CERVINO CINEMOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL

Taking place at  an altitude of 2000 metres,  Cervino CineMountain  is the highest international film festival in Europe. Cervinia and Valtournenche have acted as film forums since the festival’s debut at the height of  the summer of 1998. The culture of these localities nurtures the imagination and that sense of the evocative which film but also theatre and live performance can give us.

The festival works to reveal the relationship between the mountains and how the mountains are narrated and explores the epic nature of real adventure and how that is represented in film.  The unique profile of Mount Cervino overlooks this vast natural stage like some extraordinary backdrop, a living manifesto of the spirit of the festival.

Having become a pivotal event in Aosta Valley’s summer culture programme, our festival has earned itself the accolade of the Oscars of mountain cinema. What makes our festival special is that the week-long programme offers screenings of those films that have stood out the most in international film festivals – festivals which make up the International Alliance for Mountain Film circuit, stretching from Trento to Kathmandu and representing some of the most important film events throughout the world.

From these cinematic gems we choose a winner for the Grand Prix des Festivals – Conseil de la Vallée. We are proud that Cervino CineMountain provides an overview of the best and the most up to date international film productions on this theme and that our programme line-up of award winning productions gives the audience a ‘state of the art’ synopsis of mountain filmography.

Cervino CineMountain’s two directors, Luisa Montrosset e Luca Bich are intent on furthering the concept of mountains as heritage: our mountain heritage is finite and at risk, it can be exploited, eroded and destroyed. Environmentally, the mountains are a fragile resource: we need to develop a heightened awareness of this fragility and follow an intelligent and conscientious line of action to protect and invest in proper stewardship of mountain areas.

Telling the story of mountain heritage also helps to protect it; this after all should be a shared responsibility, just as we share in the incomparable emotions and experiences the mountains bestow on us.

Our jury changes each year and is made up of an international team of directors, critics, mountain climbers, actors and writers who share an affinity with mountain culture and who are involved in the world of film.

Cervino CineMountain is supported and promoted by the Municipality of Valtournenche and is organised by the Monte Cervino Cultural Association.