The Dawn Wall is a 2017 American-Austrian documentary film directed by Josh Lowell and Peter Mortimer about Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson's successful attempt to create the first-ever big wall free climbing route—which they christened The Dawn Wall—on the historic southeast face (The Wall of Early Morning Light) of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, which had hitherto only been ascended by aid climbing techniques first pioneered by Warren Harding who made the first aided ascent of the face in 1970.
Release
The film premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam on November 18, 2017.
Reception Critical response On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 18 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.7/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 81 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Accolades Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result International Documentary Film Festival AmsterdamNovember 22, 2017Audience AwardThe Dawn WallSXSW Film FestivalMarch 18, 2018Audience Award: Documentary SpotlightTrento Film FestivalMay 6, 2018Best Mountaineering FilmMario Bello AwardUIAA PrizeSan Francisco Documentary FestivalJune 18, 2018Audience Award: Best FeatureMelbourne International Film FestivalAugust 23, 2018Best DocumentaryDocumentary Audience AwardCritics' Choice Documentary AwardsNovember 11, 2018Best CinematographyBrett LowellMountainfilm International Film Festival GrazNovember 17, 2018Grand Prix GrazThe Dawn WallKendal Mountain FestivalNovember 18, 2018Best Climbing FilmCinema Eye Honors AwardsJanuary 11, 2019Outstanding Achievement in ProductionJosh Lowell, Peter Mortimer, and Philipp ManderlaProducers Guild of America AwardsJanuary 19, 2019Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion PicturesJosh Lowell, Peter Mortimer, and Philipp ManderlaCinema for Peace AwardsMay 7, 2019International Green Film AwardThe Dawn WallSports Emmy AwardsAugust 11, 2020Outstanding Long Sports DocumentaryOutstanding Camera WorkBrett Lowell
See also Free Solo, a 2018 film on Alex Honnold's first free solo of El Capitan in Yosemite Meru, a 2015 film on the ascent of the Shark's Fin route on Meru Peak
References
External links Official website