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Steamboat Springs — In the opening moments of Matchstick Productions' "Claim," the narrator declares it the best ski movie that has ever been made. Then Europe's "Final Countdown" kicks in, followed by about an hour and a half of awesome runs and goofy interludes.

Watching the movie, the speckled crowd remaining at the final screening of the 2008 Steamboat Mountain Film Festival was cheering for anything that involved powder. In its sixth year, the festival has become a tradition in getting ready for a hopefully snow-heavy season of skiing and snowboarding.

As it widened its scope to become a ski movie-making competition, the Mountain Film Festival has done its part in documenting Steamboat Springs' addiction to winter sports.

Where skiers and riders might have kept their backcountry footage or freestyle tricks confined to home videos five years ago, the film festival gives locals a chance to get that footage to the public.

It also gives them motivation to take the final product well beyond any home movie, with imaginative and quality production - and with more impressive tricks and runs than you might risk doing, if it weren't for the possibility of more than 10 people seeing it.

The winners:

Best overall film:

1. "Sketchy Biz," by Stir Fry Films

2. "We Like Snow," by Bent & Broken Productions

3. "Chronicles of Gnar," by Kerry Lofy

Best overall film in the "open" (non-action sport) category:

1. "Return of La Niña," by Right On Brother Productions

2. "Stormy," by Jeff Temple and Jay Kinghorn

3. "Self Edit," by David Lesh

Most popular film:

1. "Sick Days," by Unproductive Productions

2. "Sketchy Biz," by Stir Fry Films

3. "Chronicles of Gnar," by Kerry Lofy

Best line: "We Like Snow," by Bent & Broken Productions

Best powder: "We Like Snow," by Bent & Broken Productions