Run the Alps film grant winner
We’re very happy to announce that our application is one of the four winning proposals for the Run the Alps/On film grant!
The films will be premiered during the Run the Alps Trail Running Film Festival, held in the first quarter of 2024, in partnership with ON Running. The theme this year is exploring boundaries.
“We received a high standard of applications from eight different countries with a wide variety of stories - so the panel had a tough job narrowing it down to four winners.” - Katie Moore (Film Festival Manager).
The 2023 grant panel consisted of:
David Kilgore
David swapped Florida’s alligators and swamps for marathons and long distance trails, and is a US World trail and Ultra team member. He is On running’s global head of athlete strategy and has a definite talent for long distance. Some of his challenges completed in recent years include running 100 miles in a day for charity, and running the circumference of Manhattan!
Hillary Gerardi
Hailing from Vermont in the US, Hillary has made her home in the French Alps for over ten years. A professional trail runner, she favours some of the more technical Ultra races and recently set a new women’s FKT on Mont Blanc (Chamonix-Mont Blanc summit-Chamonix) of 7hrs 25 minutes.
Julie Freeman / Simon Freeman
Both keen runners, the Swiss/English pair originally came up with the idea for a running magazine while running around Mont Blanc. With Julie as creative director and Simon as editor, Like the Wind magazine has flourished over the last 9.5 years and they now run it from their base in Julie’s native Switzerland.
Steve Scott
Growing up in England’s Lake District, Steve discovered a passion for the outdoors at a young age. He settled in Kendal after some years running a ski and paragliding school in the French Alps, and is now director of Kendal Mountain festival - the biggest adventure film festival in Europe. A keen fell runner as a youth, he runs regularly on the fells around Kendal and completed the UTMB OCC race a couple of years ago.
Beyond Boundaries (working title)
"Beyond Boundaries” is a short film documenting Rik Goris and Dina Ramon's extraordinary journey in ultra trail running. From the Alps to Belgium, it captures the couple’s training, challenges, and unwavering passion. Through stunning visuals and intimate interviews, the film inspires viewers to push their own boundaries and pursue their dreams.
“My motivation to make this film stems from my passion for trail running and the desire to showcase the stories of "untold heroes." As a trail runner, I understand the importance of personal journeys and the transformative power of the sport. Through these kind of ‘passion projects’, I aim to develop my filmmaking skills while shining a light on individuals with compelling stories that may be unknown to the wider public.
By telling these stories, I want to give these "untold heroes" the recognition they deserve, celebrating their achievements and inspiring others through their experiences.” - Bruno Keustermans (filmmaker)
The short film will be shot on different locations and 5-6 shoot days in September/October and should be completely finished in November, as the films will also be part of the Kendal Mountain Film Festival.
