the films to be shown on the big screen this autumn at the 23rd Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival. After that, work begins on curating the programme. As always, the festival will present films that reflect the full breadth of the mountain film genre. There will be stories beyond the mainstream – and plenty of fascinating guests.
The Tegernsee organising team has already watched one or two of the mountain films currently being viewed and rated by the selection jury. Because in early May, they visited the world’s oldest mountain film festival in Trento, one of the most rewarding must-attend events in the mountain film world. Year after year, the Trento Film Festival sets new standards in respect of artistic variety and its supporting programme. The athletic and cinematic elite of the mountain world gather in Trento every year. Tom Dauer, who has been overseeing the Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival since 2025, and Manuela Brandl, head of the festival office, represented the Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival on site together with patron and former festival director Michael Pause. They used the festival days not only to focus on watching and selecting films, but also to exchange ideas and network.
This year’s programme will be announced in August. Tickets will be available from early September at www.bergfilm-tegernsee.de.
Further Information: Sonderbüro Bergfilm-Festival Tegernsee, Rathausplatz 1, 83684 Tegernsee, Germany, Phone +49(0)8022-1801-36 or -53, bergfilm@tegernsee.de, www.bergfilm-tegernsee.de