13th YEREVAN GOLDEN APRICOT FILM FESTIVAL GAIFF      

By Alex Deleon

The thirteenth edition of the Yerevan Golden Apricot Film Festival (GAIFF) concluded officially on Saturday July 17 with a gala awards ceremony in the massive Moskva Kinotheater on Charles Aznavour Plaza and a screening of "The Unknown Girl", the latest offering from, the Dardenne brothers, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, of Belgium.

Major Awards

International Feature competition:

"Ungiven" (Imena Višnje) a Croatian drama directed by Branko Schmidt. An elderly couple uprooted by the Yugoslavian civil wars returns to their home and tries to pick up the pieces and reestablish a normal life. 

Best feature Armenian Panorama:

"Good Morning (Bari luys) a social drama and first film by Anna Arevshatyan.

Best Documentary:

"Across the Don", an unusual metafilm from Russia by Evgeny Grigoriev. Grigoriev turns the camera over to amateur filmmakers to see how they see their own home city.

Fipresci Award: "Ungiven" Croatia.

Knight of Culture Award:

"The Prosecutor, the Defender, the Father and his Son" by Iglika Triffonova, Bulgaria. This is a courtroom drama concerning a trial over war crimes during  the Bosnian War of separation from Yugoslavia. Prize bestowed by leading Russian film historian and critic Kirol Razlogov in whose name this prize was established.

Ecumenical Prize:

"Immortal", Iranian drama directed by Seyed Reza Mohaghegh. This film focusing on the guilt syndrome of a lonely sixty year old man, was also awarded the runner up Silver Apricot in the international feature film category.

Special festival guest Actress Jacqueline Bissett, 72, was presented with a career tribute award and three of her films screened; Bullitt, 1968, opposite Steve McQueen, Murder on the Orient Express, 1974, at the side of Sean Connery, and Truffaut's masterpiece "Day for Night" (1968) in which she plays a mentally disturbed movie star opposite Truffaut's fetish actor Jean-Pierre Léaud. Léaud, now himself 72, was honored with a lifetime award at Cannes earlier this year.

A most unusual special screening was "Who Killed the Armenians", a powerful highly detailed history of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Turkey of 1915 which Turkey still refuses to acknowledge. Directed by Mohamed Hanafy Nasr of Egypt, this is the first Arabic film about the genocide, a subject which has been kept under silence in the Islamic Middle East until now.

The Yerevan festival is basically regional in scope with primary emphasis on Russia, films from Eastern Europe especially the former Yugoslavian countries, neighbors Georgia, Iran and Turkey, and naturally as a showcase for the as yet little known home grown Armenian film industry. A sampling of award winners from other festivals are also presented.

The Yerevan Golden Apricot Film Festival is so named because the fruit in question is a national symbol. It was established here in 2004 with the assistance of Canadian Armenian director Atom Egoyan. Awardees each receive a basket of ripe yellow apricots in addition to their official award plaque.

A shocking news event, the truck driver terror attack on the Bastille Day crowd in Nice on July 14 in the very midst of the festival somewhat dampened the festive atmosphere for participants such as myself who were following the news deluge on hotel TV.

The 69th edition of the Festival del film Locarno will pay tribute to the dearly beloved Italian actress Stefania Sandrelli who this year celebrates her 55 years' career and her “70th springtime”. She will receive the Leopard Club Award 2016 on the Piazza Grande, on Friday, August 5.

A key player in the great era of Italian cinema, and elsewhere, Stefania Sandrelli has worked alongside Ugo Tognazzi, Marcello Mastroianni, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Robert De Niro, Vittorio Gassman, Gérard Depardieu and Jean-Louis Trintignant. Following her irruption onto cinema screens at the young age of 15, in Pietro Germi's Divorce Italian Style (1961) she went on to perform in a wide variety of roles, from lover (Seduced and Abandoned, 1964 and 1900, 1976), to woman in a love triangle (We All Loved Each Other So Much, 1974), to witch (Brancaleone at the Crusades, 1970). Her incarnations of the many faces of woman include her performances in Ettore Scola's La terrazza and The Dinner, Ferzan Özpetek's A Perfect Day, Francesca Archibugi's Questione di cuore and in more recent years, Paolo Virzì's The First Beautiful Thing and Carlo Mazzacurati's The Passion.

At her ease in auteur and popular cinema, tragedy and comedy, Sandrelli has lent her talents to such great directors as Mario Monicelli, Ettore Scola, Pietro Germi, Carlo Lizzani, Margarethe von Trotta, Bernardo Bertolucci, Claude Chabrol and Manoel de Oliveira. Regardless of the film world she moved in, and colleagues with whom she worked, Stefania Sandrelli is best described simply for what she is and always has been, a woman and an actress of unique grace and sensuality, tempered by an abiding touch of irony. A truly popular diva, in every sense of the word.

“Stefania Sandrelli is one of those actresses who proved best able to tune in to the major innovations in cinema from the 1960s onwards. Fully aware of the seductive powers of her body and voice, able to range from innocence to malice, Sandrelli has not only brought to life a gallery of unforgettable characters, but has also embodied the model of a woman who, without breaking with the past, is perfectly capable of meeting the challenges of modernity. She is one of the few actresses to succeed in getting it exactly right whether in terms of appealing to the popular imagination or dealing with the demanding worlds of auteurs such as Bertolucci, Scola and de Oliveira. In celebrating her career the Locarno Festival pays tribute to a major artist  who has been able to span different eras and kinds of filmmaking whilst always remaining true to herself.”  Carlo Chatrian, Artistic Director of the Festival.

Locarno's tribute to Stefania Sandrelli will be accompanied by a screening of Bertolucci's The Conformist and an 'In Conversation with the Festival audience. The actress will receive the Festival's Award on the Piazza on Friday, August 5.

Named after the supporting Association of the Festival, the Leopard Club Award pays tribute to someone in film whose work has left a mark on the collective imagination. Previous recipients of the Leopard Club Award include Faye Dunaway (2013), Mia Farrow (2014) and Andy Garcia (2015).

The Festival del film Locarno launches the first European Casting Director Award, in partnership with the International Casting Directors Network (ICDN).

The ICDN, founded in 2005 in the context of the European Shooting Stars (EFP) at the Berlinale, is the first association to focus on casting directors on a worldwide scale. The ICDN seeks to improve the standards of the profession, to help shape film policy and processes, to provide casting directors with support and resources, and offers them the opportunity to join international co-productions and to attract attention to their work in every country.

With this initiative, the festival and the ICDN hope to shine a light on the craft of casting. “From the early development phase of raising finance to the final film’s promotion, the casting director is the person who accompanies directors and producers through the entire production journey.” Nadia Dresti, Delegate of the Artistic Direction, Head of International.

The members of the International Casting Directors Network (ICDN) have nominated 21 international casting directors with their respective films. Among the nominees, seven have been selected for the European Casting Director Award:

Simone Bär (Denmark) for LAND OF MINE by Martin Pieter Zandvliet, 2015, Denmark/Germany

Antoinette Boulat and Elsa Pharaon (France) for STANDING TALL by Emmanuelle Bercot, 2015, France

An Dorthe Braker (Germany) for LABYRINTH OF LIES by Giulio Ricciarelli, 2015, Germany

Amy Rowan (Ireland) for MY NAME IS EMILY by Simon Fitzmaurice, 2015, Ireland/Sweden/Norway

Yngvill Kolset Haga (Norway) for ONE NIGHT IN OSLO by Eirik Svensson, 2014, Norway

Magdalena Szwarcbart (Poland) for THE MIGHTY ANGEL by Wojciech Smarzowski, 2014, Poland

Pauline Hansson (Sweden) for DRIFTERS, by Peter Grönlund, 2015, Sweden

The winners of the 16th T-Mobile New Horizons International Festivals received their awards at a gala event at the New Horizons Cinema. Films competed in five different competitions this year: the New Horizons International Competition, the Films on Art International Competition, the Polish Short Films Competition, the European Short Films Competition, and the Zoom Competition.

From among the 10 films in the New Horizons International Competition, the jury, consisting of Mania Akbari, Gust Van den Berghe, Adrian Sitaru, Magnus von Horn, and Sandrine Marques, awarded the Grand Prix and 20,000 Euros to In The Last Days of the City (Akher ayam el madina, Egypt, Germany, United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, 2016), directed by Tamer El Said.

More about the film

Film critics affiliated with the International Federation of Film Critics awarded the prestigious FIPRESCI Prize to Felipe Guerrero for his film Dark Beast (Oscuro Animal, Colombia, Argentina, Netherlands, Germany, Greece, 2016). The members of the FIPRESCI jury were Margarite Chapatte, Dejan Petrovic, and Anna Osmólska-Mętrak.

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The Audience Award went to All These Sleepless Nights (Poland, United Kingdom, 2016), directed by Michał Marczak. The runner-up was Piotr Dumała's Ederly (Poland, 2015), while Felipe Guerrero's Dark Beast (Oscuro Animal, Colombia, Argentina, Netherlands, Germany, Greece 2016) took third prize.

More about the film

The jury for the Films on Art International Competition, which consisted of Mads Mikkelsen, Kirill Sorokin, Crystal Moselle, Francesco Clerici, and Agnieszka Zwiefka, awarded 10,000 euros to Jumana Manna for A Magical Substance Flows Into Me (Palestine, 2015).

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The jury also singled out the film Muito romântico (Germany, Brazil, 2016), directed by Melissa Dullius and Gustavo Jahn.

More about the film

In the Polish Short Films Competition, which was sponsored by the Festival's main partner T-Mobile Poland, the first prize and 10,000 PLN were awarded to Emi Buchwald for Education (Nauka, Poland, 2016). Second prize went to Natalia Siwicka for her film 16.03 (Poland, 2016), while the third prize was awarded to Zofia Kowalewska for Close Ties (Więzi, Poland, 2016). The winners were chosen by an international jury that included Juan Daniel F. Molero, Kim Yutani, and Edvinas Pukšt.

In the European Short Films Competition, the first prize was shared byWith All Our Cameras (Spain, Hungary, 2016), by Miguel López Beraza, and Kwassa Kwassa (Denmark, Vietnam, 2015), a joint project by Tuan Andrew Nguyen and the Danish collective Superflex. In addition, the makers of these films also received a London Film Academy Award, a special prize in the form of an all-expenses-paid trip to the prestigious school. Second prize went to the film I Don't Think I Can See an Island (France 2016), by Emmanuel Lefrant and Christopher Becks. Third prize was awarded to Takashi Makino for the film Cinéma Concret(Japan, Netherlands, 2015). The winners were chosen by a jury that included Łukasz Ronduda, as well as Annamaria Marten and Roberto Taroni from the Flatform collective.

In the Zoom Competition-for filmmakers and visual artists from Wroclaw and Lower Silesia-the award for the best film, as well as a 10,000 PLN prize, went to Marcin Lesisz for Goran the Camel Man (Poland, Georgia, 2016). The winner of the best video clip was Limbs of Sun by Jaqueline Sobiszewski and Krzysztof Skonieczny (Poland, 2016). A special prize in the form of a scholarship funded by Wroclaw European Capital of Culture 2016 was awarded to Maciej Gryzełko for his music video Tu Do (Poland, 2015). The winners were chosen by a jury made up of Paweł Ferdek, Katarzyna Wilk, and Katarzyna Klimkiewicz.

For more contact Agata Burdzy, agata.burdzy@snh.org.pl, mobile: +44 606884810.

Premier Science Media Competition Honors Finalists Record submissions top 500+ Awards Gala to be held at Harvard Art Museum Jackson, WY (August 1, 2016) – Today the Jackson Hole Science Media Awards (JHSMA) announced finalists in 22 categories spanning content, program and craft in the science media field. JHSMA celebrates the world’s most effective science storytellers and stories. This year’s competition saw more than 500 entries competing for 25 special awards.

More than 115 international judges screened an aggregated 2,100 hours in order to select the finalists. The Jackson Hole Science Media Awards is a project of Jackson Hole WILD. Award­winners will be announced at a gala celebration on September 21 at the Harvard Art Museum in Boston. Films will be showcased and honored at the Science Media Awards and Summit at the Hub (SMASH) at WGBH Studios in Boston. This three­day conference will gather 300+ top scientists and science media stakeholders from around the world to share new work, new approaches and new ideas. Keynotes include:

● Joi Ito, Director of MIT Media Lab

● Steven Pinker, cognitive psychologist and one of the world’s foremost writers on language, mind and human nature

● Richard Wrangham, primatologist and leading expert on human behavioral evolution

Tickets are now available for the Summit: http://www.sciencemedisummit.org/summit Follow all the news using #sciencemedia @scienceSMASH Congratulations to our finalists:

CONTENT CATEGORY FINALISTS:

Earth & Sky

Great Barrier Reef with David Attenborough: Ep.1 Builders Atlantic Productions Inside the Mega Twister National Geographic Studios for National Geographic Channel Making North America: Origins A NOVA Production by Windfall Films for WGBH Boston

Science of Life

David Attenborough’s Light on Earth Terra Mater Factual Studios/Ammonite Films and Curiosity Stream, with: BBC, UKTV, and ABC Australia Islands of Creation Day’s Edge Productions for Smithsonian Channel Sonic Sea Discovery Channel presents a Natural Resources Defense Council, Imaginary Forces, International Fund for Animal Welfare, and Diamond Docs production Mind of a Giant Vulcan Productions, Off the Fence in partnership with Nat Geo WILD

Changing Planet

Lethal Seas 360 Degree Films Pty Ltd. for NOVA/WGBH Boston in association with ARTE and Unité Découverte Et Connaissance Racing Extinction Okeanos – Foundation for the Sea and Discovery Channel present an Oceanic Preservation Society film in association with Vulcan Productions, The Li Ka Shing Foundation, Earth Day Texas, JP's Peace, Love & Happiness Foundation, Diamond Docs, and Insurgent Docs Sonic Sea Discovery Channel presents a Natural Resources Defense Council, Imaginary Forces, International Fund for Animal Welfare, and Diamond Docs production Health & Medicine In Defense of Food Kikim Media Memory Hackers A NOVA Production by Little Bay Productions for WGBH Boston Twice Born: Stories From The Special Delivery Unit: Ep. 1 Trailblazer Studios Vaccines—Calling the Shots A NOVA Production by Tangled Bank Studios, LLC, in association with Genepool Productions Pty Ltd. for WGBH Boston Physical Sciences Inside Einstein’s Mind A NOVA Production by Windfall Films Ltd. (part of the Argonon Group) for WGBH Boston produced in association with the BBC The Beginning and the End of the Universe: The Beginning BBC, The Open University Uranium – Twisting the Dragon’s Tail: The Rock That Became the Bomb Genepool Productions, in association with Screen Australia, Film Victoria, SBS, PBS and ZDF/ARTE Technology & Innovation Operation Lighthouse Rescue A NOVA Production by Windfall Films Ltd. (part of the Argonon Group) for WGBH Boston Raiders, Raptors and Rebels: Inside the Magic of ILM Lincoln Square Productions, LLC Rise of the Robots A NOVA Production by Terri Randall Productions for WGBH Boston The Origami Code La Compagnie des Taxi­Brousee, Fact + Film, Leonardo Film and ZDF/3Sat Being Human Dawn of Humanity A Production of NOVA and National Geographic Studios for WGBH Boston First Peoples: Asia Wall to Wall, PBS, ARTE France Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman: Are We Bigots? Produced by Revelations Entertainment for Science Channel

PROGRAM CATEGORY FINALISTS:

Short Form Series (under 20 minutes)

Nature Boom Time! World by Charlie Productions for Nat Geo KiDS Shelf Life American Museum of Natural History Think Like A Scientist Day’s Edge Productions, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Long Form Series (longer than 20 minutes) Genius by Steven Hawking Produced by Bigger Bang Communications for PBS and National Geographic Channels International Great Barrier Reef With David Attenborough Atlantic Productions Making North America A NOVA Production by Windfall Films for WGBH Boston Uranium – Twisting the Dragon’s Tail Genepool Productions, in association with Screen Australia, Film Victoria, SBS, PBS and ZDF/ARTE Short Program Jason Silva: Transhumanism CuriosityStream Microsculpture Tanya Cochrane Films & Levon Biss in association with Oxford University Museum of Natural History Moth Mimicry: Using Ultrasound to Avoid Bats Gorongosa Media Project and Off the Fence, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others: Keynote Species and Trophic Cascades Spine Films, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Interactive Connected Worlds NY Hall of Science, Design I/O Einstein’s Playground MIT Game Lab, Charles Hayden Planetarium, Museum of Science, Boston, Gerd Kortemeyer, Assoc. Prof of Physics, Michigan State University, Lyman Briggs College WildCam Gorongosa The Zooniverse, Gorongosa National Park, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Immersive: Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef Virtual Reality Dive Alchemy VR HoloAnatomy Case Western Reserve University’s Interactive Commons and Cleveland Clinic Tilt Brush Google Immersive: Fulldome, 3D & Giant Screen Asteroid: Mission Extreme National Geographic, Sky­Skan David Attenborough’s Conquest of the Skies 3D Atlantic Productions, Sky 3D From Dream to Discovery Produced by the staff of the Charles Hayden Planetarium, Museum of Science, Boston Micro­Movie (under 5 minutes) The Edge Steer Films Mangroves Natural Numbers Nature Rx Dream Tree Film & Productions Remember When Pongo Media, Andy Maser Films, King Tide Motion Pictures, World Wildlife Fund, Natural Habitat Adventures Science Journalism Racing Extinction Okeanos – Foundation for the Sea and Discovery Channel present an Oceanic Preservation Society film in association with Vulcan Productions, The Li Ka Shing Foundation, Earth Day Texas, JP's Peace, Love & Happiness Foundation, Diamond Docs, Insurgent Docs Sonic Sea Discovery Channel presents a Natural Resources Defense Council, Imaginary Forces, International Fund for Animal Welfare, and Diamond Docs film Vaccines—Calling the Shots A NOVA Production by Tangled Bank Studios, LLC, in association with Genepool Productions Pty Ltd. for WGBH Boston While You Were Sleeping Infield Fly Productions Science Ambassador E.O. Wilson­Of Ants and Men Shining Red Productions, Inc. for PBS Petrified Forest! World By Charlie Productions for Nat Geo KiDS Secret Earth: Yellowstone Supervolcano Grizzly Creek Films, History Uranium – Twisting the Dragon’s Tail : The Rock That Became a Bomb Genepool Productions, in association with Screen Australia, Film Victoria, SBS, PBS and ZDF/ARTE Engaging Young Scientists Design Squad Global WGBH Educational Foundation discover science: Let’s meet at the bottom NHK, UR, SABC2, and SABC Education Earth to Luna ­ The Sinking Grape TV PinGuim in association with Discovery Kids Spanish Moss! World By Charlie Productions for Nat Geo KiDS Student & Emerging Science Filmmaker Pork.0 Brett Kuxhausen Red Wolf Revival Roshan Patel, Nestbox Collective Transistors: Teeny Tech that Changed the World Abby Kent Vey nou Lagon Vey nou Lagon Ltd. Audible Science: Radio & Podcast Invisibilia National Public Radio Origin Stories The Leakey Foundation Science Friday Science Friday Signal Podcast with Meg Tirrell and Luke Timmerman STAT CRAFT CATEGORY FINALISTS Writing Racing Extinction Okeanos – Foundation for the Sea and Discovery Channel present an Oceanic Preservation Society film in association with Vulcan Productions, The Li Ka Shing Foundation, Earth Day Texas, JP's Peace, Love & Happiness Foundation, Diamond Docs, Insurgent Docs Writer: Mark Monroe Return of the River Elwhafilm LLC Writer: Jessica Plumb Uranium – Twisting the Dragon’s Tail: The Rock That Became a Bomb Genepool Productions, in association with Screen Australia, Film Victoria, SBS, PBS and ZDF/ARTE Writer: Wain Fimeri Editing Explorer: Warlords of Ivory National Geographic Studios for National Geographic Channel Editor: Jennifer Honn and Seth Skundrick Racing Extinction Okeanos – Foundation for the Sea and Discovery Channel present an Oceanic Preservation Society film in association with Vulcan Productions, The Li Ka Shing Foundation, Earth Day Texas, JP's Peace, Love & Happiness Foundation, Diamond Docs, Insurgent Docs Editor: Geoffrey Richman, A.C.E., Lyman Smith, Jason Zeldes Rise of the Killer Virus Docdays Productions, Yuzu Productions, Congoo Productions, Smithsonian Networks, ZDF Editor: Marcel Ozan Riedel The Great Australian Fly 360 Degree Films Editor: Tony Stevens ASE, Assistant Editor/Animation: Alan Bennett Visualization David Attenborough’s Light on Earth Terra Mater Factual Studios/Ammonite Films, CuriosityStream, with: BBC, UKTV, ABC Australia Director of Photography: Martin Dohrn, Cinematographers: Jack Hynes, Fraser Johnston, Elliot Lowndes, Jonathan Esling, Ian Stewart Forces of Nature: Shape A BBC Production with PBS co­produced by France Televisions Cinematographers: Simon de Glanville, Tim Cragg, Roger Munns Shark Planet A BBC/Discovery Channel Co­Production Uranium – Twisting the Dragon’s Tail : The Rock That Became a Bomb Genepool Productions, in association with Screen Australia, Film Victoria, SBS, PBS and ZDF/ARTE Cinematographer: Jaems Grant, A.C.S. Media Contact: Kathryn Jeffords kathryn@jhfestival.org 307­200­3286 ext. 6 ### About Jackson Hole WILD Jackson Hole WILD presents industry conferences and programs including the Science Media Awards and Summit, Jackson Hole Conservation Summit and Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, recognized as the premiere event of its genre, convening a biennial five­day industry conference that draws over 650 international conservationists, journalists, filmmakers and broadcasters. JHW encourages the production of natural history programming around the world by providing non­fiction media industry stakeholders with an international film forum to conduct business, test new equipment, refine production techniques and celebrate the world’s finest nature and science programming. For more information, please visit jhfestival.org.

Polish Days are the most important industry event of the 16.T-Mobile New Horizons International Film Festival, where industry representatives including programmers, sales agents, producers, film funds and distributors from all over the world meet to watch the latest Polish films at closed screenings. This year's edition of Polish Days took place on 27-29 July.

Six completed Polish films and nine works-in-progress were shown at closed screenings during the event. Another nine projects in development were also pitched to the international audience and followed by one-on-one sessions.

The event has been gaining international interest and strengthening its position in recent years and in 2016, around 250 key Polish and international guests were present in Wrocław, including producers, film funds and festival programmers (including Berlin, Cannes, Rotterdam, Venice, Tribeca and New Directors/New Films), as well as a number of international and domestic buyers.

Among the works shown in full at closed screenings were Knives Out by Przemysław Wojcieszek, Photon by Norman Leto, The Last Family by Jan P. Matuszynski, Communion by Anna Zamecka, The Erlprince by Kuba Czekaj and Waves by Grzegorz Zariczny. The popular work-in-progress section presented 10 films, including Game Count by Agnieszka Holland, Birds are Singing in Kigali by Joanna Kos-Krauze and Krzysztof Krauze, Animals by Greg Zglinski and Loving Vincent by Dorota Kobiela.

Pitchings presented Polish films at an earlier stage of development and production. Among them, new works by Adrian Panek (Werewolf), Jacek Borcuch (Volterra) and Bodo Kox (The Man with the Magic Box).

Awards from Toya Studios and ColorOffOn Film went to Aga Woszczyńska for Fortnight. The scholarship from EAVE was awarded to Magdalena Kamińska from Balapolis, representing Adrian Panek and his project Werewolf.

Polish Days were co-organized with the Polish Film Institute. Event's partners included Film Commission Poland, Mazovia-Warsaw Film Commission and Wrocław Film Commission, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, National Audiovisual Institute, Culture.pl, ColorOffOn, Toya Studios and EAVE.

Organized in the frame of the 16th T-Mobile New Horizons International FF in Wrocław, the 7th New Horizons Studio's aimed to raise awareness of the importance of pitch in a film pre-production process and offers training in pitching to 24 participants from 10 countries all over Europe. Two-day intense teaching is composed of lectures on production, promotion and distribution of a film and a team-to-expert sessions about the pitch itself. The following professionals shared their know-how with Studio participants in 2016: Ewa Puszczyńska (producer of Academy Award-winning Ida), Vincent Lucassen (documentary producer and digital distribution specialist in Under the Milky Way), Kasia Karwan (sales agent, Moonstruck Films), Guillaume de Seille (Arizona Productions), Raymond Phathanavirangoon (producer and programmer), and Patrick Fischer and David Pope of the London Film Academy.

This year the jury selecting the best pitch (composed of David Pope, Vincent Lucassen, producer Alexandra Leszczyńska and Agata Czerner of Torino Film Lab) decided to split the awards into two parts: the award of the London Film Academy offered mentorship session to the team of Leonardo Cariglino, Monika Majorek and Joanna Malicka. The post-production facilities at the Arenberg Creative Mine studio in Lille (to the value of 10,000 Euro) will be available for the team of Arjun Talwar, Teresa Czepiec and Maria Siniarska.

The New Horizons Studio program was completed with an insightful masterclass by Marta Golba and Michał Marczak, producer-director team behind All These Sleepless Nights, the movie that after having garnered a directing award at Sundance earlier this year scored the Audience Award at the New Horizons Competition at the 16th T-Mobile New Horizons International Film Festival.

The New Horizons Studio is organized by New Horizons Association, London Film Academy and Creative Europe Desk Poland in collaboration with the Polish Institute in Tel Aviv, Italian Institute in Kraków, Embassy of the Netherlands, Istituto Camoes, Romanian Cultural Institute, Austrian Cultural Forum in Warsaw and Transilvania Intetrnational FF, IndieLisboa and Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival.

The San Sebastian Festival and Jaeger-LeCoultre promote a new award to acknowledge the career of prominent figures in the world of Latin cinema

Jaeger-LeCoultre is proud to sponsor the San Sebastian Festival for the fifth year running. This year, La Grande Maison consolidates its presence at the event by giving the “Jaeger-LeCoultre Latin Cinema Award” to a prominent figure in the Latin cinema world.

In this first edition the award will go to the film actor, director and producer Gael García Bernal. It will be given at the Gala presenting Pablo Larraín’s Neruda, in which he co-stars, scheduled for screening in the Festival’s Pearls section.

In the words of the Festival director, José Luis Rebordinos, “the creation of this award represents a new landmark in the Festival’s relationship with the Latin world, making for even stronger ties with its film industry while expressing appreciation for our filmmakers’ work”.

Gael García Bernal will receive the “Jaeger-LeCoultre Latin Cinema Award” on September 17 at the gala in San Sebastian’s Victoria Eugenia Theatre. The Award will be presented by Laurent Vinay, International Communications Director at Jaeger-LeCoultre.

This will be Gael García Bernal’s third visit to the Festival since he came with his debut film, Amores perros, selected in 2000 for Zabaltegi, repeating the experience the following year to coincide with the presentation of two of his works: Y tu mamá también (And Your Mother Too) by Alfonso Cuarón, which brought Made in Spanish to a close following its screening at Venice, and Vidas privadas (Private Lives) by Fito Páez, which competed in Zabaltegi for the New Directors Award.

A creative vision. A perfect combination of technical excellence and artistic discernment. The Haute Horlogerie and film worlds share many similarities. Whether in the manufacturing workshops or behind the scenes when making a film, the craftsmen and artists are connected by an identical passion and an identical creative drive: to guarantee that every second captures a moment of eternity. This is precisely why Jaeger-LeCoultre has been actively involved in promoting the seventh art for the last 10 years. The brand lends remarkable support to directors by means of its “Glory to the Filmmaker Award” presented for the last ten years at the Venice International Film Festival. In 2013, Jaeger-LeCoultre also set up active support for the cinematographic community and its new generation of moviemakers on joining forces with the Film Society of Lincoln Center to create the “Filmmaker in Residence” Programme. Thanks to its links to the Shanghai Film Festival, Jaeger-LeCoultre participates in the restoration of historic Chinese films, a precise, detailed and passionate task mirrored in the art of watchmaking. The brand also lent its support to Carmen Chaplin, Jaeger-LeCoultre ambassador, for the production of a short film entitled A Time For Everything.

www.jaeger-lecoultre.com

Actor, director, producer – Mexico

Gael Garcia Bernal is one of the great actors of today, recently gaining critical acclaim and a Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in Mozart in the Jungle. Amazon’s hit web series also won a Golden Globe for Best Actor Comedy Series.

Having worked as an actor since childhood in Mexico, Bernal made his feature film debut in Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu's Academy Award-nominated Amores Perros. It was selected in Zabaltegi (2000). His breakthrough performance in the universally acclaimed film earned him a Silver Ariel Award (Mexico's equivalent of the Oscar) as well as a Silver Hugo Award at the Chicago International Film Festival, both as Best Actor.

Bernal’s next film role was in another globally celebrated feature, Alfonso Cuaron's Academy Award-nominated Y tu mamá también(And Your Mother Too), starring opposite his lifelong friend Diego Luna. For their performances, the two friends were jointly voted the Marcello Mastroianni Award at the Venice International Film Festival. The film closed Made in Spanish section. In 2008 he starred alongside Diego Luna again in Rudo y Cursi.

He subsequently starred in the title role of Carlos Carrera's Academy Award-nominated romantic drama El crimen del Padre Amaro (The Crime of Father Amaro), which competed in the Official Section in 2002. His performance earned him the Silver Goddess Award for Best Actor from the Mexican Cinema Journalists, as well as a nomination from the Chicago Film Critics’ Association for Most Promising Performer.

Since 2004, Gael Garcia Bernal has starred in important films like The Motorcycle Diaries(Diarios de una motocicleta) directed by Walter Salles and selected in Pearls, La mala educación (Bad Education) directed by Pedro Almodóvar, screened in Made in Spain, and Babel directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu, again in the Pearls section.

Bernal received a BAFTA and Satellite Award nomination in 2005 for Best Actor for his work in The Motorcycle Diaries.

In 2006, Bernal was recognized by BAFTA again with a nomination in the Rising Star category, acknowledging new talent in the acting industry.

In addition to acting, Gael Garcia Bernal has taken on the roles of both director and producer. After directing short films in collaboration with Amnesty International, he directed his first feature Déficit in 2007. He also founded the production company Canana, with his close friend, actor Diego Luna and producer Pablo Cruz. They also run the Ambulante documentary film festival.

In 2009 Bernal starred in Limits of Control (Los limites del control) with Tilda Swinton and directed by Jim Jarmusch, selected in Pearls, as well as Mammoth (Mamut) with Michelle Williams and directed by Lukas Moodysson. In 2010, he starred in Even the Rain directed by Icíar Bollaín and Letters to Juliet(Cartas a Julieta) with Amanda Seyfried. He also starred in Casa de Mi Padre with Will Ferrell and Diego Luna as well as in A Little Bit of Heaven starring alongside Kate Hudson and Kathy Bates. Bernal has also starred in the film No directed by Pablo Larrain which premiered at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes, was selected in San Sebastian in the Pearls section and was released in LA and NY in 2013. Also in 2013, he starred in Who is Dayani Cristal? which premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and was screened in Horizontes Latinos. Other film credits include Fernando Meirelles’ Blindness and Michel Gondry’s La science des rêves (The Science of Sleep).

Most recently, Bernal starred in Jon Stewart’s biopic Rosewater and Pablo Fendrik's El ardor (Ardor). Bernal can next be seen in Desierto, which will be released on October 16th, 2016. Desierto is directed by Jonas Cuarón and also premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. His next film, Neruda, which premiered at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, is set to be released in winter, but before it will screen in the Pearls section in San Sebastian. Bernal can also be seen in Zoom, and Eva No Duerme, which premiered at the 2015 Toronto and San Sebastian Film Festival, competing in the Official Section, as well as Me Estás Matando, Susana, which will released in Mexico in September 2016. Bernal recently directed and wrote one of the six 15 minute vignettes in Madly, an international anthology of six short films exploring love in all its permutations, which premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival. Bernal’s hit Amazon comedy Mozart in the Jungle will return for its third season in December 2016.

From left: Ross Saxon, Laura Bensick, Elizabeth Dahl, Kay Tuxford, Matteo Bernardini, and Penelope Chai.

The winners and runners-up of the 2016 Script Pipeline Screenwriting and TV Writing Competitions were announced Saturday, July 23rd and awarded over $35,000. The private event in Los Angeles connected top industry execs and the finalists, as well as other recent Script Pipeline writers. 

Australia-based writing team Penelope Chai and Matteo Bernardini won the Grand Prize for screenwriting with the adventure/fantasy Cinderella Must Die. Runner-up: The Coat, a thriller by Ross Saxon.

For television, another writing duo claimed the top spot--Kay Tuxford and Elizabeth Dahl's original pilot 40 Elephants, a period drama based on a true story. Runner-up for TV was The Mother, by Laura Bensick. 

Organisers of the Iris Prize, supported by The Michael Bishop Foundation have today announced the directors of 15 short films who will be competing for the Iris Prize Best British Short.  These have been selected from a record number of over 100 submissions from all areas of the UK and they address a wide range of issues to do with love, life, death and hope from teenage years to old age, encountering bullies, drug abuse, lifelong love, random acts of kindness and zombies.

Five of the films have been nominated by five UK LGBT festival partners that are BFI Flare, London; Liverpool Pride; Scottish Queer International Film Festival (SQIFF); Queer Vision, Bristol, and Outburst, Belfast.

The winner will receive a post-production package to help with the making of their next film, comprising of sound mixing, sound track lay and dub plus layback. The package is worth an amazing £20,000 and is sponsored by Pinewood Studios Group.

Berwyn Rowlands, festival director, says, “This award allows Iris to have a direct link with our indigenous film makers supporting LGBT film making talent across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The eclectic mix of topics to be seen on screen also suggest that we have an abundance of LGBT stories to share with the world. If you think you know what a gay short film is all about, think again! I’m always surprised, sometimes shocked but always entertained by what our film makers present on screen.”

Andrew Pierce, Chair of Iris Prize, says, “Since the creation of the award for the best British short, this has become a prize of increasing significance to the filmmakers.  The £20,000 sponsorship from Pinewood Studios has been a major factor in its success, and this year, the recent announcement that all nominated films are eligible for BAFTA consideration only serves to strengthen the recognition of LGBT film talent in Britain”.

The shortlist of 15 films are listed below:   MORE DETAILS HERE

ARIEL (2016) -  directed by Macéo Bhardwaj

ACCEPTANCE (2106)  - directed by Justin Groves

BALCONY (2015) -  directed by  Toby Fell-Holden 

CROSSROAD (2016)  - directed by Leon Lopez

DAWN (2016)   -  directed by Jake Graf          

G O’CLOCK (2015)   -  directed by Mitch Marion                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

HIGH HEELS ARE COMPULSORY (2015)  -  directed by Annabel Cooper

OH-BE-JOYFUL (2015)  -  directed by Susan Jacobson

PARTING (2016)   -  directed by Dimitris Toulias

QUEEN’S MILE (2016)  –  directed by Martin Delaney

SAUNA THE DEAD (2016)  -  directed by Tom Frederic                                                                                                             

SOULS (2016)  –  directed by Daniel Gage

SPILT MILK (2016)  - directed by James Dunstan

TAKE YOUR PARTNERS (2015)  -  directed by Siri Rødnes

THE CARER (2106) – directed by Christine Parker

In addition, for the first time all of the nominated films are eligible for consideration for BAFTA and can automatically be entered by the filmmakers.

The organisers have also confirmed the names of the 35 short films competing for the Iris Prize supported by The Michael Bishop Foundation. At £30,000 the Iris Prize continues to be the world’s largest LGBT short film prize.

The main festival sponsors are: The Michael Bishop Foundation, Welsh Government, BFI, Ffilm Cymru Wales, Pinewood Studios Group, Cardiff University, Gorilla Group, Cineworld, Chapter, Gay Star News, Pride Cymru.               

The jury of the first European Casting Director Award, in partnership with the International Casting Directors Network (ICDN), decided to give the Award to Antoinette Boulat & Elsa Pharaon (France) for STANDING TALL (LA TÊTE HAUTE) by Emmanuelle Bercot.

The members of the International Casting Directors Network (ICDN) have nominated 21 international casting directors with their respective films. Among the nominees, seven have been selected for the European Casting Director Award. The Jury composed of Swiss director Ursula Meier, German producer Peter Rommel (Rommel Film e.K.) and French actress Clotilde Courau awarded Antoinette Boulat & Elsa Pharaon for STANDING TALL (LA TÊTE HAUTE) by Emmanuelle Bercot.

Clotilde Courau: “The right casting is 50 percent of a good film. Bravo to the Casting Directors of STANDING TALL (LA TÊTE HAUTE) who have found the incredible young boy Rod Paradot”.

The seven nominated Casting Directors:

Simone Bär (Denmark) for LAND OF MINE by Martin Pieter Zandvliet, 2015, Denmark/Germany

Antoinette Boulat and Elsa Pharaon (France) for STANDING TALL (LA TÊTE HAUTE) by Emmanuelle Bercot, 2015, France

An Dorthe Braker (Germany) for LABYRINTH OF LIES by Giulio Ricciarelli, 2015, Germany

Amy Rowan (Ireland) for MY NAME IS EMILY by Simon Fitzmaurice, 2015, Ireland/Sweden/Norway

Yngvill Kolset Haga (Norway) for ONE NIGHT IN OSLO by Eirik Svensson, 2014, Norway

Magdalena Szwarcbart (Poland) for THE MIGHTY ANGEL by Wojciech Smarzowski, 2014, Poland

Pauline Hansson (Sweden) for DRIFTERS, by Peter Grönlund, 2015, Sweden

The sixth edition of First Look – the Festival del film Locarno initiative aiming to showcase films in post-production – has presented six polish films. Each one was introduced by its producer to various world sales agents and festival programmers attending the Industry Days. 

The jury for First Look 2016, comprising Kerem Ayan (Istanbul International Film Festival), Cameron Bailey (Toronto International Film Festival) and Bero Beyer (International Film Festival Rotterdam) handed out the First Look Awards:

– to BIRDS ARE SINGING IN KIGALI by Joanna Kos-Krauze and Krzysztof Krauze an award worth 65'000 Euros in in post-production services sponsored by Cinelab Bucharest: for its exploring complexity beetwen host and guest and its intimate tentions between two women after the Rwanda Genocide.

– to ZGODA by Maciej Sobieszczanski an award worth 5,500 Euros in advertising, donated by Le Film Français: a 1st time director with the ability to take a new lens on an overlit historical background with the support of talented cinematographer Valentyn Vasyanovych. 

The full list of the 2016 selected films:

13 SUMMERS UNDERWATER by Wiktoria Szymańska, produced by Wiktoria Szymańska, Izabela Igel (Luna W) and Edher Campos (Machete Producciones)

BIRDS ARE SINGING IN KIGALI (Ptaki Śpiewają W Kigali) by Joanna Kos-Krauze & Krzysztof Krauze, produced by Joanna Kos-Krauze and Aleksandra Bielska (KosFilm)

THE BUTLER (Kamerdyner) by Filip Bajon, produced by Olga Bieniek and Mirosław Piepka (Film Icon)

DAY OF CHOCOLATE (Dzien Czekolady) by Jacek Piotr Bławut, produced by Anna Bławut-Mazurkiewicz (Aura Films)

I’M A KILLER (Jestem mordercą) by Maciej Pieprzyca, produced by Renata Czarnkowska-Listoś and Maria Gołoś (Re Studio)

ZGODA by Maciej Sobieszczański, produced by Zbigniew Domagalski and Monika Błachnio (Studio Filmowe Kalejdoskop)

The winners of the co-production platform Open Doors Hub have been announced today

The 2016 edition has seen the launch of a three-year cycle that Open Doors will devote to eight countries in southern Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The international co-production platform Open Doors Hub (4 – 9 August) is part of the new format of Open Doors, which has three articulations: the Open Doors Hub, but also the Open Doors Lab, the new lab for talented producers, and the projections for the Festival public, the Open Doors Screenings.

The Open Doors Hub aims to bring together the project-holders (director/producer) from the eight countries with potential partners, encouraging international collaborations and financing. 

The Open Doors jury has decided to award the following prizes to some of these projects to support production or development: 

Open Doors Grant (50,000 CHF)
A prize funded by the Open Doors initiative in collaboration with the Municipality of Bellinzona and the Swiss fund for production support Visions Sud Est, financed by the Swiss Foreign Ministry’s Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC):

Production Grant (30,000 CHF)
DAY AFTER TOMORROW by Kamar Ahmad Simon, Bangladesh

Production Grant (20,000 CHF)
THE RED PHALLUS by Tashi Gyeltshen, Bhutan

CNC  Prize (8,000 Euro)
SEASON OF DRAGONFLIES (JHYALINCHA) by Abinash Bikram Shah, Nepal

ARTE International Open Doors Prize (6,000 Euro)
DAY AFTER TOMORROW by Kamar Ahmad Simon, Bangladesh

Today sees the conclusion of the Open Doors Lab program, after five days of activity for eight emerging producers from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and Nepal.

The Open Doors Screenings program, presenting a selection of 21 films from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Myanmar, will continue through to the end of the Festival.

Open Doors is an initiative supported by the Swiss Foreign Ministry’s Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), organized in close collaboration with the Locarno Festival's Industry Office. Open Doors enjoys support from numerous European and Asian organisations such as ACE (Ateliers du Cinéma Européen), EAVE (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs), Producers Network Marché du Film (Cannes Festival), TorinoFilmLab, Festival Scope, the Winterthur International Short Film Festival, Clinik.Kathmandu, Memory! International Film Heritage Festival, the Yangon Film School, the Bangladesh Federation of Film Societies and the Bhutan Film Trust.

The 2016 edition, the fourth under Carlo Chatrian's Artistic Direction, came to a successful end, crowned with the Pardo d’oro to Godless, directed by Bulgarian filmmaker Ralitza Petrova.

Concorso internazionale

Pardo d’oro
GODLESS by Ralitza Petrova, Bulgaria/Denmark/France

Premio speciale della giuria (Special Jury Prize)
INIMI CICATRIZATE (Scarred Hearts) by Radu Jude, Romania/Germany

Pardo per la miglior regia (Best direction)
JOÃO PEDRO RODRIGUES for O ORNITÓLOGO, Portugal/France/Brazil

Pardo per la miglior interpretazione femminile (Best actress)
IRENA IVANOVA for GODLESS by Ralitza Petrova, Bulgaria/Denmark/France

Pardo per la miglior interpretazione maschile (Best actor)
ANDRZEJ SEWERYN for OSTATNIA RODZINA (The Last Family) by Jan P. Matuszyński, Poland

Special Mention
MISTER UNIVERSO by Tizza Covi, Rainer Frimmel, Austria/Italy

Concorso Cineasti del presente

Pardo d’oro Cineasti del presente – Premio Nescens
EL AUGE DEL HUMANO by Eduardo Williams, Argentina/Brazil/Portugal

Premio speciale della giuria Ciné+ Cineasti del presente (Special Jury Prize)
THE CHALLENGE by Yuri Ancarani, Italy/France/Switzerland

Premio per il miglior regista emergente (Prize for the best emerging director)
MARIKO TETSUYA for DESTRUCTION BABIES, Japan

Special Mention
VIEJO CALAVERA by Kiro Russo, Bolivia/Qatar

First Feature

Swatch First Feature Award (Prize for Best First Feature)
EL FUTURO PERFECTO by Nele Wohlatz, Argentina

Swatch Art Peace Hotel Award 
MAUD ALPI for GORGE CŒUR VENTRE, France

Special Mention
EL AUGE DEL HUMANO by Eduardo Williams, Argentina/Brazil/Portugal

Pardi di domani

Concorso internazionale

Pardino d’oro per il miglior cortometraggio internazionale – Premio SRG SSR
L’IMMENSE RETOUR (ROMANCE) by Manon Coubia, Belgium/France

Pardino d’argento SRG SSR per il Concorso internazionale
CILAOS by Camilo Restrepo, France 

Locarno Nomination for the European Film Awards – Premio Pianifica 
L’IMMENSE RETOUR (ROMANCE) by Manon Coubia, Belgium/France

Premio Film und Video Untertitelung
VALPARAISO by Carlo Sironi, Italy

Special Mention
NON CASTUS by Andrea Castillo, Chile

Concorso nazionale

Pardino d’oro per il miglior cortometraggio svizzero – Premio Swiss Life
DIE BRÜCKE ÜBER DEN FLUSS by Jadwiga Kowalska, Switzerland 

Pardino d’argento Swiss Life per il Concorso nazionale
GENESIS by Lucien Monot, Switzerland

Best Swiss Newcomer Award 
LA SÈVE by Manon Goupil, Switzerland

Prix du Public UBS

I, DANIEL BLAKE by Ken Loach, United Kingdom/France/Belgium 

Variety Piazza Grande Award

MOKA by Frédéric Mermoud, France/Switzerland 

279 films in less than two weeks, 16 shown in the open air on the Piazza Grande and 17 in the Concorso internazionale. Major guests this year provided unforgettable moments, such as the warm Piazza greetings by Mario Adorf and Stefania Sandrelli, the conversations with Harvey Keitel, Roger Corman, David Linde and Alejandro Jodorowsky, Howard Shore's Masterclass, Ken Loach's revolutionary zeal, Isabelle Huppert's recollections of Cimino and those of Ahmad of his father Abbas Kiarostami, Jane Birkin's generosity, and Bill Pullman's infectious congeniality.

Carlo Chatrian, Artistic Director: “This, the sixty-ninth edition that is now almost over, gambled on a number of fronts. From a more adventurous program on the Piazza to the competitions that gave pride of place to young filmmakers. The positive response, from both audiences and critics alike, has encouraged us to continue with this approach. We want Locarno to be, as it has been over these eleven exciting days, a place to show films which place human beings, in all their multi-faceted dimensions, front and center, films that provoke both discussion and strong emotion; and at the same time, a meeting place for major artists who are able to deliver strong messages, and a warm and receptive audience. An audience that is as warm in its welcome to both the well-known Harvey Keitel as to his colleague from Bhutan, not as well-known, but just as able to move the 8,000 individuals on the Piazza with the sound of his voice.”

The audience attendance over the eleven days of Festival has been in line with the last years. “In operational  terms, the outcomes are very positive. Attendances have been high, and in line with previous editions. Even some audacious choices, and the greater security measures undertaken, did not manage to dampen the enthusiasm of the general festival audience, professional delegates and the media for the evening screenings. A big thank you to all those who worked with us and our partners, whose commitment and support has made this 69th edition possible.” Mario Timbal, Operations Director

List of the Prize-winners can be downloaded here

The evening on the Piazza Grande concludes with the official awards ceremony and the screening of the closing film by Ashutosh Gowariker, Mohenjo Daro.

The 70th Festival del film Locarno will take place from 2 to 12 August 2017

Iris Prize, Cardiff’s international LGBT short film prize, is delighted to announce that Cheryl Dunye is to be the chair of this year’s International Jury who will be judging the 35 films competing for the coveted £30,000 prize. Director of the ground-breaking lesbian film, The Watermelon Woman which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, Cheryl is an award-winning screenwriter, actress and producer whose work has focused on race, sexuality and gender issues. In addition, she is Vice President of the Board of Directors for Queer Cultural Centre and on the advisory board of Queer Women of Colour Media Arts Project.

On her appointment, Cheryl Dunye, says, "As jury chair of the 2016 edition of the Iris Prize Festival, I look forward to engaging with my global filmmaking community as we select projects that represent the stunning diversity of queer cinema.”

Berwyn Rowlands, festival director, says. “I’m thrilled Cheryl Dunye is able to chair this year’s 10th anniversary jury. We started discussing ideas when she spent the night in our home about two years ago. Cheryl had a film in competition at Iris 2015 and I remember saying it would be nice to get her back, but it would have to be for something important! And here we are celebrating 10 years of Iris with Cheryl Dunye chairing the jury, it doesn’t get more awesome than this.”

Andrew Pierce, says “The jury is once again an eclectic mix of creative people at the top of their game, many of them have feature films screening at the festival including Doug Langway who returns to Cardiff to sit on the jury for a second time. Personally I’m thrilled that Philip Wyn Jones is able to take his place at the table. He has been a member of the Iris Prize pre-selection jury since the inaugural festival in 2007. He’s probably seen more short film than the whole jury put together.”

The international reputation of Welsh creative talent is represented by Rod Thomas, better known as Bright Light Bright Light, the music sensation who is currently on a sell-out tour of UK with his latest album, Choreography. He has toured with artists such as Elton John, Ellie Golding and John Grant as well as worked with Alan Cumming and Scissors Sisters. He also provided the soundtrack to last year’s Iris Prize Best British trailer.

Rod says, “As someone who grew up in South Wales feeling like I had to travel miles to see anything out of the ordinary, it's amazing to see Iris bringing people to South Wales. I'm looking forward to seeing work from people I may never have heard of, and seeing what brilliant independent creatives are making across the globe in one of the most friendly and brilliant festivals I've been to.”

The other members of the international jury include international award-winning film directors, journalists and artists. They are:

-          Arkasha Stevenson, US director of Vessels, last year’s Iris Prize winner. She has just completed filming her new short film in Cardiff, the 8th Iris Prize production.

-          Doug Langway, US director of Bear City 3, who’s returning to Iris Prize for the UK premiere of his latest fabulously furry gay comedy.

-          Andrew Murphy, Director of programming for Toronto’s Inside Out LGBT Film Festival, one of the original Iris Prize partner festivals

-          Michael Gamilla, director for ImageOut Rochester LGBT Film Festival, one of five the new partner festivals for Iris.

-          Nathan Adloff, US director of Miles, which receives its UK premiere at the festival

-          Sarah Rotella, Canadian director of Almost Adults, which receives its UK premiere at the festival

-          Philip Wyn Jones, Welsh film reviewer and past pre-selection jury member, who has been an integral part of Iris since its inception.   

-          Maria Pecchioli, Italian director of Just Say Yes that receives its UK premiere at the festival

-          Malan Wilkinson, Welsh artist, journalist and deputy artistic director of Galeri Caernarfon.

The jury will be in Cardiff for the duration of the festival. MORE JURY INFORMATION HERE! The winner they choose from the 35 films in competition will be announced on Sunday 16th October at the Iris Award.

The main festival sponsors are: The Michael Bishop Foundation, Welsh Government, BFI, Ffilm Cymru Wales, Pinewood Studios Group, Cardiff University, Gorilla Group, Cineworld, Chapter, Gay Star News, Pride Cymru and Orchard.      

Awards

Canadian Student Film Award

NEKA

Nemnemiss VOLLANT-MCKENZIE (Wapikoni Mobile)

Special Accolade

MERINGUE

Louise PETIT-TRUCHON (Cégep du Vieux Montréal)

International Student Film Award

CATCH IT

Paul Bar, Marion Demaret, Nadège Forner, Pierre-Baptiste Marty, Julien Robyn & Jordan Soler – France (ESMA)

Special Accolade

FULFILAMENT

Rhiannon EVANS – UK (The National Film & Television School)

Best Short Film

TEA TIME

Guillaume BLANCHET – France

Special Accolade

TO BUILD A FIRE – Fx GOBY – France

2nd Special Accolade

YUL ET LE SERPENT – Gabriel HAREL – France

Best TV Show

Award

TU MOURRAS MOINS BËTE

Amandine FREDON – France

Special Accolade

COUNTERFEIT CAT – Ben MARSAUD – Canada-France