“Women in the Mountains” film festival

Tanya Naville created the non-profit organization Femmes en Montagne to encourage and provide a platform for female athletes as well as to promote diversity within the community of mountain enthusiasts. The non-profit grew enough to launch a film festival whose fifth edition will take place from November 14-17, 2024, with thirty-four films from all over the world entered into the competition. The four days include screenings, discussions and debates, as well as workshops to highlight the unique initiatives and impressive backgrounds of the women featured in each film.

A slice of their lives as portraits, the mountains as their laboratory, we follow in the footsteps of women who hold the mountains in their hearts, seeking rejuvenation there in so many different ways. Whether in front of or behind the lens, they tell their stories: starting over after battling a disease, finding the right work-life balance, reconciling family life with a passion for mountain sports, coming back after a period of mourning, as well as pushing one’s physical limits. Each story focuses on a challenge to overcome, starting at the foot of the mountains with the climax and resolution on some form of summit.

For four days, the screenings are followed by poignant testimonials and a variety of workshops that offer hands on experience.

Filmmaking, learning all about a given sport, and even creative workshops, if movies can be considered a vector for sharing and emotion, the festival serves to strengthen the bond. Whether you prefer a climbing session or a workshop to learn key knots to use in the mountains, whether you want to learn how to make mountain films or discuss the topic of female directors, all of these opportunities for discussion offer the chance for new stories to emerge. The workshops provide the chance to speak freely and spark support for inclusion and increasing women’s participation in outdoor sports, which opens so many doors and possibilities for accomplishment.

Festival director Tanya Naville explains, “This alternative way of seeing things provides us with the opportunity to promote a genuine way of life as well as a different take on society in a broader sense.”