Two Mountain Image Book Prizes Awarded at Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival

BANFF CENTRE, ALBERTA - The Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival is proud to announce two recipients of this year’s Mountain Image Book Award: Sauvage! by Monica Dalmasso and The Art of Climbing by Simon Carter. The second award was presented following the original selection of Sauvage! The jury decided to award two prizes after a review of the rules and regulations found a discrepancy in this year’s qualifications.  

This renowned international event celebrates mountain literature in all its diverse forms, including photography. Each year, the competition awards $29,000 in cash prizes across eight categories: Mountain Literature (Non-Fiction), Mountain Fiction and Poetry, Environmental Literature, Adventure Travel, Mountain Image, Guidebook, Mountain Article, and Climbing Literature.

Mountain Image Award (Sponsored by Mountain Life) Jury Quotes:

Monica Dalmasso: Sauvage! (France, 2023)
It is fascinating to see how each person interprets art differently. Are we meant to take in a book from cover to cover, or do individual images resonate more when absorbed gradually over time? Is simplicity or complexity more important? That's the nature of art—it gets us all talking. Sauvage! was chosen as this year’s Mountain Image winner for its diverse portrayal of mountain life—showcasing everything from the presence of humanity within its landscapes to the absence of it, as well as the macro details that define these elevated terrains. Although the text was not meant to be weighed as heavily as the imagery, I personally found the words in Sauvage! perfectly complemented the visuals in a way that enhanced and added depth to the imagery, making me continually want to turn pages. In the end, we all agreed: this book inspired us to want to go out, explore the world, and create a few images of our own. And if that's not the purpose of mountain imagery, then what is? 
– Irene Yee, 2024 Photo Competition Jury

Simon Carter: The Art of Climbing (USA, 2024)
The Art of Climbing, quite simply, is a love letter to the sport of technical rock climbing. The 250+ page book denotes the visual history of Simon Carter as he takes his photography to bold frontiers and truly awe-inspiring scenes. Whisked away to lines all over the globe, The Art of Climbing serves both populations of climbers and non-climbers alike. Regardless of your affinity to the sport, as you put down the book after each session, you feel a little lighter, a little more excited for new-to-you places. As a reader, you are left with the conclusion that this book does one task quite well - it pushes you to get outside. 
- Jojo Das, Jury Member

To learn more about this year’s finalists and the competition, visit https://www.banffcentre.ca/banff-mountain-book-competition. 
 

Located in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival is a globally recognized event and tour celebrating the beauty, adventure, and culture of mountains globally. The nine-day festival will be held from October 26 through to November 3 this year and features over 70 events, bringing films and stories of adventure and exploration from around the world to Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Banff, Alberta. The festival showcases live events with adventurers, authors, photographers, and filmmakers sharing their inspiring stories.

Online films are available in Canada and the United States from November 6 to 13.

Please visit banffcentre.ca/film-fest for more information.
 

Media Contact

Interested in reporting on this or any other Banff Centre story? Members of the media can reach out to communications@banffcentre.ca for more information.