Sandra Freudenberg and Tom Dauer

Festival Director and Curator

Sandra is a passionate mountaineer and the author of several bestsellers, including titles for National Geographic. She is the founder of the Bavarian Outdoor Film Festival and the Alpen Film Festival, curates exhibitions on alpinists, and gives public readings. She draws on 20 years of experience in leading art, culture, and mountain sports agencies to work as an organizer and tour manager for international productions. She lives in Bad Tölz and on a mountain farm in Upper Bavaria. Her passion lies in exploring alpine landscapes, cultures, and wildlife.

Tom has been climbing for 43 years, writes books about mountaineering, directs documentaries, manages the Tegernsee Mountain Film Festival, selects films for the Alpen Film Festival, enjoys philosophizing about the encounter between humans and nature, and is happiest when traveling in Patagonia or the Karwendel mountains. His work as a director and screenwriter—including "Streif – A Hell of a Ride," "Downhillskiers," and "Nanga Parbat – Echoes of Sisyphus," to name just a few—has received numerous international awards. He has been working globally as an author and columnist for 20 years.

Photo: @moritzattenbergerphoto

Anne Bley

Lead Presenter

A radiant smile and a great passion for the mountains. We are thrilled that the wonderful Anne Bley will once again be hosting many of the Alpen Film Festival tour stops this year, ensuring top-notch entertainment between the films. Following her television traineeship and journalism studies, Anne works as a presenter, multimedia editor, and content creator for various broadcasters and companies.

Selina Bubendorfer and Marvin Stravs

Design and Communication

Selina and Marvin combine concept and design at their büro doppio, bringing us creative ideas and a fine sense of aesthetics. They are the graphic conscience and the strategic sparring partner on the team. The good looks of the ALFF are thanks to the studio’s good style.

And when the laptops are closed, you’ll usually find the two of them in the mountains: with gravel bike, chalk bag or on touring skis, in search of new inspiration.

Alpen Film Festival 2026

About Us

We are a wild bunch, and there are so many of us! 120,000 spectators – wow! We’re bringing you a 120-minute program featuring the best mountain films of the year. Five films that have won major awards at international festivals. Films that will make you laugh and cry—sometimes funny, sometimes poetic, but always relevant. Presented live by mountain enthusiasts. Less talk, more film. It’s about the power of solidarity, a passion for people, and individuals who overcome boundaries: mentally, geographically, culturally, and socially.

Sandra Freudenberg and Tom Dauer

Festival Director and Curator

Sandra grew up in the Eifel region with the forester’s son, a herd of ponies, and a pack of fallow deer. She conducts research into alpine cultural history, writes books, is training for her first triathlon, loves long mountain treks, her dog “Vasco,” and her rose garden, and directs the Alpen Film Festival.

Tom has been climbing for 43 years, writes mountain books, makes documentary films, directs the Tegernsee Mountain Film Festival, selects the films for the Alpen Film Festival, enjoys philosophizing about the encounter between humans and nature, and is happiest when traveling in Patagonia or the Karwendel mountains.

Photo: @moritzattenbergerphoto

Anne Bley

Lead Presenter

Selina Bubendorfer and Marvin Stravs

Design and Communication

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About Us

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Films

5 films that have received major awards at international festivals.

120

minutes

We’re bringing you 120 minutes of the best mountain films of the year.

120,000

Viewers

We’re a wild bunch, and there are so many of us! 120,000 spectators – wow!

Sandra Freudenberg and Tom Dauer

Festival Director and Curator

Sandra grew up in the Eifel region with the forester’s son, a herd of ponies, and a pack of fallow deer. She conducts research into alpine cultural history, writes books, is training for her first triathlon, loves long mountain tours, her dog "Vasco," and her rose garden, and directs the Alpen Film Festival.

Tom has been climbing for 43 years, writes mountain books, directs documentaries, manages the Tegernsee Mountain Film Festival, selects the films for the Alpen Film Festival, enjoys philosophizing about the encounter between humans and nature, and is happiest when traveling in Patagonia or the Karwendel mountains.

Photo: @moritzattenbergerphoto

Anne Bley

Lead Presenter

Selina Bubendorfer and Marvin Stravs

Design and Communication

XXX

The Alpen Film Festival presents the five most worth-seeing mountain films of the year. Its program is poetic, joyful, and full of passion and heart.

About Us

The films tell stories of people for whom mountain sports provide a sense of purpose because they transcend political, social, and cultural boundaries.

Screenings in cinemas and at open-air venues are hosted by mountain enthusiasts; our tour stops have become meeting points for the mountain sports and film community.

At the Alpen Film Festival, we share the thrills and the struggles, celebrating and enjoying the experience together.

A film night where the screen becomes a campfire, a place to share experiences, adventures, and above all, a passion for the mountains and nature.