Best Film

Our Grand Prize

My Big White Thighs & Me

"A young(ish) woman has fallen out of love with her own body. Frustrated, she wishes they didn’t have to hang out quite so much. Committed to making a change she sets herself the simple goal of swimming in open water at least once a month for a year. As she braves the elements throughout the seasons to swim in wild places she also begins to appreciate the quiet heroism of a female life and it’s body. A story about womanhood, miscarriage, healing, loving your own skin & freezing your bum off in cold water. Maybe life is indeed better when you wear a swimsuit."

Quattro 2

Candide and Audi partner up to Ski the World Filmed on Planet Earth

Imagination: Tom Wallisch

We’ve all been that kid sitting in the back seat of our family car, wishing we were somewhere else. Through the boredom, the driveway snow piles, sidewalk handrails and stair sets start to tease our inner skier. Watch day dreams come to life as Tom Wallisch shreds the snowy streets of Nelson, British Columbia.

Best Adrenaline Film

This can be skiing, boarding, surfing, base jumping, kayaking, or pretty much anything that gets your adrenaline going.

The Hanging

Nineteen-year-old Kirill is fearless. He and his friends hang out on the rooftops of apartment buildings, where his brazen stunts have earned him the nickname “Russian Spiderman.” But it seems that his carefree existence as a leading figure in Moscow’s “roofing” culture will soon be over. Kirill has dropped out of Russia’s top engineering university, and the unintended consequences will confront him with the one thing he does fear.

Quattro 2

Candide and Audi partner up to Ski the World Filmed on Planet Earth

Imagination: Tom Wallisch

We’ve all been that kid sitting in the back seat of our family car, wishing we were somewhere else. Through the boredom, the driveway snow piles, sidewalk handrails and stair sets start to tease our inner skier. Watch day dreams come to life as Tom Wallisch shreds the snowy streets of Nelson, British Columbia.

Best Artistic Film

To recognise cinematic creativity.

Johanna Under The Ice

Johanna had a bad motorbike accident. She shattered her lower leg but the doctors managed to save it. 3 years later she was still in pain and facing having it amputated. As a last ditch idea she started cold water treatment. At first she did not like immersing the limb in the freezing water but gradually it began to work. She started taking things further and eventually started swimming in freezing lakes. She then took it one step further and began to free dive under the ice. With air temperatures of -15 and water temperature of -4 with one breath she entered another world. She is now the world record holder for free diving under ice.

DugOut

Two friends travel to the Amazon rainforest to live and learn with Bay Nenquiwi, an elder of the Huaorani community. Together they build a traditional dug out canoe, with Bay as their mentor and guide to life in the jungle. When the time comes to set off alone downriver through the Yasuni territory, one of the biodiverse regions on earth, they begin to wonder if they are up to the challenge...

Frames Of Mind

Matt Jones unveils 5 world’s first tricks in a unique edit with a visual twist that brings one of Red Bull’s most iconic stills techniques to life in moving image.

Best Bike Film - sponsored by Ofo Bikes

Sponsored by ofo dockless bike sharing

Road, Mountain, Bike Packing, BMX - all types of biking.

The Frozen Road

Shot and edited whilst cycling around the world, this short film charts my winter journey into the Canadian Arctic as I completed my bike ride up the American continent. Compelled by Jack London’s assertion, that ‘any man who is a man can travel alone’, I sought an adventure of perfect solitude. Yet, as I came to realise, the harsh truths of travelling in such a formidable environment were a long way from the romantic images I’d held of this land. The Frozen Road is an honest reflection on my solo trip; of the wonder, terror and frustration I experienced when riding through the unforgiving emptiness of one of the world's 'last great wildernesses'.

Blood Road

“Blood Road” is set to star ultra-endurance mountain biker Rebecca Rusch, who takes a journey along the 1,800 kilometre Ho Chi Minh trail through Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

Escape

JaBig, Montreal-based DJ, is on a quest to beat the record for the longest continuous bike ride in a single country. Join him on the last day of his ride to discover what happens when you stop listening to all the reasons why you shouldn’t, and listen to the voice inside you, telling you to go.

Best Climbing Film - sponsored by Moon

Climbing, mountaineering, bouldering, indoor climbing - all types of climbing. Always a strong genre!

REEL ROCK 12: Break On Through

In high-end modern rock climbing, 5.15 is the top of the difficulty scale, a grade achieved by only a few men and never by a woman. Margo Hayes, a little known 19-year-old from Boulder, Colorado, is determined to change that. To be closer to the world’s hardest routes, she has moved to Europe, where she trains and climbs with the goal of succeeding on two of the most iconic 5.15s in France and Spain. But pushing her body and mind to the absolute limit, she risks injury and failure in her quest to be the first.

Magnetic Mountains

Described by Sir Chris Bonington as "fascinating and very moving", Magnetic Mountains is an independent documentary that follows the story of an everyman who, after falling from an Alpine north face, is struggling to find a balance. Featuring some of the biggest names in mountain sports, it will explore the psychology of risk taking in the mountains, asking – is it really worth it?

Safety Third

For most climbers, it's safety first. But Brad Gobright is definitely not most climbers. Fueled by day-old donuts and unhindered by a fear of falling, this young talent is pushing the limits of scary trad and free solo ropeless climbing in his backyard playground of Eldorado Canyon. Having survived a few big scares, Brad is determined to make his boldest ascent yet - a first-ever free solo of one of Eldo's most exposed and difficult routes.

Best Made in Sheffield Film - sponsored by Beta Climbing Designs

First awarded in 2015 to reflect the increasing quality and quantity of films being made in and around Sheffield and/or featuring local athletes.

Without A Partner

On November the 11th and 12th 2016, Pete Whittaker became the first person to solo—all free—El Capitan in under 24 hours. He finished the solo in 20 hours 6 minutes.

The Place Of The Gaels

This film, produced by Coldhouse Collective, catalogues a journey through Scotland as discovering that the weather is just as fickle, the people just as welcoming and the climbing just as demanding it's always been.

Into The Black

In the middle of the night, a mountain biker rides through Grenoside Woods, Sheffield. Shot over three nights and lit with a bag full of LED panels.

Best Running Film - sponsored by Ultimate Direction

Running, racing, jogging, orienteering - all types of running

Mile 19

Some people run for exercise, and others for competition, but Johnnie Jameson runs to heal. Scarred by the violence he witnessed while serving in the Vietnam War, Johnnie returned to America seeking peace. He found himself working for the United States Postal Service and decided to enter the first LA Marathon in 1986 and run it backwards. Since then, Johnnie has run every LA marathon consecutively, earning him the title of Legacy Runner. As he prepares for his 30th race, Johnnie must face his aging body and dig deeper than ever before to push forward.

Feel The Burn

In a place that has a reputation for decadence and discomfort, a little known ultra marathon is attracting hundreds of runners to experience its one of a kind environment of art, music, and nature.

Conquering The Dragon

The 2017 film focuses on the highs and lows of five participants as they set out to conquer The Dragon. Each of them has a unique and emotional story to tell of their battle against the enormous physical and mental challenges of the race. We also see the wider race unfolding around them and the stunning Welsh landscapes they travel through. Will they all make it?

Best Short Film

All films under 10 minutes long automatically considered

Imagination: Tom Wallisch

We’ve all been that kid sitting in the back seat of our family car, wishing we were somewhere else. Through the boredom, the driveway snow piles, sidewalk handrails and stair sets start to tease our inner skier. Watch day dreams come to life as Tom Wallisch shreds the snowy streets of Nelson, British Columbia.

Johanna Under The Ice

Johanna had a bad motorbike accident. She shattered her lower leg but the doctors managed to save it. 3 years later she was still in pain and facing having it amputated. As a last ditch idea she started cold water treatment. At first she did not like immersing the limb in the freezing water but gradually it began to work. She started taking things further and eventually started swimming in freezing lakes. She then took it one step further and began to free dive under the ice. With air temperatures of -15 and water temperature of -4 with one breath she entered another world. She is now the world record holder for free diving under ice.

Quattro 2

Candide and Audi partner up to Ski the World Filmed on Planet Earth

Best Soundtrack

A relatively new award created in 2015, judged by Sheffield DJ and producer Paul Hodgson, aka Grievous Angel to recognise the best overall sound experience in a film.

Right To Roam

Jump in the van with Marie-France Roy and Alex Yoder as they weave their way through Scotland, exploring how personal accountability allows for universal land access and the old farm shelters that support mountain folks to rove freely.

Imagination: Tom Wallisch

We’ve all been that kid sitting in the back seat of our family car, wishing we were somewhere else. Through the boredom, the driveway snow piles, sidewalk handrails and stair sets start to tease our inner skier. Watch day dreams come to life as Tom Wallisch shreds the snowy streets of Nelson, British Columbia.

The Tales Of Vienna

The inlets of the British Columbian coast are especially prone to winter storms, gale force winds and relentless precipitation. These 5 men embark on a journey in search of rough seas and secluded mountainous areas. Tacking their way up the coast, they are in for more than sailing and skiing. A fictional story based on true events.

Best Spirit of Adventure Film

The essence of what ShAFF is about: stepping way outside of the usual comfort zones, being out there on a limb, totally committed.

The Ocean Rider

French-Swiss sailor Yvan Bourgnon is making a mad bet: to complete the first round-the-world tour, alone, on a catamaran without cockpit, a boat the size of a beach sailboat. 220 days and 55'000km at sea, without being able to shelter from the elements. Alone with his camera, he confronts a shipwreck, storms, pirates, the cold, the heat, but also enjoys innumerable moments of happiness and success. An immersion in a long and difficult adventure that Yvan Bourgnon, like an artist, makes accessible, comfortable, almost poetic.

Into Twin Galaxies - A Greenland Epic

3 National Geographic “adventurers of the Year “ embark on an insane kayaking mission in Greenland. With kite skis they tow their white water kayaks over 1000 km of the Greenland Ice Cap to reach the most northern river ever paddled.

The Frozen Road

Shot and edited whilst cycling around the world, this short film charts my winter journey into the Canadian Arctic as I completed my bike ride up the American continent. Compelled by Jack London’s assertion, that ‘any man who is a man can travel alone’, I sought an adventure of perfect solitude. Yet, as I came to realise, the harsh truths of travelling in such a formidable environment were a long way from the romantic images I’d held of this land. The Frozen Road is an honest reflection on my solo trip; of the wonder, terror and frustration I experienced when riding through the unforgiving emptiness of one of the world's 'last great wildernesses'.

Best Women In Adventure Film

Created in 2015 to reflect our drive to encourage more female producers, directors and featured athletes on the big screen.

My Big White Thighs & Me

"A young(ish) woman has fallen out of love with her own body. Frustrated, she wishes they didn’t have to hang out quite so much. Committed to making a change she sets herself the simple goal of swimming in open water at least once a month for a year. As she braves the elements throughout the seasons to swim in wild places she also begins to appreciate the quiet heroism of a female life and it’s body. A story about womanhood, miscarriage, healing, loving your own skin & freezing your bum off in cold water. Maybe life is indeed better when you wear a swimsuit."

Brujas

A look at NYC's female skate culture and the girls who are taking a stand to shift social norms in their city. "Brujas" is an urban, free-form, creative and autonomous organization that seeks to build radical political coalition through youth culture. The group of minority female skaters express community through skateboarding, art and political organizing.

Blood Road

“Blood Road” is set to star ultra-endurance mountain biker Rebecca Rusch, who takes a journey along the 1,800 kilometre Ho Chi Minh trail through Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

Judges' Special Mention

For films which deserve singling out, despite not winning an award

Uruca II - Bugaboos Edition

Hugo and Lipe are back on the wall to face all challenges(and some bad luck) of alpine climbing—frozen and wet rock, poor communication with each other, inner demons, selfies, and the frigid, ever-changing weather.

Intersection: Micayla Gatto

Artist/athlete Micayla Gatto paints beautiful mountain landscapes — and then, using CGI, she rides her mountain bike through the scenery using mixed media post production techniques.

Gnarly In Pink

Meet Bella, Rella and Sierra, a trio of skateboarding six-year-olds who form the Pink Helmet Posse. This fantastical short follows the girls as they pop ollies and shred through gender stereotypes—all while dressed in tutus.

People's Choice Award - sponsored by The Street Food Chef

Launched at ShAFF 2015, powered by BoomBeam, our interactive, live voting system allows the audience to have their say on which films they loved the most.

Stumped

“I don’t want to be known as just a one-armed climber,” says Maureen Beck, “I just want to be a good climber.” Maureen Beck may have been born missing her lower left arm, but that hasn’t stopped her from going hard.

Conquering The Dragon

The 2017 film focuses on the highs and lows of five participants as they set out to conquer The Dragon. Each of them has a unique and emotional story to tell of their battle against the enormous physical and mental challenges of the race. We also see the wider race unfolding around them and the stunning Welsh landscapes they travel through. Will they all make it?

Safety Third

For most climbers, it's safety first. But Brad Gobright is definitely not most climbers. Fueled by day-old donuts and unhindered by a fear of falling, this young talent is pushing the limits of scary trad and free solo ropeless climbing in his backyard playground of Eldorado Canyon. Having survived a few big scares, Brad is determined to make his boldest ascent yet - a first-ever free solo of one of Eldo's most exposed and difficult routes.