Sports and Inspirations
30 September - 21 October

 

Sidestreets  is pleased to announce, in collaboration with the Embassy of Austria, the start of a new series of inspirational documentary films on sports and achievement stories as a way of promoting motivation and a sense of identity.

 

Through screenings of four very different but important films on people’s trials and achievements in sports (Mount St. Elias by Gerald Salmina, Autumn Gold by Jan Tenhaven,  Jochen Rindt Lives by Christian Giesser, and Kick Off by Hüseyin Tabak we would also like to contribute to the international NGO Peace Players, who are doing important work here in Cyprus to promote sports as a form of collaboration between the people of Cyprus.

 

Program

The screenings will all start at 20.00 hrs, except on the first day, when the evening will begin with a cocktail at 19.00 hrs, followed by the screening at 8.00pm.

 

Although the last 3 films will be screened at Sidestreets free of charge, the first screening of Mount St. Elias by Gerald Salmina will have an entrance fee of 2 Euros and be screened at Arabahmet Cultural Center-Nicosia. The entire proceeds will then be donated to the Peace Players as a gesture of good will and appreciation for their contribution to peace.

 

PROGRAM 

 

1) Mount St. Elias

by Gerald Salmina - 30 September 8.00pm at Arabahmet Cultural Center

 

A dramatic and awe-inspiring feature documentary following three of the world’s greatest ski mountaineers to the Mount St. Elias in their attempt to realize the longest ski descent of the world.
Set against the backdrop of Alaska’s dangerous beauty, Mount St. Elias is about a visionary borderline experience where unparalleled physical and mental pressure pushes them to the absolute limit. They find themselves in puristic situations, in which heroism cannot easily be distinguished from folly. Situations which can only be mastered if reason is supposedly abandoned and in which courage as well as trust in their own abilities and last but not least luck are used as guidelines.

Two Austrian ski mountaineers Axel Naglich and Peter Ressmann as well as the American freeski mountaineer Jon Jonhston are facing this breathtaking challenge! A team with individual abilities, but also a team of leaders, knowing they literally cannot survive without teamwork and cooperation. Especially Axel Naglich, he unconsciously takes the role of the protagonist due to his charismatic and authentic personality and, within the permanent struggle not against nature but against himself, polarizes as a strong character.

A movie about men who accept mountains as a challenge. A process whose vision becomes a real adventure. Men who, formed by their origins, want to experience their passion as intensively as possible and above all want to survive.

 

 

Festivals and Awards

2009

 

	– Festival Thunersee (SUI) | Winner of Goldener Drachen Award – Best Documentary
	– Taos Mountainfilm Festival (USA) | Winner of Jury Grand Prize – Best of Show
	– Medzinarodny Festival Horsky Filmov Poprad (SVK) | Winner of Expedition Filming and Public Choice award
	– Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival (GBR) | Special Performance
	– International Festival of Outdoor Films (CZE) | Winner: Grand Prix
	– Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (USA) | Best Documentary
	– International mountain and adventure film festival Graz (AUT) | Kamera Alpin in Gold award (Adventure category)
	– Torello Mountain Film Festival (ESP) | Great Prize of the Festival
	– Kendal Mountain Festival (GBR) | Best Mountaineering Film
	– Stowe Mountain Film Festival (USA) | Non-competitive festival
	– Whistler Film Festival (CAN) | Best Mountain Culture Film
	– Anchorage International Film Festival (USA) | Special Performance
	– Mammoth Film Festival (USA) | Special Performance
	– Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (NPL) | Winner of the second prize of the festival (International Competition)
	– Mendi Film Festival (ESP) | Best Mountain Film
2010
	– Cold Smoke Awards (USA) | Best Overall Film & Best Cinematography
	– Palm Springs International Film Festival (USA) | official selection
	– X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival (USA) | Best Film and Best Adventure Film
	– Santa Barbara International Film Festival (USA) | offical selection
	– Thin Line International Documentary Film Festival (USA) | official selection
	– Sedona International Film Festival (USA) | official selection
	– Documentary Film Festival New Zealand (NZL) | Finalist in der Kategorie: Documentary Edge Beste Kameraführung (International)
	– Leon Mountain and Adventure Film Festival (ESP) | official selection
	– Byron Bay International Film Festival (AUS) | Best Documentary
	– Omaha Film Festival (USA) | Best Documentary
	– “Austrian Ticket Award“ Ceremony of the Austrian Films and Music Association (AUT)
	– Public Viewing Event at Plaza Bar, Squaw Valley (Steven Siig / Matt Reardon)– charity screening in favour of the High Fives Foundation (USA) | Charity Screening
	– Sheffield Adventure Film Festival (GBR) | Best Non-Climbing Film
	– Berginale – Mountain Film and Slideshow Festival (GER) | official selection
	– International Film Festival Egypt (EGY) | official selection
	– Ashland Independent Film Festival (USA) | official selection
	– Bratislava Film Festival of Mountain Films and Adventure (SVK) | official selection
	– Newport Beach Film Festival (USA) | Audience Award Winner Action Sports Feature
	– Trento Film Festival (ITA) | Silver Gentian for the best artistic-technical contribution
	– Santa Cruz Film Festival (USA) | official selection
	– International Mountain Film Festival of Ljubljana and Domžale (SLO) | official selection
	– Krasnogorski/Sochi International Festival of Sports Films (RUS) | official selection
	– Moscow International Festival of Mountain and Adventure Films „Vertikal“ (RUS) | Winner of Grand Prix International Competition
	– Seattle International Film Festival (USA) | official selection
	– Doc Miami International Film Festival (USA) | official selection
	– Mountainfilm in Telluride (USA) | official selection
	– Fica – Festival Internacional de Cinema e Vídeo Ambiental (BRA) | official selection
	– Re:PLAY Internesenal Documentari Kumhei (IND) | official selection
	– Shanghai International Film Festival (CHN) | official selection
	– X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival Tour Opening (USA) | X-Dance Tour kick-off screening
	– Breckenridge Festival of Film (USA) | Winner of Best Documentary and Best Cinematography award
	– New Zealand Mountain Film Festival (NZL) | Grand Prix Gewinner
	– Vanka Regule - Outdoor Adventure Sport & Film Festival (HRV) | official selection
	– International Mountain Film Festival Cervino (ITA) | official selection
	– International Film Festival Thailand Phuket (THA) | official selection
	– Alaska International Film Festival (USA) | Best Documentary Feature Award
	– International Film Festival Ireland (IRL) | official selection
	– International Film Festival of South Africa (ZAF) | official selection
	– Williamstown Mountain Film Festival (USA) | official selection

 

 

2) Autumn Gold

by Jan Tenhaven - 7 October 8.00pm at Sidestreets

 

Autumn Gold tells the life-affirming stories of five senior athletes who all have one goal: to take part in the track and field section of the World Masters Championships 2009 in Finland. The biggest challenge they face is their age: all five athletes are between 82 and 100 years old. AUTUMN GOLD  (original title: HERBSTGOLD)

95 min | camera: Marcus Winterbauer | ARTE, WDR, NDR

Produced by Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion / Navigator Film

Supported by Filmstiftung NRW, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Austrian Film Institute (ÖFI), DFFF, FFA

Jan Tenhaven is a freelance writer and director for German public television and a lecturer at the Electronic Media School in Potsdam-Babelsberg. He started his journalistic career as a reporter and free-lance writer for the daily newspaper WAZ and the weekly paper DIE ZEIT, as well as on the editorial staff of various German broadcasters. From 1998 to 2001, Tenhaven was a television correspondent and bureau chief of APM Media in London and a director for London International Television (LITV).

 

Awards

– AUDIENCE AWARD at the prestigious One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival- Prague,

– Shortlisted for the German Academy Award LOLA-Berlinale Film Festival within the section German Cinema - LOLA@Berlinale,

 – GRAND PRIZE OF THE JURY at Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival-China,

Youth Jury Award at IDFA-Amsterdam, FILMMAKERS AWARD at HotDocs Festival- Toronto!

 

 

3) Jochen Rindt Lives

by Christian Giesser - 14 October 8.00pm at Sidestreets

 

Jochen Rindt was an idol, the James Dean of the Formula 1, and he became immortal after his fatal accident on September 5, 1970, in Monza. The film examines the life of this 1970 Formula 1 world champion: his childhood years, his first car, the first wins in touring cars, his beginnings in Formula 1, and his final training rounds in Monza in 1970.

 

Running time 99min Director(s): Christian Giesser Writer(s): Christian Giesser,

Cinematographer(s): Christian Giesser, Max Haselberger, Producer(s): Felix R. Giuliani

 

4) Kick Off

by Hüseyin Tabak - 21 October 8.00pm at Sidestreets


The Homeless World Cup is a world championship for homeless people, asylum seekers, former alcoholics and drug addicts. No player can earn money in this competition; it’s about much more than that: here one can play one’s way back into life. Football is giving them back feelings they lost a long time ago: respect, pride, self-confidence. And renewed zest for life. Perhaps, above all, renewed zest for life.

*PeacePlayers - Cyprus (PPI - CY)

http://www.peaceplayersintl.org/locations/cyprus

PeacePlayers - Cyprus (PPI - CY) is a locally led, independently registered charity in Cyprus that uses the game of basketball to allow 11-15 year-old Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot boys and girls to play together, learn together and build positive relationships that overcome generations of mistrust and formidable physical barriers to interaction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PPI - CY is currently the only year-round bicommunal youth sports organization on the island. By facilitating regular, frequent, and structured interaction, it helps reverse prejudices built steadily over years in segregated communities and fosters the long-term trust necessary for true friendship. In its current programmatic year, PPI - CY works with over 320 children.