After three full days of screening over thirty films, two massive parties, and an award show the 12th annual X-Dance Action Sports film festival came to a close in Salt Lake City this past weekend.

After careful consideration by a panel of expert judges the hardware was handed out at the Depot. There was some surprises, some disappointments, and some super stoked filmmakers.

Here's the breakdown of the winner's from the 2012 X Dance .


Editing
Solitaire
In the high desert of South America, winter takes hold, devouring bleached bones and abandoned shacks. Born in the spires of Argentina's legendary Las Lenas, a lonely two-year journey begins through an abandoned world. Nick Wagoner's masterpiece deserved the recognition for an epic display of cinematography and editing.

Original Score
Seth Morrison: The Ordinary Skier
For Seth Morrison, skiing is much more than a sport or job, it's a way of life. It's not a privilege he was born with; it's a passion he discovered on his own. through hard work and dedication, Morrison has become one of the best skiers in the world.

Soundtrack
Defy
Three years in the making, DEFY is a visual overdose of wakeboarding at its highest level, starring four-time X Games gold medalist Danny harf and his crew of progressive riders. It's good to see a wakeboard film win the hardware, as the sport desperately needs some recognition.

Short
The Freedom Chair

Josh Dueck was an aspiring skier and coach until a ski accident in 2004 changed his life for good. After coming to the realization that he would never walk again, Josh made a conscious decision to make the best of a terrible situation. Within 1 year he was back on snow doing what he loved, and shortly after, his determination took him to the top of the podium in the sport of sit-skiing. This was a clear cut winner as it's easily the most inspiring fifteen minutes you'll watch this year.

Cinematography
All.I.Can.
An unparalleled cinematic experience: All.I.Can is a stunning exploratory essay that compares the challenges of big mountain skiing to the challenges of global climate change. Shot over 2 years on 5 continents using state of the art camera equipment, the world's best skiers deliver inspirational performances while All.I.Can expands our vision of the natural world. This was the first of three awards.

Core
The Art of FLIGHT
Equal parts of action and adventure mix with the inevitable drama encountered along the way. The most anticipated movie in recent years doesn't disappoint.

Adventure
Frontier
This project highlights the same crew to new rivers and even bigger waterfalls across the planet. the film puts a strong emphasis on exploration and progression within the sport, highlighting some of the hardest whitewater ever paddled. Rush Sturges and crew followed the success of last year's hit film "Dream Result" with this new compelling adventure film.

Story
Lost & Found

Doug Walker, Jack Mccoy and Eb Barrett

While attending a flea market in Los Angeles Doug Walker discovered several boxes containing 30,000 black & white negatives. After spending over a year organizing this amazing collection his journey began, setting out to find the photographers as well as the surfers that were captured in these special photographs. The detection and determination of Doug Walker made this film a sure win for best story.

Documentary
A Deeper Shade of Blue
How hawaiian Surf Culture conquered the world. the Evolution of the surfboard, and the Spirit of Aloha.- Legendary filmmaker Jack McCoy also received the lifetime achievement award. It's safe to say this was a memorable weekend for him.


Athlete of the Year
Shaun Palmer
There's no question Palmer is one of the best action sports athletes of all time.


Biography
Shaun Palmer: The Miserable Champion-Palmer
The Miserable Champion is a shocking portrait of one of the most notorious athletes of all-time, action sports hero Shaun Palmer. He has been at the top of Snowboarding, Skiing, Mountain Biking, Motocross, and Skateboarding. USA today asks the question Is this the World's Greatest Athlete? You be the judge.

Ambassador of Green
All.I.Can

Emerging Filmmaker
Markus Davids & Rob Jax with BoardRoom
Before there were big surf corporations, a handful of pioneers were building wooden surfboards in their garages. Unbeknownst to them they created a lifestyle that would be emulated by the generations to come.

Lifetime Achievement
Jack McCoy
He has been capturing the action sports vision in a truly unique way for some time now. There's no words needed to justify Jack earning a lifetime achievement award, just watch his films.


Director
Nick Waggoner with Solitaire
Waggoner pored his heart and soul into this film and it showed.

Best Film
All.I.Can.
Sherpas Cinema are super cool guys from Canada who stole the show taking top honors at this year's film festival.

Eric Crosland & Dave Mossop for ALL I CAN

Good luck to all you filmmakers for next year, we're excited to see the next level in Action Sports Films.

Photos courtesy of X-Dance.