The Happy Camper: SOAR Film Festival Award Winners
I was truly honoured to be a part of the SOAR Outdoor Adventure Reels Film Festival held at the Indie Cinema in Sudbury, Ontario back in early November. It’s Eastern Canada’s premiere outdoor adventure and wilderness film festival. A new thing for northern Ontario… and it’s looking like it will become a regular event for years to come.
The film festival was born during the pandemic, four years ago. What luck! It was a distinct collaboration between Laurentian University’s Outdoor Adventure Leadership Program (ADVL) and the region’s arthouse—Indie Cinema. Their focus since the beginning has been to bring people together in a cinematic environment to view both top adventure films from around the world and locally made films featuring outdoor activities and adventures enjoyed in northeastern Ontario.
My job at the festival was to be on the jury for mid-length films. Filmmakers Florence Pelletier and David Hartman joined me as judges. We viewed eight finalists before the festival and chose winners for Best International Mid-Length Film, Best Canadian Mid-Length Film and Best Cinematography.
The Finalists
Canada
International
- The Columbia River Canoe Project
- Call Me Moab
- Ice Waterfalls
- Polar Route
- Courir sur le toit du monde: le marathon de l’Everest / Running on Earth’s Roof: Everest Marathon
- Nuptse: l’inaccessible absolu / Nuptse: touching the intangible
Who won?
There wasn’t too much debate over the winners between the three of us. The Best Canadian Mid-Length Film was an easy one. We all agreed it would be Le Monde Est À Elles/ The World Is Ours, filmed and produced by Nadia Louis-Desmarchais from Montreal, Quebec. The 21-minute short follows six Montreal teenage girls who have the opportunity to leave their urban world behind and seek solace in a canoe camping trip. It’s a powerful Afro-feminist story of sisterhood and therapeutic intervention in nature.
Le Monde Est À Elles/ The World Is Ours also won the award for Best Cinematography. Here’s what Filmmaker and Festival Judge David Hartman said of the film.
“The cinematography in The World Is Ours takes us directly into the experience in an observational yet very intimate way. It sets the characters beautifully amongst the landscape and in turn, it sets the viewer amongst the subjects by keeping them at the forefront of the story. Myriam Payette’s camera work is never forced and opens the door for us to feel present in the story. It gently grabs the viewer in the opening frame and does not let them go until long after the final frame. It is no doubt a challenge to capture an expedition in this manner.”
The winner of the Best International Mid-Length Film was Nuptse: l’inaccessible absolu / Nuptse: touching the intangible by Nate Stephens. Three French mountaineers—Helias Milleriox, Frederic Degoulet and Benjamin Guigonnet—have a passionate desire to open up a new extreme route on the legendary face of Nuptse. It’s an 8,000-meter wall of rock in the heart of the Himalayas. The filming and artwork throughout were captivating and the storyline of their descent is more engaging than the climb itself. Here’s what Judge Florence Pelletier had to say about it.
“Touching the intangible for its immersive journey with daring climbers that keep us on the edge of our seats, the film brilliantly balances entertainment with profound insight, showcasing striking cinematography that captures the daunting presence of Nuptse and the challenges faced by the climbers. Ultimately, the film offers a poignant reflection on the nature of risk in pursuit of dreams. It captivates the senses and inspires deep reflection on the human spirit’s quest for achievement against all odds.”
Find the film here.
The Other Winner Films
Best Canadian Short: Once Upon A Time In The North by Miles Alexander Gordon.
Check out the film on Camp Temagami’s YouTube channel.
Best International Short: Ride From The Ashes by Brian Paul Walker.
Check out the trailer on YouTube.
Audience Choice Awards
Best Mid-Length Film: Call Me Moab by Ryan C. Pierce and Columbia River Canoe Project by Robert Lester and Neil Larson
Feature Film: The Giants by Rachael Antony and Laurence Billiet
Best Short Film: Meta, Female Pioneers in Mountaineering by Annette Wahl
Best Student Film: Friluftsliv: A Sudbury Adventure Film by Laydon and Liam Bursey
Best Of The Festival: For Winter by National Geographic Impact Story Lab
