Festival director Mark Sedon this week released details of the festival finalists. Winners will be announced on June 20.
The finalists were whittled down from 85 entries received from around the world, including 12 made in New Zealand.
Mr Sedon said 45 films, including five made in New Zealand, had made this year's final short-list.
"It is more than normal but the festival is five days this year, rather than four," he said.
This year's festival had attracted more films exploring environmental and sustainability themes but there were also some tear-jerkers and some films designed to provoke discussion and debate, Mr Sedon said.
The popular Dyno wall-leaping competition is not being held at this year's festival.
Organisers have opted for an ice-sculpting competition instead.
Speakers will include New Zealand climbers Lydia Bradey and Graham Dingle and US adventurer Timmy O'Neill.
Films tickets go on sale on June 20.
The finalists:
Best film on climbing: The Beckoning Silence, UK, 2007, director Louise Osmond; Patagonia Winter, UK, 2007, director Alastair Lee; King Lines, US, 2007, directors Peter Mortimer and Josh Lowell; Dringo i'r Eitha, Wales, 2007, director Alun Hughes; 40 Days in Greenland, Japan, 2007, director Masaki Sekiguchi; Committed, UK, 2007, directors Paul Diffley and Dave Brown; High Ground, Canada, 2007, directors Chris Alstrin and Alex Lavigne; Enlightenment, Austria, 2007, director Armin Buchroithner; GIV-GIII, Spain, 2007, director Sebastian Alvaro.
Best short film: Trip Box II, France, 2008, director Claude Adam; Adrenaline Bach, Canada, 2007, director Marten Berkman; Yellow Boat White Water, Canada, 2007, director Andrew Hardingham; The Western Lands - Hoy, UK, 2007, director Grant Gee; Outdoor Games, France, 2008, director Guillame Broust; A Will to Climb, Australia, 2007, director Brian Semple; Unstoppable, US, 2007, director Shelly Mulholland; For the Masses, US, 2008, director Corrie Francis; Tabaz Tour, NZ, 2007, director Pete Simpson.
Best adventure sports and lifestyles film: Play Gravity, Switzerland, 2007, director Samnel Gyger; Crux, Canada 2007, directors Alex Lavigne and Ryan Leech; By My Own Strength, Sweden, 2007, director Renata Chlumska and Blomqvist Productions; Nine Winters Old, US, director Rich Corbett; Voluntary Prisoners of the Icepack, International, 2007, director Bruno Vienne; Baffin: An Island of Children, France 2006, director Sam Beaugey; The End of Time, Canada, 2008, director Carl Jacks; The Sublimation Experiment, US, 2007, director Chris Kitchen and Sam Pope; Portrait of a Serial Jumper, Germany, 2008, director Matthias Thonnissen; Lost and Found, US, 2007, director TGR; 20 Seconds of Joy, Germany, 2007, director Jens Hoffmann; Weather We Change, US, 2007, director Duane Kubischta; Taken By Everest, Norway, 2007, director Lars Nilssen.
Best mountain culture and environment film: 3 Peaks, 3 Weeks: For the People of Africa, US, 2008, director Michael Brown; Edge of Eden: Living With Grizzlies, Canada, 2007, directors Jeff and Sue Turner; Ausangate, US, 2006, directors Andrew Heckman and Tad Fettig; Gimme Green, US, 2006, directors Isaac Brown and Eric Flagg; Searching for the Coast Wolves, Germany, 2006, director Richard Matthews.
Best NZ-made film: iPLay, 2008, director Ben Prince; First Light, 2007, director Guy Ryan; A Most Ambitious Journey by Canoe, 2008, director Krys Ivo Kristufek; How About It, 2007, directors Chris Arneson and Tim Pierce; Dying For Everest, 2007, director Richard Dennison.
