This year’s Mountain section gathers stories of challenge from every extreme place humans can reach — not only the mountains, but the ocean depths, the snowfields of Antarctica, and the skies above the high peaks of the Himalaya.

First, there are those who push toward the extremes. Kim Young-mi, the first Asian and the fourth person in the world to complete a solo crossing of the Antarctic continent on foot, who nevertheless says, “I was alone, but in the end, I was never alone” — and the British mountaineers who halted their final steps within sight of Kangchenjunga's summit. Their journeys reveal what each of them truly held dear. The three most exhilarating films await under the midnight stars: Downhill Skiers – Ain’t No Mountain Steep Enough, following alpine racers hurtling down the slopes at 120 to 150 kilometers per hour; Find Mòr, lowering ropes into uncharted cliffs; and Space Cowboy, soaring freely with the sky as a playground. Screening together as the bivouac program Adrenaline Rush, they will keep audiences in their sleeping bags wide awake all night with the thrill and vertigo of extreme sports.

There are also those who keep the mountains. The hut keepers of Yatsugatake hold their ground, welcoming and seeing off all who come to the mountain, and beside them stand the Sherpas, who have quietly shared in the Himalaya's most historic climbs. Sherpa returns to UMFF, following its 2021 screening, in honor of director Jennifer Peedom receiving the 2026 Grand Prize of the International Alliance for Mountain Film(IAMF). The Extra Mile shows what it means to act responsibly on Everest. From the deepest waters to the highest skies — we invite you to join the vertical journey of these eleven films.

― Jinna Lee, Programmer​