We’ve been flooded with a wave of fantastic fresh entries to the fifth annual BMC TV & Womenclimb Women in Adventure Film Competition. A whopping 33 films were entered this year, with a £1,200 prize pool up for grabs. The busy filmmakers and athletes have put down their cameras, taken off their trainers and are ready to share their doses of adventure with you.

Gaining more and more engagement each year, the competition was set up by the BMC, Womenclimb and the Sheffield Adventure Film Festival to try and get more women in front of, and behind, the camera. The winning film will be screened at the BMC Sheffield Adventure Film Festival (ShAFF) and Kendal Mountain Festival, PLUS the winner will bag themselves free entry into Banff Mountain Film Festival. All the films are now available on BMC TV so now it’s over to you to join us in watching them!

Spread the Word

The 2019 judging panel consists of three noteworthy women currently paving the way in the adventure and film industry:

Emily Pitts: Founder & Editor of Womenclimb 

Claire Carter: Artistic Director at Kendal Mountain Festival 

Emma Brennand: Freelance Producer/Director specialising in Adventure films

The count for the Most Watched category starts today! The winner of this award will be decided by the number of views each film receives through the BMC's Youtube channel. So don’t forget to get sharing your favourites to help them win. As well as the competition's overall winner and runner up, the judges will also be looking to award films the best Urban Adventure Award and the Judges Special Mention Award.

Read more about the judging criteria here 

Watch the Entries

Keep an eye out for our Women in Adventure Film Competition event at BMC ShAFF (Sheffield, 22-24 March 2019), where the winners of each category will be announced by our special judging panel. The WAF Screening and Panel session is set to take place on the evening of Saturday 23rd March and will be open to the film entrants as well as the public. Watch this space for news on how to get your hands on tickets.

Are you ready to receive your hit of adventure? Here they are, all the awesome films that have been entered this year:

My Story: Climbing Mount Elbrus

My Story: Climbing Mount Elbrus is a journey to the top of Europe’s highest mountain, Elbrus. Located in Russia, it stands at 5642m. To get to the summit one has to deal with freezing temperatures and snow storms. Julia Lyubova, who’s on a mission to climb the 7 summits, shares every aspect of the trek, from life at the basecamp and ice axe fun in the snow to the gruelling 7-hour overnight summit push.

Why We Climb

Commissioned by Rab and UKC, Why We Climb was filmed at The Women's Trad Festival 2018. The aim of the film was to open up the climbing community in a way that people from all walks of life could see and understand the good times and community to be had. The Women's Trad Festival epitomizes these things. It's a weekend of climbing, learning, meeting new people and socializing, all set in the gorgeous backdrop of The Peak District.

Chasing the Sublime

A mesmeric look at the physicality of long-distance cold water swimming by award-winning director Amanda Bluglass.

Aziza

Despite the daily tasks that are expected of Aziza Raji, she manages to find time to train to be one of the rising stars of Moroccan ultra-running. Set in the streets of Bou Tharar and the wide, craggy valleys of the lower Atlas, ‘Aziza’ is the story of a young woman who has thrived in the world of ultra-racing.

The Wild in Me: Helen Mort

Poet and trail runner Helen Mort finds inspiration for a new poem as she runs through the striking scenery of Quinag in Assynt, and Sandwood Bay, one of the UK’s most awe-inspiring beaches.

Follow Fjord

Mountain Snow safety for youngsters; Caroline shares the essentials accompanied by ‘Fjord’ her avalanche search and rescue dog. Ocean Challenge In 2018 Katherine led a sailing expedition. Voyaging into the unknown, across the Arctic Circle they were to face their greatest challenge on the ocean.

Fell Dog

Fell dog tells the story of Rachel and her Staffie Hulk, who began a lifelong partnership running together. The film speaks about how Hulk has pushed Rachel to improve her fitness and some of their experiences and aspirations, including completing a half marathon and their most recent goal, to complete a marathon.

Get It Done

Becoming the best at any sport is obviously really hard!! It’s not just about being the fittest, strongest or having the most skill, the mental side of it is also a massive portion of the pie. Maya Atkinson, who has won the junior British downhill championships twice, knows this and uses it to help train, learn new skills, and become the best she can possibly be.

Wonderful Wild Women – 36 Hour Relay

Three Wonderful Wild Women ambassadors took on a 36 hour relay, circumnavigation of The Lakes, travelling close to 100 miles and climbing almost 8000m. It was the worst weather weekend of the UK summer, but the team pulled together and with a support crew comprised of the most accomplished and enthusiastic friends they could have hoped for, they made it happen.

Well Preserved

There is no better way to start the day than an early morning sea swim. It's physical, mental, spiritual, and communal - all wrapped up in a simple dip in the sea. A group of women, who call themselves the 'Morning Swimmers of Sandagerði', brave the icy waters of the North Atlantic, along the coastline of the Faroe Islands, for their morning dip in the ocean. They go in every day of the year, sunshine or snow, unless a storm roughs up the water too much. And for them it is as much about connection and friendship as it is about exercise and invigoration.

Ocean Challenge

In 2018 Katherine led a sailing expedition. Voyaging into the unknown, across the arctic circle they were to face their greatest challenge on the ocean.

#TheseGirlsDo

This amateur film depicts Wigan Youth Zone's climbing team, who train twice weekly on our indoor climbing wall in the heart of Wigan. Each girl in the film has overcome challenges, pushed herself out of her comfort zone and gained lots of skill, working with our outdoor adventure team. Wigan Youth Zone is a state of the art youth facility that offers over 20 activities a night for young people aged 8-19 or up to 25 with additional needs for just 50p per evening.

If I Can

Anoushé Husain is a well accomplished Paraclimber. She balances a chaotic lifestyle, complicated by medical conditions, with a busy work, training and climbing schedule. She has pushed her climbing in London’s indoor gyms for the last three years, finishing 2nd in her category in the 2016 BMC Paraclimbing Nationals in 2016 and pushing her grade to 6a+ in 2017. In 2018 her climbing partners may have just set the toughest challenge yet, as they venture into the world of outdoor climbing.

Why She Runs

Running is wild, free, liberating and soul cleansing. This short film describes one person’s passion for running in wild places.

She Rock Ice

“She Rock Ice” explores how memories from past experiences combine with new daily adventures to create long-term memories. In this SheRockScience snow and ice exploration, the viewer follows an ice climbing journey, thereby creating their own memory connections to ice climbing from watching the expedition.

Inside Out

Climbing outside for the first time can be a bit daunting, but with some new friends, a bit of determination and lots of tea, there is nothing stopping you from having an adventure.

3x Mont Blanc

“3x Mont Blanc" follows a journey of a girl whose determination and hard work led her to achieve a dream of climbing the highest peak of Western Europe. The story is especially moving as it took Ula three years to finish her project. Throughout the years she has gained enough confidence, dedication and necessary skills to help her complete the goal.

A Golden Day

Distance Runner Nicola Squires is a marathon winning local legend based in Northern England. There is something greater than race results though which enables her to sustain her level of fitness all year round. This driving force is simply her connection with the local landscape and using running as a way to feel it on a far deeper level. At certain times of the year she will experience a sunrise and a sunset over the duration of a single run, this she calls a golden day.

Everest: The 10%

Mount Everest – an icon of human exploration and adventure – is mostly the arena of men. Just over 10% of all Everest summiteers are women, fewer if you include the Sherpas. This is the story of one woman’s adventure to the top of the world, and why it meant so much to her.

The Life in Your Years

It’s not the years in your life; it’s the life in your years. And with her 60th birthday fast approaching, Dot decides to live out the adventure of her dreams - a solo 20,000km journey across Africa in a van she built herself. Is life over at 60? Absolutely not.

They

This film is simply a wake up call to the dangers of a sedentary life and the hours spent on social media, which is eating up more of our time and which can also have a negative affect on our self esteem. It advocates the importance of getting back to the outdoors, spending time in nature and being physical, in the moment, being human.

The Everest Adventure

Six very different women, who’d never met before, set out to climb the height of Everest in the Lake District - 8,848m in five days. They wanted to prove that adventure was for everyone but started to doubt if it really was when things didn't go to plan.

Women in Nature

Outdoor Adventure is so much more than the human experience of the outdoors. The relationship between women and nature goes back much further and deeper than contemporary adventurous pursuits. Reading one of the original eco-feminist poems, a single group of women spanning every corner of the planet embody the power and strength of nature and the experience of outdoor adventure.

On Scottish Soil

Featuring the stunning winter landscapes of Dunkeld and Peebles in Scotland, this an introduction to Female Riders Race Team, a team set-up to promote up-and-coming female riders in enduro and downhill mountain bike racing.

Small Things Great Love

‘Small Things, Great Love’ is a film based on a project Jo completed in 2018 called ‘365 days of Love’. The project was a commitment to take two minutes to do a beach clean or litter pick every day for a year, whilst walking, paddleboarding, on her way to work or plogging (running whilst picking up litter) as inspired by the @2minutebeachclean community. The title of both are based on a quote by Mother Teresa – “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love”.

Finding Joy

Finding Joy’ is based on a poem Jo Moseley wrote about the joy of tiny adventures in the hills and waves. Trail running, paddleboarding, bodyboarding, wild swimming and learning to surf have helped her find peace, courage and happiness after some difficult times. Having been inactive for over 25 years until she was 48, she cherishes these tiny adventures and is grateful for every one.

Women Don't Bothy

A tongue in cheek look at what happened when three female outdoor leaders chose to get away during January for a remote 50th birthday celebration. 

What is Adventure?

What is “Adventure”? In this cheerful short film, Anna explores this question by enlisting the help of some other adventure loving girls. Set mostly in the mountains and beaches of the Scottish Highlands, this film aims to leave you uplifted, inspired and smiling!

Amazing Annie

One week’s activities in Sheffield of a super-active woman of South Indian Heritage, ‘Amazing Annie’ Mays.

Mojo Fly

North Wales bouldering film where nothing gets named, graded or climbed.

Menage a Trois

A short film capturing the energy shared around Scottish winter climbing for three women.

Banana Skin

It's hard to imagine Hong Kong anything other than a vibrant metropolis. Yet what would happen if you were to hop on the underground train and get away from it all? 'Banana Skin' asks the viewer to reflect on issues of cultural identity and how climbing outdoors can be a means of finding sanctuary on one of Hong Kong's many hidden islands.

Exploration: Noun /ek.spləˈreɪ.ʃən/

North and Lights

With breathtaking landscapes and extreme running conditions, this is a sensitive portrait of an exceptional woman who doesn't stop running and uses her passion to raise awareness of multiple sclerosis.

The BMC TV Women in Adventure Film Competition is back and accepting submissions for 2022. So dive in, if you have a story to tell or a cause to share it's time to do so!

We want to see your adventures captured on film and keep the cycle of inspiration rolling as we head into the eighth year of the competition, supported by Montane.

WATCH: All the entries to the Women in Adventure Film Competition 2021 on BMC TV

FIND OUT MORE AND ENTER: Submit an entry

WATCH: Women in Adventure Film Competition 2022 Trailer on BMC TV

Need inspiration?

WATCH: All the 2021 winners and entries

WATCH: All the 2020 winners and entries

WATCH: All the 2019 winners and entries

WATCH: All the 2018 winners and entries

WATCH: All the 2017 winners and entries

WATCH: All the 2016 winners and entries

WATCH: All the 2015 winners and entries

« Back