Kasimir Burgess and Benjamin Bryan filming at base camp in the Tsakhir Valley.

Australian cinematographer Benjamin Bryan has been awarded the prestigious Golden Frog, the top honour at EnergaCamerimage Festival in Poland, for his work on Kasimir Burgess’ breathtaking feature documentary, Iron Winter. 

Selected from a competitive field of six feature documentaries at the closing ceremony on November 23rd, Jury president Nancy Schreiber ASC awarded the prize, saying that they were “awestruck by the boldly exquisite visual language, never imposing, always intimate, allowing us to experience the family’s journey in its raw immediacy and often painful beauty. This is documentary filmmaking at its most artful and humane.” 

Bryan becomes the first Australian cinematographer in the history of the festival to win the coveted Golden Frog in the documentary category. Speaking about this incredible recognition Bryan said, “I owe a lot to Kasimir for his collaborative spirit, all those who have supported me and encouraged me in my journey from camera assistant to cinematographer and most of all the beautiful people of Mongolia who allowed us into their lives.” 

Following the story brought to light by journalist Ed Cavanough, the film observes two friends from Mongolia’s remote Tsakhir Valley, as they undertake a grueling rite of passage, herding 2,000 horses across the icy Mongolian steppe in search of grazing land below the snow. This tradition has been under threat in recent times due to harsh weather conditions made worse by climate change and the effects of urbanisation on the local community. 

The CamerImage win continues a remarkable international sweep for Iron Winter which premiered to critical acclaim at Visions Du Reel and has since screened internationally at top tier festivals including Camden, Torino and BANFF where it took home the Grand Prize. 

The crew, consisting of Kasimir Burgess, Bryan and producers Ben Golotta & Morgan Wright (Repeater Productions), undertook the filming of the documentary at altitude in one of the coldest Mongolian winters on record where temperatures regularly plummeted below -40 celsius. 

Camerimage, which takes place annually in Toruń, Poland, celebrates the art of cinematography and is attended by the most celebrated and iconic visual artists from around the world. Attendees this year included Mandy Walker ASC, Bruno Delbonnel, Ed Lachmann, Frederick Elmes, Dione Beebe, Lukasz Zal amongst many other renowned cinematographers. 

Iron Winter will be released in Australian cinemas 19th March 2026.

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