THE WINNERS

The seven members of the international jury view films of queer interest within all sections of the Berlinale. Three films are nominated and one wins infor each of the categories: best feature film, best documentary/essay film and the best short film. The jury furthermore presents its Special Jury Award, the L'Oréal TEDDY Newcomer Award and the TEDDY Readers’ Award powered by Mannschaft Magazin.

The TEDDY for the Best Feature Film goes to:

Tinta Bruta (Hard Paint)
Marco Reolon, Filipe Matzembacher

 Jury statement:

The TEDDY fiction feature award goes to a movie which beautifully tells the story of a boy reconnecting himself with the real world. In a unique and creative cinematic form, the film captures the fierce struggle between fear and desire. Music, lights and colours culminate in a pure expression of the protagonist's feelings, gradually becoming his means to reconcile body, heart and soul. For its incredible directing achievement and tremendous cast, the TEDDY jury is proud to award Tinta Bruta / Hard Paint by Marcio Reolon and Filipe Matzembacher.

Nominees:

“Las herederas” by Marcelo Martinessi

"Touch Me Not" by Adina Pintilie

The TEDDY for the Best Documentary Film goes to:

Bixa Travesty (Tranny Fag)
Claudia Priscilla and Kiko Goifman

Jury statement:
The film introduces us to an outstanding woman. Her curiosity and many different ways of expressing herself are more than inspiring. She is a performer, a good friend, a musician, a family person, an artist. With the beauty of the sounds, the aesthetic of the images, the film takes us on her journey of selfdetermination between fantasy and selfcare. The TEDDY AWARD for best documentary film 2018 goes to Bixa Travesty by Claudia Priscilla and Kiko Goifmann and of course to the protagonist of the film Linn da Quebrada.

Nominees:

“Yours in Sisterhood” by Irene Lusztig

“Shakedown” by Leilah Weinraub

The TEDDY for the Best Short Film goes to:

Three Centimetres
Lara Zeidan

Jury statement:
Lebanese female film director Lara Zeidan makes a sensitive and intimate portrait of four young female friends on a Ferris Wheel in Beirut. We share in their emotional ride of sexual understanding, as the conversation turns from a jovial discussion of virginity, to a nervous outing of homosexuality. As we listen, we realise these young women are only just beginning to explore the many layers of their own and others' identities. We are privy to a crucial life episode in which a queer individual must claim and defend her right to exist. Lara Zeidan captures this delicate moment in adolescence with subtle yet tender performances from her cast.

Nominees:

“T.R.A.P” by Manque La Banca

“Je fais où tu me dis” by Marie de Maricourt

The TEDDY Jury Award goes to:

Obscuro Barocco
Evangelia Kranioti

Jury statement:
This film transports us to a city that is vibrant and surreal, a carnival of dreams and nightmares, seen through the eyes of its queer icon. The director's impressive singular vision draws you in with remarkable cinematography and sound design, making it uniquely poetic and intimate, and an outstanding artistic achievement. That's why we award the Special Jury Prize to Evangelia Kranioti and her film Obscuro Barroco.

The L'Oréal TEDDY Newcomer Award goes to:

Retablo
Alvaro Delgado Aparicio

The TEDDY Readers' AWARD powered by Mannschaft Magazin goes to:

Las Herederas (The Heiresses)
Marcelo Martinessi

Jury Statement:
Marcelo Martinessi shows that the search for individual identity knows no age, gender or class. With masses of emotion, visually impressive cinematography and an outstanding cast, he guides his audience through the life of a woman who finds an avenue to love and to herself despite all problems and crises. “Las Heredaras” weaves it’s story gently and imparts the characters with the space needed to grow. This is a film that lingers with you and imbues you with power.

Members of the Jury:

Natascha Frankenberg:

Programmer of the queer film section begehrt! at the International Women's Film Festival Dortmund|Köln

Bohdan Zhuk:

Programmer of the Kiev International Film Festival Molodist, the biggest Ukranian film festival since 2014 and curator of the LGBTQ program Sunny Bunny, the oldest regular queer event in the Ukraine

Roisín Geraghty:

Film programmer for the GAZE International LGBT Film Festival

Irland Franck Finance-Madureira:

French film journalist and leading co-publisher of FrenchMania

Pecha Lo:

General secretary of the Taiwan Women’s Film Association and festival director of the international Women Make Waves Film Festival in Taipei

Antonio Harfuch:

Founder and coordinator of the Genre and Sexual Diversity Film Program, a program of Mexican queer short films which originated at the Morelia Film Festival

Marthe Djilo Kamga:

One of the founders and coordinators of the Massimadi Festival in Brussels

Young Juries Across Europe Screen Nominated Films GIRL IN FLIGHT, HOBBYHORSE REVOLUTION and WALLAY – all of which will then be available as VOD for the general public

The European Film Academy (EFA) proudly announces and congratulates the three nominees for the EFA Young Audience Award 2018:  

The nominations were chosen by an international committee consisting of Manlio Castagna (Giffoni International Film Festival/Italy), Ana Cerar (International Film Festival Kino Otok - Isola Cinema/ Slovenia), Corinna Downing (London Film Festival - British Film Institute/UK), EFA Board Member Vanessa Henneman (talent agent/The Netherlands) and Holger Twele (film educator/Germany).

On 6 May, the three nominated films will be screened to audiences of 12 – 14 year-olds in the following 36 countries across Europe and beyond: 

And it is the young audience that will act as a jury and vote for the winner right after the screenings. In a truly European vote, jury speakers will then transmit the national results live via video conference to Erfurt (Germany) where the winner will be announced in an award ceremony streamed live on yaa.europeanfilmawards.eu, a special website that offers further information about the nominated films and the participating cities.

But the YAA now also includes various platforms for the general public to watch the nominated films: EFA Productions, EFA’s in-house production company, will bring the EFA Young Audience Award films out Europe-wide on Video-on-Demand (T-VoD) platforms, like iTunes, Google Play, Microsoft and Pantaflix, on the regional Balkan-platform Cinesquare, as well as on local platforms like Filmin or Univerciné!

EFA Productions teamed up with Under The Milky Way for this initiative with the support of Creative Europe – Media Programme of the European Union, to make the nominated films available for young viewers all year around. Finally, those who could not participate in the EFA Young Audience Award event will have the possibility to watch the nominated films online. VoD is a great way to reach this age group to promote the EFA Young Audience Award and the films nominated for it.

For the opening of the VoD initiative, the films of the last three editions as well as the three films nominated in 2018 will all go online on 7 May, one day after this year's EFA Young Audience Award. Films nominated in earlier editions will then follow next year.

The EFA Young Audience Award 2018 is realised with the following partners: 
AUSTRALIA: Asia Pacific Screen Awards
AUSTRIA: Austrian Film Academy
BELGIUM: Filem’On & Le Palace
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: Sarajevo Film Festival & Meeting Point cinema
BULGARIA: Sofia Art Fest
CROATIA: Zagreb Film Festival
CZECH REPUBLIC: Krutón, z.s.
DENMARK: UCN, Centre for Educational Resources
ESTONIA: NGO Kinobuss
FINLAND: Helsinki International Film Festival – Love & Anarchy
FRANCE: Les Arcs European Film Festival
GERMANY: Intl. Film Festival Schlingel (Chemnitz), German Children’s Media Foundation Golden Sparrow (Erfurt)
GREECE: Hellenic Film Academy
HUNGARY: Hungarian National Film Fund
IRELAND: Irish Film Institute & Creative Europe Desk Ireland
ISRAEL:     Tel Aviv Cinematheque
ITALY: Niels Stensen Cultural Foundation (Florence), Alice nella città, with Fondazione Cinema per Roma (Rome), National Cinema Museum (Turin)
KOSOVO: DokuFest
LATVIA: National Film Centre of Latvia
LITHUANIA: Lithuanian Film Centre
LUXEMBOURG: Luxembourg City Film Festival
FYR MACEDONIA: Macedonian Film Agency
MALTA : Creative Europe Desk Malta
MONTENEGRO: Podgorica Film Festival & Montenegrin Cinematheque & Film Center of Montenegro
THE NETHERLANDS: EYE Filmmuseum
POLAND: New Horizons Association
PORTUGAL: Portuguese Academy of Film & ICA
ROMANIA: EducaTIFF
SERBIA: Free Zone Festival
SLOVAKIA: Visegrad Film Forum
SLOVENIA: Otok
SPAIN: Filmoteca de Catalunya (Barcelona), Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Spain (Madrid), Seville European Film Festival (Seville)
SWEDEN: Scala
SWITZERLAND: Zoomz – Film Festival for Children & Youth
TURKEY: Yapimlab
UK: British Film Institute

The EFA Young Audience Award is organised and presented by the European Film Academy and EFA Productions with the support of Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM) and the Creative Europe – Media Programme of the European Union. The national YAA events are organised with the support of the respective national partners.

The first edition of the Brussels Independent Film Festival closed on Sunday evening with the presentation of the 'Atomium Film Awards'. The filmmakers were crowned with chocolate and thus edible figurines of the Atomium, made by chocolatier Wim Vyverman.

The prize for the best narrative feature film went to 'Bad poetry Tokyo' (Japan) by Anshul Chauhan. The debut film had it's world premiere at the festival and tells the story of a 30 year old aspiring actress who makes a living as a hostess at a shady club in Tokyo. Betrayed by her lover and her dreams crushed,broken woman leaves Tokyo for her hometown in the countryside after five years of no contact with her family. There she reconnects with an old flame but is also forced to confront some unpleasant truths about her past.

'How camels become lions' (Belgium) by Lydia Rigaux received the award for best Belgian film. "In four episodes, four members of a family tell how exhausted they are to work as a work animal. They realize that their work has no meaning and experience a spiritual emptiness ".

The prize for the best documentary feature was for 'Harm' from Hungary by director Dénes Nagy. 'Mum, I'm back' (Greece) by Dimitris Katsimiris received the prize for best narrative short film. The best documentary short film went to 'Sherry' (USA) by Eliane Lima. The best experimental film was for Alireza Keymanesh and Amir Pousti for 'Flatland' (Iran). 'SOG' by German Jonatan Schwenk finally won the prize for best animated film.

Out of more than 2,000 entries, 67 films were selected to be screened. The 39th edition of the festival, which started on 11 February in the Atomium with a selection of experimental films, attracted more than 700 visitors. Films were also screened in Cinema Galeries in the city center.

The Brussels Independent Film Festival found its inspiration with the Brussels International Independent Film Festival, which started in 1974 but ended in 2012. The festival focused on experimental, provocative films. Among others Pedro Almodóvar, François Ozon and Nanni Moretti were invited. "We do not have a red carpet, we do not organize fancy parties. We just want to show films and all screenings are free, with popcorn ", says organizer Kris De Meester. "That's how we want to present the more difficult films and make it accessible to a large audience."

The Ibero-American Animation Quirino Awards have announced the finalist works in the nine categories of its first edition, that will take place on April 6^th and 7^th in the island of Tenerife (Spain). The selection has been presented this afternoon at Casa de América, in a press conference in which Mr. Oscar Graefenhain, General Director of ICAA; Mr. Roberto Varela, Director of Cultural and Scientific Relations in AECID; Mr. Carlos Alonso, President of the Cabildo de Tenerife; Mr. Alberto Bernabé, Vicepresident of the Cabildo de Tenerife and Tourism, Internationalization and Overseas Action; Mr. Manuel Cristóbal, Vicepresident of DIBOOS; and Mr. Jose Luis Farias, Quirino Awards’ Coordinator, have participated. To this presentation also attended representatives of the Ibermedia Program and the cultural attachés from the embassies of Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay.

A total of twenty four productions, coming from nine Ibero-American countries will compete for the statuettes of this first edition. Productions from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Spain and Uruguay will aim for the Quirino Awards in the nine categories.

The Spanish animation is the most represented with 12 nominations, whereas Colombia and Mexico have five finalists each. The Spanish feature film “Tad, the Lost Explorer and the Secret of King Midas” is the work with more nominations (3), followed closely by the short films “Way of Giants” (Brazil) and “Cerulia” (Mexico) and the feature film “El libro de Lila” (Colombia), with two nominations each.

The selection has been made by an international jury composed by the cinematography historian Giannalberto Bendazzi, the producer and distributor Eleanor Coleman, the producer and consultant Joan Lofts and the animators David Feiss and Raúl García. The biographies of each member can be consulted here. 

The jury have decided to select four works in the feature film and series categories due to the high quality of the presented works. The four films that will aim to the Quirino Award for the Best Feature Film are the Mexican “Ana and Bruno”, the Colombian-Uruguayan “El libro de Lila” and the Spanish titles “Deep” and “Tad, the Lost Explorer and the Secret of King Midas”.

For its part, the finalist series are the Chilean “Paper Port” (in coproduction with Brazil, Colombia and Argentina), the Argentinian-French “The Tiniest Man in the World”, the Spanish “Pocoyo” (4th season) and the coproduction between Colombia and Spain: “Old Folk’s Tales” (3rd season). In the short film category, the three works that aim to the Quirino Award are “Afterwork” (Ecuador, Spain, Peru), “Cerulia” (Mexico) and “Decorado” (Spain, France).

In addition, other 18 works have been selected as finalists in the six remaining categories: school short films, innovative work, commissioned film, visual development, animation design and sound design and original music. The list with all the finalist can be seen here.
 
A total of 273 work from 14 countries were presented to the call for entries.

The Call for the Coproduction Forum and the Congress is still open
The Ibero-American Animation Quirino Awards have also announced news regarding the Coproduction Forum and the Animation Congress, the two professional activities that will take place in Tenerife on April 6th and 7th. The Coproduction Forum, that maintains its call opened until March 9th, will congregate professionals from the region in B2B meetings, round tables and presentations of the state of the industry in different territories. Among the confirmed attendees we can find public and private TV channels from Ibero-America and Europe.

Likewise, inside the Quirino Awards’ mission of structuring and boosting the Ibero-American animation industry, organizing a round table in the framework of the first edition of the awards in the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife it’s been arranged with the Ibermedia Programme.  The main objective of this encounter is to analyze the special specificities of the animation to ease the access for animation projects to this Ibero-American program that encourages the cinematography coproduction in the region.
 
In order to make it happen, the main animation associations and clusters from Spain, Portugal and Latin-America countries will attend and, together with the representatives of the Executive and Technic Secretary of Ibermedia, will shape concrete proposals that will be made available for the intergovernmental committee of the Conference of Cinematographic Authorities of Ibero-America (CACI) during the meeting that the will take place at the 21th Málaga Festival (April 13th – 22nd). Among the confirmed participants are the professional associations from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Portugal and Spain.
 
The International Congress will present eleven papers from Brazil, Denmark, Ecuador, Mexico, Portugal and Spain. The selection, made between a total of 37 proposals received, has been made by a committee composed by Sara Álvarez (UPV, Spain); Tania de León (FAD/UNAM, Mexico); Marcelo Dematei (ICSE/UNTDF, Argentina); Alfonso Ruiz (ULL, Spain); Paula Tavares (IPCA, Portugal) and Samuel Viñolo (U-TAD, Spain). The event, that seeks to stir up an exchange between the academy and the profession, will count with the special participation of the animation historian, professor and writer Giannalbert Bendazzi.

Ibero-American Animation Quirino Awards
The awards are named in tribute of the creator of the first feature length animation film in history, the Italian-Argentinean Quirino Cristiani, who in 1917 directed “El Apóstol”; this Argentinean production, shot in 35mm, used 58,000 drawings done by hand along with a number of models representing public buildings and streets in Buenos Aires city.

The main sponsor of the Quirino Awards is the Tourism department of Tenerife, reflecting the determined commitment that is being made for the animation for years on the island, not only with these awards but with the presence in the main events and markets, attracting new companies, as well as with the support to the flourishing local sector.

It also has the sponsorship of Iberia Express, the collaboration of ICAA, Ibermedia Programme, AECID, Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Hall, Auditorium of Tenerife, University of La Laguna, RTVE, and the support of DIBOOS, SAVE, Pixelatl, 3D Wire, TLP Tenerife, Annecy Festival and Polytechnique University of Valencia, as well as the associations: APA - Asociación de Productoras de Animación de Córdoba Argentina; ANIMAR CLUSTER – Argentinian Cluster of Animation & VFX; ABCA - Associação Brasileira de Cinema de Animação; Animachi Chile; GEMA Colombia - Grupo de Empresarios de Animación; Gremio de Animadores de Ecuador; ACDMX - Asociación de Creativos Digitales de México; y Casa da Animáçao of Portugal.

More Information
All the finalists: https://premiosquirino.org/en/finalists/
Pictures of the finalists: Link
Video of the finalists: https://youtu.be/Ej4BFCoNkRI 
Jury’s biographies: https://premiosquirino.org/en/jury/
Forum regulations: https://premiosquirino.org/foro
Congress’ selection: https://premiosquirino.org/comunicaciones 
Contact: prensa@premiosquirino.org  
Website: https://premiosquirino.org

The IndieFEST is proud to announce the latest winners. Congratulations to all the filmmakers who participated in the current season!The awards go to those filmmakers who produce fresh, standout entertainment and compelling documentaries. The IndieFEST is a top-tier international awards competition. It honors professionals, established and emerging, who demonstrate exceptional achievement in craft and creativity. The goal of The IndieFEST is to help the winners of this coveted award achieve the recognition they deserve. Additionally, each year IndieFEST also bestows a special award to productions that make significant contributions to social change or a humanitarian effort. Please visit www.TheIndieFEST.com to learn more about the IndieFEST Humanitarian Award.

~ Best of Show ~

J.R. Poli - Marcus  

J.R. Poli, Chicor Cheet (USA), Marcus, Film Short – A group of men struggle with a life changing decision. They find themselves on different sides of an argument that could possibly lead to a tragic ending. An emotional journey through Marcus’s contemplation of his world – controlled by the voices in this head and feeling let down by life at every turn. Deftly directed by Poli (Watching Spielberg Read Your Script, FightZone Presents) with moody lighting, a sharp script and an emotive music bed. The film is driven by a compelling and achingly authentic performance by lead actor Owen Miller (Graceland, Burn Notice). Cast members Keldrick Mobley, Don-Dimitri Joseph and Emerald Miller deliver genuine portrayals of characters that bring Marcus’s story to life. Produced by Jose Luis Martinez of Atomic Digital Media.

~ Award of Excellence Special Mention ~ 

Michael B. Chait (USA), Untamed Tongue, African-American – Telly-award winner Chait creates a moving “reaction piece” to social injustice and how the black citizen’s image has been misshapen into one of criminality. Stripped down sets and stunning lighting support the raw emotion of the actors. Stars Lance Newton (Cedar Rapids, Chicago Fire).

Barbara Kopple, Cabin Creek Films (USA), This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous, Film Feature – One family’s acceptance is tested when a champion diver announces he’s transitioning into a woman and invites his YouTube followers along for every moment. Touching and meaningful by two-time Oscar-winner Kopple, it stars internet sensation GiGi Gorgeous.

Robert H. Lieberman (USA), Angkor Awakens, Doc Feature – A moving and eye-opening psychological portrait of Cambodia decades after a devastating genocide now poised at a cultural tipping point.  Interviews with strongman Prime Minister Hun Sen, families of the victims and hopeful youth support this exceptionally crafted documentary.

Michael Maschina (Austria), Jonah, Islamic – A gut wrenching journey drawing parallels between refugees fleeing Austria in 1943 and refugees trying to reach Austria in 2015.  Tied together by the parable of Jonah and shot from the characters POV – the audience is an intimate part of the journey of hopes raised and destroyed. Poignant and current.

Venkat Prabhu (India), Masha Allah…Ganesha, Film Short – A Muslim family is forced to take refuge in a Hindu temple during riots sparking a reflection of tradition. “Religion is a way of life – but it has become politics to many”. Skillful direction by Prabhu, music by Yuvan Shankar Raja, editing by K.L.Praveen. Stars Sampath Raj.

Daniel Bydlowski (USA), Bullies, Film short – Eugene is a shy 10-year-old boy who is constantly tormented in school. One day he discovers a secret that could keep him safe for the rest of his life, if he’s willing to pay the price. Kaden Hetherington, Fred Ornstein, Weston Nathanson, Stephen Holland, Michael Edwin, Conrad Bluth, Nick Alvarez, Jordan Powell.

Andy Gershenzon (USA), Half Empty Half Full, Film Feature – Four friends with one secret that will change everything. A dinner devolves into a nightmare of jealousy and lies. A nuanced script and convincing performances by Andy Gershenzon ((not) Brothers), Maria Thayer(Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Mia Barron (Law and Order), Stark Sands(Minority Report).

Dave Moppert (USA), Pendleton Road, Film Short – A true story. On her way home from school Naila Ramirez encounters two bullies who’s actions spark off tragic happenings. Authentic and chilling with genuine performances. Stars Danny James (Guns, Girls and Gambling) and introducing young Sasha Oman.

Evan Huang (Taiwan), Chicken. Egg., LGBT, Social Justice – A search for meaning and clarity amongst the traditional structures of religion and society. One man’s journey for truth and meaning among churches, sexuality and chickens. Creative cinematography and unique set designs highlight the trepidation of the protagonist on his quest.

Babis Galanakis (Greece), Eri & Tasos – If I Thought, Wedding Video – A unique style with a fresh perspective and creative cinematography produces a movie-like experience and twist on a traditional wedding video. Stylistic, inspired and beautiful images with an emotional voice over by the couple in their own words.

~ Award of Excellence ~ 

Adam White and Kara Martinelli (USA), The Restorers Episode 1: Living History, Television – Program / Series

Arnab Chatterjee (India), Unsaid, Young Filmmaker – 17 and younger

Barabás Árpád and Fazakas Szabolcs (Romania), The Milky Way, Animation

Brandon Doo (USA), THE TRUTH, Actor: Leading (Student) (Pavel Slanina as Sean)

Cam McHarg (USA), Deer Season, Actor: Leading (Cam McHarg as Blaine)

Carlos Moreno Jr. (USA), Sweet Blight, Film Short

Daniel Bydlowski (USA), Bullies, Children / Family Programming

Dave Jingo, Ted Bowersox and Eric Loughry (USA), Timeless Rivals, Documentary Feature

David  Ferry jr (USA), The Garden, Film Feature

Emanuele Michetti (USA), Yellow Water, Experimental

Evan Huang (Taiwan), Chicken. Egg, LGBT, Liberation / Social Justice / Protest

Gorune Aprikian (France), JUST A FLING, Actress: Leading (Fanny Valette as Alex)

Guido Verelst (Belgium), Skai Blue, LGBT

Isaac Kerlow (Singapore), HAZE, It’s Complicated…, Documentary Feature

James Higginson (Germany), Devout, Christian

Jillian Dudley (USA), Zula the Infinite, Film Short

John Harris (New Zealand), Prequel’87, Film Short

José Esteban Pavlovich Salido ( (Mexico), Bea, Film Short

Korey Rowe (USA), Mile Marker, Documentary Feature

Kyle Portbury (Australia), Tell the World Ep 2, Christian, Special Purpose Productions, Web Series

Luke Schuetzle (USA), Wunderland, Actor: Leading (Steven Luke as Lt. Cappa)

Michael Maschina (Austria), Jonah, Actress: Leading (Daniela Mutavofa as Syrian Woman)

Michael Sanchez (USA), DestroyXFire, Television – Pilot Program

Michael Wong (China/Malaysia), The Story of 90 Coins, Asian

Nagham Abboud, Alekson Lacerda and Miriam Velasco (Ireland), Writing Home, Film Feature (Student)

Nicole Castillo (USA), The Last Protestor, Women Filmmakers (Student)

Pamela Bob and Garth Kravits (USA), Livin’ On a Prairie, Television – Program / Series

Paul Kelly (USA), Final Polish, Actress: Leading (Judith Roberts as Claire)

Rebecca Shapiro (USA), For Muriel, Film Short, Women Filmmakers

Ryan K. McNeal (USA), Desert Rose, Film Short

Sabine El Gemayel, Zapped Productions (USA), Generation Zapped, Documentary Feature, Viewer Impact: Content / Message Delivery, Women Filmmakers, Contemporary Issues / Awareness Raising

Sam Bozzo (USA), No More Secrets, Film Short

Santiago C. Tapia and Jessica Curtright (USA), It Began Without Warning, Film Short, Latin / Hispanic, Women Filmmakers

Siva Nageswara Rao (India), THIRST, Film Short

Stefan Kjær Olsen (Denmark), The Debt, Film Feature

Stewart  Sugg (United Kingdom), Slaughterbots, Film Short

Tim Gray (USA), Journey Home to the USS Arizona, Documentary Feature

Xibei Hu (USA), Escape, Asian (Student)

 ~ Award of Merit Special Mention ~ 

Asia LeMasters (USA), EVOKE, LGBT

Barry Cobbs (USA), Roadside Attorney, Film Short

Bill Wisneski (USA), LIT Program Commercial, Commercial / Infomercial

Brett Kodama (USA), Heartseeker, Asian

Chiara Provenzano (Ireland), T for True, Actress: Leading (Student) (Meltem Bayir)

David Mandell (USA), Tea Time With Mr. Patterson, Film Short, Direction, Actor: Supporting (David Mandell as Mr. Patterson), Cinematography, Script / Writer

Gabriela Ledesma (USA), Blue, Actress: Leading (Callie Schuttera as Helen Daniels)

Hosam Abu Dan and Pam Bailey (Gaza, Palestine/ USA), Six Miles Out, Documentary Short

James and Sara Meyer, GemStone Media (Germany), The Kingdom, Movie Trailer

Jessica O’Hara-Baker (USA), The Green Lotto, Actress: Leading (Mouna R’miki as Kareema)

Kevin Forde (United Kingdom), The Awakening, Film Short

Kevin Hu (USA), Yorktown, Film Short

Lizzie Logan (USA), People People, Women Filmmakers

Lori Alan and Fia Perera (USA), Do The Voice, Actress: Leading (Lori Alan as Lori Alan)

Michelle Leigh (USA), More Than Only, Women Filmmakers

Mike Baran (Germany), Holy Spirit, Original Score (Richard Dana Laughlin)

Missy Malek (United Kingdom), Laughing Branches, Actress: Leading (Student) (Missy Malek as Alex Page)

Paul Kelly (USA), Final Polish, Actress: Supporting (Ching Valdes-Aran as Anna), Film Short

Sharon Lewis (Canada), BROWN GIRL BEGINS, African American

Tom Murtagh (USA), The Ascent, Film Feature

 ~ Award of Merit ~ 

Aitor Aspe (Spain), The Golden Ball, Film Feature

Alexander Malt (USA), Disillusioned, Television – Program / Series

Anjini Taneja Azhar (USA), Third Option, Film Short

Ari Davis (USA), Sex.Sound.Silence, Film Feature

Benjamin Owen, Border Watch Films (USA), Operation Dynamo, Christian

Boyoung Kim (USA), The Reason to Live, Documentary Short (Student)

Brian Hurwitz (USA), Little President, Television – Pilot Program (Student)

Bryant Robinson (USA), Some Porn Stars Go To Heaven, Documentary Feature

Cameron Barrett (USA), Drowning Is Silent – Murrieta, Educational / Instructional / Training and Los Angeles Fire Department RT130 Training – Engine Boss Preparation, Training / Industrial Productions and Every 15 Minutes – Calistoga 2017, Contemporary Issues / Awareness Raising, Women Filmmaker and Get Low and Go – MySafe:California, Educational / Instructional / Training, Special Effects: Animation

Carlie Casey (USA), Are You There God? It’s Me Margot, Webisode

Casey Denaro (USA), CARL, Women Filmmakers (Student)

Charging Moose Media (USA), The Hunted: Encore – Season 2, Web Series

Chris and Maurice Micallef, CMM Productions (Malta), KANNIZZATI FISHING, Documentary Short, Research, Cinematography

Clyde Baldo (USA), The Office Party, Film Short

Connor Hough (USA), Pennsylvania Guy Like Me, Film Short

David Cinnella (Italy), TEK, Film Feature

David Mandell (USA), Tea Time With Mr. Patterson, Actress: Leading (Ivy George as Lucy)

David Schifter and Darrell Rackley (USA), The Rack Pack, Children / Family Programming

Deejay Williams (New Zealand), High Tide, Film Short

Dominique LeClair (USA), Carry on Little Sis, Disability Issues (Student)

Dominique Nieves and Shae D’Lyn (USA), A Nice Guy, Film Short

E-Kan Soong (USA), No Laughing Matter: Tears of a Clown, Film Short

Eric Ayala (USA), If I Should Die Before I Wake, Original Score (Eric and Steve O’Connell)

Eric Rich (USA), Majestyk, Film Short (Student)

Farhaan Aziz (United Kingdom), The Chaos Candidate: How Trump Won, Documentary Feature

Forrest Tuff (USA), Released, Documentary Short

Gabriela Ledesma (USA), Blue, Women Filmmakers

Galo Recalde (USA), Americana!, Film Short

Hayden Flynn (Australia), Till Death Do Us Part, Young Filmmaker – 17 and younger

Hector Suñol (Catalonia/Spain), REFERENDUM, Liberation / Social Justice / Protest

Ian Down (USA), The Truth About Carl Jennings, Film Short|

Ingrid Nachstern and Luca Truffarelli,Night Star Dance Company (Ireland), Shoe Horn/Office, Experimental

Jack Nordstrom (USA), Old Bloo, Young Filmmaker – 17 and younger

James and Sara Meyer, GemStone Media (Germany), The Kingdom, Film Feature, Cinematography, Actor: Leading (Labinot Raci as Fatmir)

James Boss (South Korea), Redemption, Film Short and Eternity, Film Short

Jennifer Hulum (USA), Fortune Defies Death, Film Feature

Jessica O’Hara-Baker (USA), The Green Lotto, Women Filmmakers

Jonas Banks (USA), Nothing Like The Sun, Film Short (Student)

Kailin Gow (USA), The Red Queen of Bitter Frost, Women Filmmakers and A New Year’s Story, Children / Family Programming

Kassandra Kanaar (USA), How To Say I’m Sorry, Women Filmmakers (Student)

Katie Walsh (USA), Surfing to Cope, Documentary Short

Katie Theel (USA), Marie, Disability Issues (Student)

Kelly Nicole Foundation (USA), I Want You to Hear Me: The Kelly Nicole Story, Documentary Short

Kevin Bowe (USA), Democracy Through the Looking Glass, Documentary Feature

Kristin Zimney (USA), Diego, Documentary Short (Student)

Kyle Glasow (USA), Awake, Actor: Leading (Kyle Glasow as Adam)

Lauren Meyering (USA), Foolish Smarts and How to Lose Them, Film Short (Student)

Lexi Balestrieri and Rob Coggin (USA), NS404 (Provenance), Film Feature

Linda Bagalini (Italy), Not Enough. Too Much, Women Filmmakers

Lisa Boyd (USA), An American Tragedy, Direction

Lorena Lourenco (USA), Joy, Women Filmmakers

Lori Alan and Fia Perera (USA), Do The Voice, Television – Pilot Program, Original Song (I Still Got It, Music & Lyrics by Jeff Thomson and Jeremy Desmon)

Marisa Echeverria (USA), Los AnJealous, Web / Internet Programming

Mei-yi Cheng, Educational Television Unit, Education Bureau (Hong Kong), The Light in a Dark Night, Educational / Instructional / Training

Mele Mason (USA), HOME? A Study of Foster Care, Documentary Short

Michael Weatherly (USA), Jamaica Man, Documentary Feature

Michael T. Nguyen (USA), Munkey in The City, Web Series

Mike Baran (Germany), Holy Spirit, Film Feature

Mike James (USA), Smiley’s, Film Short

Mitch Hudson (USA), Technicolour Daydream, Film Feature

Mrigank Dubey (India), You and Me, Film Short

Myra Sanchez (USA), Chloe, Women Filmmakers (Student)

Nathaniel Lezra (USA), In Echo Park, Film Feature

Neil P. George (United Kingdom), Crossroads, Documentary Feature

Parag Vijra (India), Sikkim- More than what one Knows, On-Camera Talent (Ms. Ankita Sood)

Rachael Meyers (USA), Zoe+Ari, LGBT

Randy Kerr (USA), Brothers, Christian

Richard Kranzin (Germany), In beating cells, LGBT (Student)

RJ Frometa (Dominican Republic), The Man in Constant Sorrow, Film Short (Student)

Sam Crainich (USA), River, LGBT (Student)

Spencer Henry Williams, Humber College Lakeshore (Canada), The Locket, Actress: Leading (Student) (Kelly Whyte as Saoirse)

Spike Mayer and Ivan Janner (USA), OUT, Film Short

St. Juju Productions (USA), Forgive Me, Music Video

Theodore Tzartos (Greece), Honda Road Trips Italy 2017, Documentary Short

Tim Quinn (USA), Tapferkeit, Film Short

Ting Li (China), It’s me, Children / Family Programming (Student)

Treavion Davenport (USA), Living for the Sacrifice: A Hood Hero’s Guide to Success, Documentary Feature

Usher Morgan (USA), Pickings, Film Feature

Vahan Bedelian (USA), Jacob and Malika, Islamic

Vasco Diogo (Portugal), anexperimentalviralvlog – the movie remix # !, Experimental

Wataru Tomita (Japan), The Man with the Winged Tiger, Film Feature (Student)

Weston Walker (USA), Full Circle Project, Documentary Short

Wijnand Geraerts (Netherlands), Adore The World, Experimental

Will Nordstrom (USA), In The Trees, Young Filmmaker – 17 and younger

William H. Adams (USA), Refuge, Christian

Yuval Shrem (USA), The Babies, Film Short

 ~ Award of Recognition ~ 

Aimee Hoffman (USA), A Day with the Bahnar, Women Filmmakers (Student)

Alicia Herder (USA), Diego on my Mind, Latin / Hispanic

Amr Al-Hariri (USA), Silent Love Stories – I, Television – Pilot Program

Angelena Bonet (Australia), Change The World, Music Video

Ashton Govens (USA), Sneaker Kickz, Documentary Short (Student)

Avantika Khattri (India), For All That You Are, Women Filmmakers

Bahar Behbahani (USA), Where She Is, Women Filmmakers

Bell The Cat films (USA), Give Me Motion: Extra Ordinary, Music Video

Berin Tuzlic (Bosnia and Herzegovina), I run away even if I am not guilty, Animation

Blake Fraser (Australia), Jim’s A Pineapple, Film Short

Bob Williams (USA), Let It Shine: The Story of The Women’s March SLO, Documentary Short

Brett Salamin (USA), Next Door, Film Short

Buffy Milner (USA), Type, Actress: Leading (Student) (Buffy Milner as Jamie)

Camila Rizzo (USA), My Two O’Clock, Film Short (Student)

Carlos Severe Marcelin (USA), Strange Divinity, Experimental

Carly Otness (USA), Sing it Out, Documentary Feature

Chanelle Tyson (USA), We Won’t Be Trumped, Women Filmmakers

Chiu Lei (USA/Hong Kong), I Am The White Tiger, Documentary Feature

Colleen Murphy (USA), Taking The Service Road, Documentary Feature (Student)

David Holmes (USA), An Invitation to Live, Experimental (Student)

David Krause (USA), Afraid of Where You Went, Film Short

Delphine Noels (Belgium), Pole Dance, Film Short

DeShana Pitts (USA), Breaking Bread: Sunday Brunch (Episode 1), Women Filmmakers and Mr. Wifey, African American

Dona Parise (Australia), Amelia, Children / Family Programming

Eddie James (USA), Meadowlark: A Man’s Courage & Tenderness, Actor: Leading (Eddie James as A Man called Liv), Film Short, LGBT, Music Video

Ella McKeon (USA), Mime Doesn’t Pay, Young Filmmaker – 17 and younger

Emily Kitzmille (USA), Everything: Why Citizens Should Know Their U.S. Constitution, Documentary Short

Eric Ayala (USA), If I Should Die Before I Wake, Film Feature, Actor: Leading (Lyndrez Leslie as Brian Edwards)

Eric H. Alexander (USA), The Bright Side, Television – Pilot Program, Actress: Leading (Judy Copelandas Margo)

Farbod Ardebili (USA), Bats & Jokes, Film Short (Student)

Geoffrey Henderson and Alonge Hawes (USA), Blue Collar Hustle, African American, Web Series

Jacek Jedrzejczak (Poland), Exoneration, Experimental

Jake Segelbaum, Brooke de Zutter, Emma Quinn, Rachael Petersen and Josh West (USA), Monumental Change, Documentary Short (Student)

James and Sara Meyer, GemStone Media (Germany), The Kingdom, Script / Writer

Jerome-Anthony Larkin (USA), Evils Of A Foster Child, Actress: Leading (Karen Chimato as Genevieve Cooper)

Jiashan Sami Mo (USA), Mailbox, Film Short

Joel Ulrick O Neal (USA), Happenstance, Actor: Leading (Zeke Hindle as Zander)

John Black (USA), When I Came Home, Music Video

Julie Hinton (USA), Moving Day, Film Short

Katharine White (USA), The 5th, Film Short

Kely Lyons, Nathan Wilds and Joe Perales (USA), GEORGIA, LGBT

Kimberly Jurgen and Michael Cline (USA), Good Samaritans, Web Series

Lara Damiani (Australia), Little Bang’s New Eye, Nonprofit / Fundraising

Lindsy Avritch and Joey Copponi (USA), The Mountain, LGBT (Student)

Lisa Ranran Hu (USA), Escape, Asian (Student)

Lyn Caudle (USA), Philo’s Pholly, Film Short

Marcus Mortland (USA), Hold, Film Short

Mariano Schoendorff Ares (USA), No Rush, Music Video

Mei-yi Cheng, Educational Television Unit, Education Bureau (Hong Kong), Becky and Her Bear, Educational / Instructional / Training

Michael Carvaines (USA), Mute, Film Short (Student)

Miryam Jacobi (New Zealand), Do You Like Me Like This?, Women Filmmakers

Muck Sticky (USA), Dig That, Zeebo Newton, Film Feature

Nancy Allison and Laura Boato (USA), Water on Stone, Experimental, Film Short

Nancy Biniadaki (Germany), The Surface of Things, Women Filmmakers

Nancy J Lilley (Canada), 4 Dancers’ Dreams, Documentary Feature

Ozan Fikri (Australia), BUMPED UP, Film Short

Parag Vijra (India), Sikkim- More than what one Knows, Documentary Short

Pat Bradley and Nick  Buscarino (USA), Into the Valli, Film Feature

Patricia Ceasar (USA), Crying F.U. Lady Rap, Music Video

Proper Ginko SRL (Italy), ONE, TWO, GUESS WHO’S WHO, Film Feature, Original Score (ONE,TWO,GUESS WHO’S WHO)

Ramesh Vijayan (USA), I Miss You, Music Video

Ramprabhu Nakate (India), Mahasatta 2035, Film Feature

Randy Stoudt (USA), Rare Breed, Documentary Feature

Rik Bakshi (India), June, Asian

Robin Sherlock Holm (Sweden), Ticket Holders OR (A Metaphysical Journey Through a Cineast’s Brain), Film Feature (Student)

Rocky Capella (USA), Guitar Man, Film Feature

Sadie Cibula and Valentina Povolo (USA), Lilah’s Flowers, Women Filmmakers (Student)

Salim Ramirez (USA/Mexico), ONIROS, Film Short

Shelley Titus (USA), Sistas Conversation, Liberation / Social Justice / Protest

Spencer Henry Williams, Humber College Lakeshore (Canada), The Locket, Film Short (Student)

Summer Vaughan (USA), Josephine, Women Filmmakers

Tara Fraser (Canada), Dance, Dance, Evolution, LGBT

Teng Kun Hou (Taiwan), A night in Taipei station, Film Short (Student)

Terence E. Wolfe (Canada), Kids From Camelot, Christian

Tobias Doerr (Austria), Late Spring, Documentary Short (Student)

Vandana Sengupta (India), 19th April At A Railway Platform, Film Short

Wendy Jung and Rowan Russell (USA), Kleptos Confess, Film Short

Willow Hale (USA), The Ones, Actress: Leading (Willow Hale as Rachel Holly)

Yitao Yang and Gia DiNino, Coffee Addict Productions (USA), Forever & Always, Actress: Leading (Student) (Olivia DiNino as Claire Brooks)

Robin Aubert (“Les Affamés”)  

With extremely recent films, some already from 2018,  the 38th Fantasporto screened World premières, International and European premières. Its program was saluted both by the national and international press, corroborated by the juries, as “exceptional”, with most of the directors in  competition  coming to  Oporto, representing about 30 countries.

The Canadian feature “Les Affamés” by Robin Aubert, just won the Best Film Award at the 38th edition of the Oporto International Film Festival, together with the Best Director award, in the fantasy main official section. It is the second time that the director has won at the festival – back in 2006 he won Best Director with his first feature “Saints Martyrs des Damnés”.

The film is set in a remote village in Quebec, the French speaking part of Canada, where people suffer sudden changes and turn against the ones they love most.

The Special Award of the Fantasy Jury and the “Best Cinematography,  went to “November” by Rainer Sarnet, Estonian representative to the Oscars, based on a traditional folk tale set in the long Estonian winter.

The Korean feature “A Day” by Cho Sun-ho, received a Special Mention and tells the story of a father trying to prevent his daughter’s death, reliving the same day incessantly.

Best Screenplay was awarded to Korean “Glass Garden”, de Shin Su-won, a fantasy about a woman scientist studying  human and tree genes.

The Philipino actor Ian Veneracion  was rewarded for his role in “Ilawod – The Water Spirit” by Dan Villegas, with Jessica McLeod  winning Best actress with her performance in  “The Hollow Child”, by Jeremy Lutter.

The Japanese “Ajin – Demi-Human” by  Katsuyuki Motohiro  was awarded Best Visual Effects. The winning Fantasy Short film was the French  “Belle à Croquer”, by Axel Courtière.

FANTASPORTO DIRECTORS WEEK  2018 WAS WON BY KIM JIN-MOOK’S  ”TRUE FICTION”

South Korean films got top prizes in this 38th edition of the well-known Oporto film Festival . “True Fiction” by Kim Jin-Mook, presented in World Premiere, about an ambitious young politician seeking the protection of an older senator, won the Best Film Award, together with the Best Screenplay award of this official section of Fantasporto.

The Special award of the Jury went to Fantasporto past honoree, Milcho Manchevski, for his feature “Bikini Moon”, telling the story of a Afganistan veteran now living in the streets of New York.

“The Charmer” by Milad Alami, a Danish production got Best Actress award to actress Soho Rezanejad , a story about the problems that Middle East migrants face in Europe  nowadays.

The Best Actor Award went to Eric da Silva for his performance in the Portuguese feature by Luis Diogo, “A Sublime Life”, playing the leading part of a doctor who discovers two radical ways to happiness.

The Egypcian Marwan Hamed  won Best Director for his “Al-Asleyeen / The Originals”,  also presented in World Premiere, a big budget  production about a man whose life is unexpectedly changed after being let go from his bank.
 

“AJIN – DEMI-HUMAN”, by KATSUYUKI MOTOHIRO WINS  FANTASPORTO’S  ‘ORIENT EXPRESS’

The Official ‘Orient Express’ section was won by  the Japanese  “Ajin – Demi-Human” by Katsuyuki Motohiro, a production coming from Toho, one of the biggest production houses in the world, and telling the fantastic story  of humans who don’t die and  can do whatever they want.

The Special Orient Express award was granted to “Bhoy Intsik” by Joel Lamangan, Philipines,  a film set in the streets of Manila and another great example of the state of the art of today’s cinema coming from this country.

NON OFFICIAL AWARDS

The Audience Award went to

“The Child Remains”, by Canadian Michael Melski,  and the Critics Award  was granted to the  Hungarian feature “The Butcher, The Whore end the One-Eyed Man”, by János Szász.

“APARIÇÃO” by Fernando  Vendrell WINS BEST PORTUGUESE FILM IN FANTASPORTO 2018

The feature ”Aparição” by Fernando Vendrell won the top Best Portuguese Film  in Fantasporto 2018. The Catholic University won the Film School competition, with a Special Mention for creativity to the film “Quem Bate à Porta” by Afonso Marmelo coming from ESMAD.

photo: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

Best picture

Winner: The Shape of Water by  Guillermo del Toro. The film also won for best Director and for its production design and score.

The Shape of Water is a 2017 American romantic fantasy drama film directed by Guillermo del Toro and written by del Toro and Vanessa Taylor.It stars Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Octavia Spencer.

Set in Baltimore in 1962, the plot follows a mute custodian (Hawkins) at a high-security government laboratory who falls in love with a captured humanoid-amphibian creature (Jones).

The Shape of Water was screened in the main competition section of the 74th Venice International Film Festival, where it premiered on August 31, 2017, and was awarded the Golden Lion for best film in the competition.It also screened at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival.It began a limited release in two theaters in New York City on December 1, 2017, before expanding from December 8, 2017, and has grossed $126 million worldwide. A noveliziation by del Toro and Daniel Kraus will be published on March 6, 2018.

Call Me by Your Name
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Get Out
Lady Bird
Phantom Thread
The Post
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Lead actor

Winner: Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour

Timothée Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name
Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread
Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out
Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Lead actress

Winner: Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water
Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird
Meryl Streep, The Post

Supporting actor

Winner: Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project
Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water
Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World

Supporting actress

Winner: Allison Janney, I, Tonya

Mary J. Blige, Mudbound
Lesley Manville, Phantom Thread
Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water

Director

Winner: The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro

Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan
Get Out, Jordan Peele
Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig
Phantom Thread, Paul Thomas Anderson

Animated feature

Winner: Coco, Lee Unkrich, Darla K. Anderson

The Boss Baby, Tom McGrath, Ramsey Ann Naito
The Breadwinner, Nora Twomey, Anthony Leo
Ferdinand, Carlos Saldanha
Loving Vincent, Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman, Sean Bobbitt, Ivan Mactaggart, Hugh Welchman

Animated short

Winner: Dear Basketball, Glen Keane, Kobe Bryant

Garden Party, Victor Caire, Gabriel Grapperon
Lou, Dave Mullins, Dana Murray
Negative Space, Max Porter, Ru Kuwahata
Revolting Rhymes, Jakob Schuh, Jan Lachauer

Adapted screenplay

Winner: Call Me by Your Name, James Ivory

The Disaster Artist, Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
Logan, Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green
Molly’s Game, Aaron Sorkin
Mudbound, Virgil Williams and Dee Rees

Original screenplay

Winner: Get Out, Jordan Peele

The Big Sick, Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani
Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig
The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Martin McDonagh

Cinematography

Winner: Blade Runner 2049, Roger Deakins

Darkest Hour, Bruno Delbonnel
Dunkirk, Hoyte van Hoytema
Mudbound, Rachel Morrison
The Shape of Water, Dan Laustsen

Best documentary feature

Winner: Icarus, Bryan Fogel, Dan Cogan

Abacus Small Enough to Jail, Steve James, Mark Mitten, Julie Goldman
Faces Places, JR, Agnès Varda, Rosalie Varda
Last Men in Aleppo, Feras Fayyad, Kareem Abeed, Soren Steen Jepersen
Strong Island, Yance Ford, Joslyn Barnes

Best documentary short subject

Winner: Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405, Frank Stiefel

Edith+Eddie, Laura Checkoway, Thomas Lee Wright
Heroin(e), Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Kerrin Sheldon
Knife Skills, Thomas Lennon
Traffic Stop, Kate Davis, David Heilbroner

Best live action short film

Winner: The Silent Child, Chris Overton, Rachel Shenton

DeKalb Elementary, Reed Van Dyk
The Eleven O’Clock, Derin Seale, Josh Lawson
My Nephew Emmett, Kevin Wilson, Jr.
Watu Wote/All of Us, Katja Benrath, Tobias Rosen

Best foreign language film

Winner: A Fantastic Woman (Chile)

The Insult (Lebanon)
Loveless (Russia)
On Body and Soul (Hungary)
The Square (Sweden)

Film editing

Winner: Dunkirk, Lee Smith

Baby Driver, Jonathan Amos, Paul Machliss
I, Tonya, Tatiana S. Riegel
The Shape of Water, Sidney Wolinsky
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Jon Gregory

Sound editing

Winner: Dunkirk, Alex Gibson, Richard King

Baby Driver, Julian Slater
Blade Runner 2049, Mark Mangini, Theo Green
The Shape of Water, Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira
Star Wars The Last Jedi, Ren Klyce, Matthew Wood

Sound mixing

Winner: Dunkirk, Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker, Gary A. Rizzo

Baby Driver, Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin
Blade Runner 2049, Mac Ruth, Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill
The Shape of Water, Glen Gauthier, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern
Star Wars The Last Jedi, Stuart Wilson, Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick

Production design

Winner: The Shape of Water, Paul D. Austerberry, Jeffrey A. Melvin, Shane Vieau

Beauty and the Beast, Sarah Greenwood; Katie Spencer
Blade Runner 2049, Dennis Gassner, Alessandra Querzola
Darkest Hour, Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer
Dunkirk, Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis

Original score

Winner: The Shape of Water, Alexandre Desplat

Dunkirk, Hans Zimmer
Phantom Thread, Jonny Greenwood
Star Wars The Last Jedi, John Williams
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Carter Burwell

Original song

Winner: ‘Remember Me’ from Coco, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez

‘Mighty River’ from Mudbound, Mary J. Blige
‘Mystery of Love’ from Call Me by Your Name, Sufjan Stevens
‘Stand Up for Something’ from Marshall, Diane Warren, Common
‘This Is Me’ from The Greatest Showman, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul

Makeup and hair

Winner: Darkest Hour, Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski, Lucy Sibbick

Victoria and Abdul, Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard
Wonder, Arjen Tuiten

Costume design

Winner: Phantom Thread, Mark Bridges

Beauty and the Beast, Jacqueline Durran
Darkest Hour, Jacqueline Durran
The Shape of Water, Luis Sequeira
Victoria and Abdul, Consolata Boyle

Visual effects

Winner: Blade Runner 2049, John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover, Gerd Nefzer

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner, Dan Sudick
Kong: Skull Island, Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza, Mike Meinardus
Star Wars: The Last Jedi,  Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Chris Corbould, Neal Scanlan
War for the Planet of the Apes, Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett, Joel Whist

90th Oscars Information

Number of features eligible for Best Picture this year (90th Oscars, 2017) 341

Number of features eligible for Best Picture last year (89thOscars, 2016) 336

Number of countries submitting foreign language films 92

Number of voting members 7,258 (as of 12/21/17)

Number of ushers / ticket takers inside the Dolby™ Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center® 60

Number of Red Carpet fan bleacher seats 735

Number of people who work in the Oscar® telecast production office Approx. 250

Number of production vehicles / trailers (including press and catering) Approx. 100

Number of crew members working during the telecast Approx. 270

Telecast rating and share for 89th Oscars Rating: 18.4 Share:32

How many Americans watched the 89th Oscars? (estimate) Average U.S. audience: 33.0 million

Number of countries in which the 90th Oscartelecast will be seen More than 225

Estimated global viewership of 90th Oscars Several hundred million

Number of Oscar statuettes given out at the 89th Oscars 48

Number of competitive award categories for the 90th Oscars 24 

Awards presented at the Governors Awards on November 11th, 2017 Honorary Awards (Oscar statuettes) to Charles Burnett, Owen Roizman, Donald Sutherland and Agnes Varda; Special Award (Oscar Statuette) to CARNE y ARENA virtual reality installation

Oscars Press

Number of press organizations requesting credentials for 90th Oscars 785

Number of outlets issued credentials for the 89th Oscars 299 Total number press credentials issued for the 89th Oscars (including technical personnel) 1804

Number of still photographers on the red carpet for the 89th Academy Awards 50 Number of TV press for the 89th Oscars, including camera operators, audio technicians and other crew 898

Number of print reporters on the red carpet for the 89th Oscars 35

The Oscar® Statuette Total number of Oscar statuettes presented since the first Oscars 3,097 (includes the 5 Oscars® presented at the Governors Awards event on November 11th, 2017)

Height of Oscar statuette 13½ inches Diameter of Oscar statuette base 5¼ inches Weight of Oscar statuette 8½ pounds

Design: A stylized figure of a knight holding a crusader's sword standing on a reel of film with five spokes signifying the five original branches of the Academy (actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers). No model was used during the design process.

Oscar ® Telecast Best rating and share in the past 30 years Best rating: 34.9 in 1998 (share: 55)

Latest telecast date in the past 20 years March 29, 1999 (71st Academy Awards)

Earliest telecast date in the past 20 years February 22 (81st Oscars held in 2009 and 87th Oscars held in 2015)

Longest Oscar telecast 74th Oscars show, in 2002, with a running time of 4 hours, 23 minutes

Shortest Oscar telecast 31st Academy Awards show, in 1959, with a running time of 1 hour, 40 minutes

Date of first televised show March 19, 1953 (25th Academy Awards)

Date since which ABC has been the broadcaster of the Academy Awards (uninterrupted) March 29, 1976 (48th Academy Awards)

Total number of years that ABC has broadcast the Academy Awards (including this year) 53 (ABC was the broadcaster for a 10- year stint from the 33rd to 42nd Academy Awards, in addition to its current run)

Oscar Venues

Venue that has hosted the most Oscar presentations Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, with 25 Oscar shows

Number of Oscar shows hosted at the Dolby Theatre (formerly Kodak Theatre), including the 90th Academy Awards 17

Seating capacity of the Dolby Theatre on Oscar night 3,300

Length of the red carpet at the Dolby Theatre Approx. 900 feet

Width of the red carpet at the Dolby Theatre Approx. 33 feet

Miscellaneous Oscar®

Trivia Person who has hosted the most Oscar shows Bob Hope, with 19 host appearances

Oldest Oscars show poster in the collection of the Margaret Herrick Library 32nd Academy Awards show poster (show on April 4, 1960 honoring films of 1959)

Size of most common set-dressing Oscar 34 in. diameter (base) 7½ feet tall 65 pounds Governors Ball

Date of the first Governors Ball March 26, 1958, following the 30th Academy Awards presentation. Held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, in the Grand Ballroom

Number of Governors Balls, including the 90th Oscars 60

Since 1958 the number of times there has not been a Governors Ball 1 (40th Academy Awards) – cancelled after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Size of the The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center 25,090 square feet

### OSCAR®, OSCARS®, ACADEMY AWARDS®, ACADEMY AWARD®, A.M.P.A.S.® AND “OSCAR NIGHT® are registered trademarks, and the OSCAR statuette is a registered trademark and copyrighted property, of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Wishing you all much success on the festival circuit!

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The Shape of Water wins best picture and best director for Guillermo del Toro

photo: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images Best picture Winner: The Shape of Water by  Guillermo del Toro. The film also won for best Director and for its production design and score. The Shape of Water is a 2017 American romantic fantasy drama film directed by Guillermo del Toro and written by del Toro and Vanessa Taylor. It stars Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Octavia Spencer. Set in Baltimore in 1962, the plot follows a mute custodian (Hawkins) at a high-security government laboratory who falls in love with a captured humanoid-amphibian creature (Jones).

 

Best picture

Winner: The Shape of Water by  Guillermo del Toro. The film also won for best Director and for its production design and score.

 

Call Me by Your Name
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Get Out
Lady Bird
Phantom Thread
The Post
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

 

Lead actor

Winner: Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour

Timothée Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name
Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread
Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out
Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Lead actress

Winner: Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water
Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird
Meryl Streep, The Post

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Supporting actor

Winner: Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project
Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water
Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World

Supporting actress

Winner: Allison Janney, I, Tonya

Mary J. Blige, Mudbound
Lesley Manville, Phantom Thread
Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water

Director

Winner: The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro

Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan
Get Out, Jordan Peele
Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig
Phantom Thread, Paul Thomas Anderson

Animated feature

Winner: Coco, Lee Unkrich, Darla K. Anderson

The Boss Baby, Tom McGrath, Ramsey Ann Naito
The Breadwinner, Nora Twomey, Anthony Leo
Ferdinand, Carlos Saldanha
Loving Vincent, Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman, Sean Bobbitt, Ivan Mactaggart, Hugh Welchman

Animated short

Winner: Dear Basketball, Glen Keane, Kobe Bryant

Garden Party, Victor Caire, Gabriel Grapperon
Lou, Dave Mullins, Dana Murray
Negative Space, Max Porter, Ru Kuwahata
Revolting Rhymes, Jakob Schuh, Jan Lachauer

Adapted screenplay

Winner: Call Me by Your Name, James Ivory

The Disaster Artist, Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
Logan, Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green
Molly’s Game, Aaron Sorkin
Mudbound, Virgil Williams and Dee Rees

Original screenplay

Winner: Get Out, Jordan Peele

The Big Sick, Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani
Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig
The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Martin McDonagh

Cinematography

Winner: Blade Runner 2049, Roger Deakins

Darkest Hour, Bruno Delbonnel
Dunkirk, Hoyte van Hoytema
Mudbound, Rachel Morrison
The Shape of Water, Dan Laustsen

Best documentary feature

Winner: Icarus, Bryan Fogel, Dan Cogan

Abacus Small Enough to Jail, Steve James, Mark Mitten, Julie Goldman
Faces Places, JR, Agnès Varda, Rosalie Varda
Last Men in Aleppo, Feras Fayyad, Kareem Abeed, Soren Steen Jepersen
Strong Island, Yance Ford, Joslyn Barnes

Best documentary short subject

Winner: Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405, Frank Stiefel

Edith+Eddie, Laura Checkoway, Thomas Lee Wright
Heroin(e), Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Kerrin Sheldon
Knife Skills, Thomas Lennon
Traffic Stop, Kate Davis, David Heilbroner

Best live action short film

Winner: The Silent Child, Chris Overton, Rachel Shenton

DeKalb Elementary, Reed Van Dyk
The Eleven O’Clock, Derin Seale, Josh Lawson
My Nephew Emmett, Kevin Wilson, Jr.
Watu Wote/All of Us, Katja Benrath, Tobias Rosen

Best foreign language film

Winner: A Fantastic Woman (Chile)

The Insult (Lebanon)
Loveless (Russia)
On Body and Soul (Hungary)
The Square (Sweden)

Film editing

Winner: Dunkirk, Lee Smith

Baby Driver, Jonathan Amos, Paul Machliss
I, Tonya, Tatiana S. Riegel
The Shape of Water, Sidney Wolinsky
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Jon Gregory

Sound editing

Winner: Dunkirk, Alex Gibson, Richard King

Baby Driver, Julian Slater
Blade Runner 2049, Mark Mangini, Theo Green
The Shape of Water, Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira
Star Wars The Last Jedi, Ren Klyce, Matthew Wood

Sound mixing

Winner: Dunkirk, Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker, Gary A. Rizzo

Baby Driver, Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin
Blade Runner 2049, Mac Ruth, Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill
The Shape of Water, Glen Gauthier, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern
Star Wars The Last Jedi, Stuart Wilson, Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick

Production design

Winner: The Shape of Water, Paul D. Austerberry, Jeffrey A. Melvin, Shane Vieau

Beauty and the Beast, Sarah Greenwood; Katie Spencer
Blade Runner 2049, Dennis Gassner, Alessandra Querzola
Darkest Hour, Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer
Dunkirk, Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis

Original score

Winner: The Shape of Water, Alexandre Desplat

Dunkirk, Hans Zimmer
Phantom Thread, Jonny Greenwood
Star Wars The Last Jedi, John Williams
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Carter Burwell

Original song

Winner: ‘Remember Me’ from Coco, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez

‘Mighty River’ from Mudbound, Mary J. Blige
‘Mystery of Love’ from Call Me by Your Name, Sufjan Stevens
‘Stand Up for Something’ from Marshall, Diane Warren, Common
‘This Is Me’ from The Greatest Showman, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul

Makeup and hair

Winner: Darkest Hour, Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski, Lucy Sibbick

Victoria and Abdul, Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard
Wonder, Arjen Tuiten

Costume design

Winner: Phantom Thread, Mark Bridges

Beauty and the Beast, Jacqueline Durran
Darkest Hour, Jacqueline Durran
The Shape of Water, Luis Sequeira
Victoria and Abdul, Consolata Boyle

Visual effects

Winner: Blade Runner 2049, John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover, Gerd Nefzer

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner, Dan Sudick
Kong: Skull Island, Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza, Mike Meinardus
Star Wars: The Last Jedi,  Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Chris Corbould, Neal Scanlan
War for the Planet of the Apes, Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett, Joel Whist

A FANTASTIC WOMAN wins the first Oscar for Chile, for Best Foreign Language Film

Marina and Orlando are in love and planning for the future. Marina is a young waitress and aspiring singer. Orlando is 30 years older than her, and owns a printing company. After celebrating Marina's birthday one evening, Orlando falls seriously ill. Marina rushes him to the emergency room, but he passes away just after arriving at the hospital. Instead of being able to mourn her lover, suddenly Marina is treated with suspicion. The doctors and Orlando's family do...

 

VIDEO Jimmy Kimmel rehearsing...

...

 

 

Fact Sheets about the 90th edition!

90th Oscars Information

Number of features eligible for Best Picture this year (90th Oscars, 2017) 341

Number of features eligible for Best Picture last year (89thOscars, 2016) 336

Number of countries submitting foreign language films 92

Number of voting members 7,258 (as of 12/21/17)...MORE

 

Oscar presenters and performers

  Blunt starred in “The Girl on the Train” (2016) and the Oscar-nominated film “Sicario” (2015).  Her starring roles also include the Oscar-nominated films “Into the Woods” (2014) and “The Devil Wears Prada” (2006), as well as the Oscar-winning film “The Young Victoria” (2009). Blunt’s credits also include “Edge of Tomorrow” (2014) and “The Five-Year Engagement” (2012).  She will next appe...

 

One-Night-Only Celebration of the History of Film Music in Honor of the 90th Oscars® February 28

THE OSCAR® CONCERT   One-Night-Only Celebration of the History of Film Music in Honor of the 90th Oscars® Wednesday, February 28, at 8:00 PM Walt Disney Concert Hall The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and The Los Angeles Philharmonic today announced details of The Oscar® Concert, a special, one-night-only celebration of film music at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Wednesday, February 28, 2018, at 8:00 p.m. As part of the Oscar week celebrations for its 90t...

 

CESAR WERE AWARDED THIS WEEK END Honoring Jeanne Balibar,  Swann Alaud as best actress/actor, 120 Beats per Minute as best film and best director to Albert Dupontel in AU REVOIR LÀ-HAUT

Get the full list of awards :https://www.filmfestivals.com/fr/blog/les_cesar/le_palmar_s_des_cesar

By Maria Esteves – March 5, 2018

The 90th Academy Awards hosted by Jimmy Kimmel commenced Sunday, March 4, 2018 at the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood, CA, live telecast on ABC Network and live stream in over 225 countries. Presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (A.M.P.A.S.), the Oscars honored outstanding film achievements of 2017. The Shape of Water is winner of four Oscars including Best DirectorGUILLERMO DEL TORO and Best Picture. Three Oscars went to Dunkirk including Best Film EditingLEE SMITH.

Featured performers at year’s Oscars were Gael García Bernal, Mary J. Blige, Common, Andra Day, Natalia LaFourcade, Miguel, Keala Settle and Sufjan Stevens.

Oscars 2018 winners are:

Best Picture

THE SHAPE OF WATER, directed by Guillermo del Toro

Best Documentary Feature

ICARUS, directed by Bryan Fogel and Dan Cogan

Best Documentary Short

HEAVEN IS A TRAFFIC JAM ON THE 405, directed by Frank Stiefel

Best Foreign Language

A FANTASTIC WOMAN, directed by Sebastián Lelio (Chile)

Best Animated Feature

COCO, directed by Lee Unkrich and Darla K. Anderson

Best Animated Short

DEAR BASKETBALL, directed by Glen Keane and Kobe Bryant

Best Live Action Short

THE SILENT CHILD, directed by Chris Overton and Rachel Shenton

Best Director 

GUILLERMO DEL TORO for The Shape of Water

Best Actor

GARY OLDMAN for Darkest Hour

Best Actress

FRANCES MCDORMAND for Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Supporting Actor

SAM ROCKWELL for Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Supporting Actress

ALLISON JANNEY for I, Tonya

Best Production Design

PAUL DENHAM AUSTERBERRY for The Shape of Water

Best Original Screenplay

GET OUT, written by Jordan Peele

Best Adapted Screenplay

CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, screenplay by James Ivory

Best Film Editing

DUNKIRK, editing by Lee Smith

Best Sound Editing

DUNKIRK, sound editing by Richard King and Alex Gibson

Best Sound Mixing

DUNKIRK, sound mixing by Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker & Gary A. Rizzo

Best Original Score

THE SHAPE OF WATER, composer Alexandre Desplat

Best Original Song

REMEMBER ME from Coco; music and lyric by Kristen Anderson Lopez & Robert Lopez

Best Visual Effects

BLADE RUNNER 2049, visual effects by John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover & Gerd Nefzer

Best Cinematography

BLADE RUNNER 2049, cinematographer Roger A. Deakins

Best Costume Design

PHANTOM THREAD, costume designer Mark Bridges

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

DARKEST HOUR, makeup and hairstyling artist Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski & Lucy Sibbick

Belgrade was the capital of film between February 23^rd to March 4^th, with 46^th FEST serving as an ideal platform, as Artistic Director Jugoslav Pantelic assumed, to connect “the predominantly commercial cinema repertoire in Serbia and the most important films which were produced”. During it’s ten days period, the festival showcased “films that have already been recognized” and those that will probably have the only presentation “in this part of the planet”.

From the 16 films on the Main Competition program, where we found a few gems, to the new slate of Serbian films, the Focus Europe, and the discoveries in the Frontiers section, there was a full course film menu to feed us during our amazing stay. Even if our jury duty led us to focus more on the Main and Serbian competitions. All in all, a wonderful experience, and a very well organized festival. Yes, in our festival circuit memories, “we’ll always have Belgrade”.

In two decades of covering film festival all around the world, I did not recall two closing ceremonies which filled out the huge almost 4 thousand seats Sava Center. And do I have to mention the lavish parties? Better not. Let the pictures speak for themselves.

Iranian filmmaker Milad Alami was honored with the Belgrade Victor for "The Charmer", the winner of the 46th Main Competition, this Saturday. A film which the jury presided by Micho Manchevski, along with Jovan Jovanović, Mila Turajlić, Gordan Kičić and Elma Tataragić described as “harmonizing all aspects of film aesthetics, thanks to the convincing story and complex main character.”

On this first intriguing and accomplished feature, Alami's clever scrip with usual partner Ingeborg Topsoe, that received also the Best Screenplay, follows the attempts of a young charming Iranian (excellent performance by Ardalan Esmaili) to pick up girls that might help him to maintain his stay in Denmark. In a way, a behavior study where loneliness of the bourgeois Danish society meets the needs of this young man who plays the role of a real 'charmer'. This is an award that adds to an amazing array of awards in several festivals around the world. 

The Iranian cinema was in high note with Ali Jalivand’s “No Date No Signature”, wining the Jury Prize. The film that had the world premiere in Venice film festival, where it won two best actor and best director in Horizon’s section, describes the dilemma of a forensic doctor after a young boy’s death, which he thinks he was also responsible. The jury praised this story that “elaborates the question of guilt and responsibility in a simple and powerful way, supported by an excellent cast.”

Lebanese actor Adel Karam won Best Actor for his role in “The Insult” (“L’Insulte”) and the ensemble cast of Chinese of “Angels Wear White” (“Jia nian hua”) won Best Actress award.

Argentinean director Natalia Garagiola won Debut Award for sensitive and strong “Hunting Season” (“Temporada de Caza”), a debut feature that analyzes the difficult relationship between a father and a son in Patagonia. On a curious note, Garagiola shared with Milad Alami in 2014 the director credits in the ensemble film “Nordic Factory”.

Finally, Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Phantom Thread” won the Audience Award.

The Fedeora Jury (Paulo Portugal, Nevena Dakovic and Zlatko Vidackovic) award for the best European and/or Mediterranean film in the main competition went to (“Uvreda/The Insult”, by Ziad Doueri. And the best film in Serbian competition was “Offenders”, by Dejan Zecevic. A special mention was also given to “Ederlezi Rising”, by Lazar Bodroza.

Article by Paulo Portugal

“AYLA THE DAUGHTER OF WAR” WINS BEST OF FEST AND BEST FOREIGN FILM (DIRECTOR’S CHOICE) AT SEDONA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Ayla The Daughter of War, a heartwarming narrative feature based on the true story of a soldier in the Korean War who risks his own life to save a half-frozen little girl, captured the Best of Fest Award and the Director’s Choice Award for Best Foreign Film at the 24^th annual Sedona International Film Festival.

            Nearly 180 films were screened over nine days at the 2018 event.  Ayla The Daughter of War was Turkey’s submission for Academy Award consideration.

            Rose, from director Rod McCall and featuring Cybill Shepherd, James Brolin, Pam Grier and Cindy Pickett about a widowed ex-cop who decides to go on a solo road trip to the Southwest in a motorized wheelchair after discovering she may have a life-threatening illness, and Django, the story of guitarist and composer Django Reinhardt and his flight from German-occupied Paris in 1943, tied for Director’s Choice Best Feature Film.

            Instrument of War, a film about B-24 bomber pilot Clair Cline’s experience as a POW after being shot down in northern Germany during World War II, and inspired by true events, took the Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Film.  2018 Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Film, The Insult, won the Audience Award for Best Foreign Film.  The Insult was among five Oscar nominees screened at the Sedona International Film Festival.

            Special Awards presented this year included the Lifetime Achievement Award to Jane Alexander; the Global Initiative Humanitarian Award to Keely Shaye and Pierce Brosnan for the documentary, Poisoning Paradise; the Bill Muller Excellence in Screenwriting Award to The Drawer Boy; the Marion Herrman Excellence in Filmmaking Award to In Search of Perfect Consonance; and the Technical Director’s Excellence in Exhibition Award to Game.

            Silence, an 8-minute short about a Jewish man hiding in German-occupied Poland who rediscovers the joy of music while creating a makeshift gramophone, won both the Director’s Choice and Audience Choice Award for Best Student Short Film. Benjamin Classman was the director, writer and co-producer.

            The full list of award winners:

Directors’ Choice Awards

Best Feature Film – Drama: Rose and Django (tie)

Best Feature Film – Comedy: Humor Me

Best Foreign Film: Ayla The Daughter of War

Best Documentary Feature: Liyana

Best Documentary Short: Faces of Santa Ana

Best Environmental Film: The Need to GROW

Best Foreign Documentary: Blue

Best Short Film: A Whole World for a Little World

Best Student Short Film: Silence

Best Animated Film: Weeds

Best Independent Spirit (Short): Temporary

Best Independent Spirit (Narrative): Quality Problems

Best Independent Spirit (Documentary): I Am Jane Doe

Best Humanitarian (Narrative): My Name is Vaseline

Best Humanitarian (Documentary): Bending the Arc

Heart of the Festival Award: Nathan’s Kingdom

Bill Muller Excellence in Screenwriting Award: The Drawer Boy

Marion Herrman Excellence in Filmmaking Award: In Search of Perfect Consonance

Technical Director’s Excellence in Exhibition Award: Game

Audience Choice Awards:

BEST OF FEST: Ayla The Daughter of War

Best Animated Film: E-Delivery

Best Short Film: Alternative Math

Best Documentary Short: Mr. Connolly Has ALS

Best Documentary Mid-Length: Standing Still/Still Standing

Best Environmental Film: Yasuni Man

Best Documentary: I’ll Push You

Best Foreign Film: The Insult

Best Student Short Film: Silence

Best Feature Film – Comedy: Adios Amigos

Best Feature Film – Drama: Instrument of War

Special Awards:

Lifetime Achievement Award: Jane Alexander

Global Initiative Humanitarian Award: Keely Shaye Brosnan and Pierce Brosnan

            For more information, visit www.sedonafilmfestival.org.

20^th THESSALONIKI DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL [2-11/3/2018]

The 20^th anniversary edition of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival’s Doc Market award ceremony (Docs in Progress section) took place on Wednesday March 7 2018 in Warehouse C, in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere, with filmmakers exchanging views and personal stories.

The General Director of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival Elise Jalladeau opened the event, while the Head of the Agora, Yianna Sarri, welcomed the attendants. Docs in Progress were hosted for a seventh year in a row in TDF’s Doc Market section. This year ten films from Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the Mediterranean were presented to the producers, sales agents, distributors and festival representatives who attend the 20^th TDF.

This year’s international Docs in Progress jury consisted of Laia Abuia (Distribution Manager, DocsBarcelona, Spain), Charlotte Madsen (Buyer, SVT, Sweden) and Takis Veremis (Distributor, StraDA Films, Greece).

The first prize for post-production services, amounting to 15,000 euros, was granted by the Greek post-production company 2|35 Inc to the film Seeds of Columbus directed by Marianna Economou – Greece (Production: Stefi/Lynx Productions, Spyros Mavrogenis, Co-production: Rea Apostolides - Anemon Productions). “I warmly thank the Festival; everything I know about documentary I learned it here in Thessaloniki” said the film director.

The second MuSou prize in sound and music services, amounting up to 6,500 euros, was granted to the film Staring at the Sun directed by Atieh Attarzadeh and Hesam Eslami – France, Iran (Production: Etienne de Ricaud, Caractères Productions, Co-production: Hesam Eslami, Atieh Attarzadeh). “I will inform the film’s directors, I’m sure they will be thrilled with the news. We thank the TDF and the jury”, said the film’s producer. Also, the jury awarded special mention to the film Gentle Warriors directed by Marija Stonyte – Lithuania, Esthonia (Production: Giedre Zickyte, Moonmakers, Co-production: Riho Vastrik).

Consequently, the Greek Film Centre’s Hellas Film Promotion director Kostas Aivaliotis presented the new award, amounting to 3,000 euros, which was offered by the Greek Film Centre as a gesture of support to the 20^th anniversary edition of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival and the Doc Market. The award was offered to the film Tiny Souls directed by Dina Naser – Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, The Netherlands, France (Production: Dina Naser and Ruba Ghazi Hannun - Mad Moshawash, Co-production:  Khaled Haddad - Jordan Prioneers, Palmyre Badinier- Urban Factory). The director warmly thanked the Festival for the opportunity to participate in Docs in Progress.

The 14th EDN Award is presented to Adam Ślesicki and Katarzyna Ślesicka from DOC LAB POLAND. They receive the award in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the development of the European documentary culture through their work in connection with the DOC LAB POLAND initiative.

Adam Ślesicki and Katarzyna Ślesicka receive the 2018 EDN Award for their work in establishing and running DOC LAB POLAND, which is the largest and most multi-faceted program for documentary filmmakers organized in Poland for Polish projects. The initiative supports auteur-driven creative documentary filmmaking and features a comprehensive program for the development of film projects. In addition to development support, DOC LAB POLAND also connects the European documentary industry to the Polish documentary scene, thereby making the strong creative tradition of Polish documentary more widely known and accessible.

With regards to the selection of DOC LAB POLAND for the 2018 EDN Award, EDN Director Paul Pauwels states: “In times where national authorities and state structures seem to care less about freedom of expression, democratic values and creative artists, it is essential that we have initiatives fighting for the rightful existence of the documentary genre as an artistic expression and cornerstone of our democratic society. It is important to have organisations that create European collaborations and bridges to other national industries, especially in times where political structures tend to focus more on national preferences. I therefore believe it is a logical step to recognize DOC LAB POLAND through the EDN Award 2018 for their outstanding contribution to the European documentary culture".

The award was presented to Adam Ślesicki at The EDN Award ceremony on March 6, 2018 during the Docs in Thessaloniki pitching forum organized by EDN in the framework of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival – Images of the 21st Century.


About The EDN Award

The EDN Award is presented annually during Docs in Thessaloniki to an institution, group or private person for outstanding contribution to the development of the European documentary culture.

Previously The EDN Award has been presented to:

2017 - Nilotpal Majumdar
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the development of the international documentary culture
2016 - Marianne Lévy-Leblond
For her development of interactive documentary at ARTE
2015 – Caspar Sonnen
For his pioneering commitment to interactive documentary work
2014 – Tue Steen Müller
For a lifelong commitment to the documentary genre
2013 – Stefano Tealdi and Joan Gonzales
For initiating and running Documentary in Europe and DocsBarcelona, respectively
2012 – Diana El Jeiroudi, Orwa Nyrabia and The DOX BOX Team
For initiating the DOX BOX festival in Syria
2011 – Dimitri Eipides
Director of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival
2010 – IRDFA - Iranian Documentary Filmmakers Association
Director's guild in Iran focusing on documentary filmmakers
2009 – Nenad Puhovski and Zagreb Dox
For initiating Zagreb Dox in Croatia
2008 – IDF – Institute of Documentary Film
Prague based institute promoting documentary films from East- and Central Europe
2007 – Svetlana and Zoran Popovic
For initiating and running Magnificent 7 in Belgrade, Serbia
2006 – The Jan Vrijman Fund
Dutch film fund supporting filmmakers and festivals in developing countries
2005 – YLE Documentary
The documentary department of YLE, the national public service broadcaster in Finland

EDN - European Documentary Network is a member-based organisation for professionals working with documentary film and television. The organization has around 1000 members from more than 60 countries. More about EDN - http://edn.network

Issues & Solutions

WINNER Broken Tail Crossing the Line Productions Ltd.

Looking for Sultan ​Riverbank Studios

To Skin a Cat Scholars & Gentlemen, Panthera, Earth Touch, andBeyond, Durban Film Office, National Film & Video Foundation, Peace Parks Foundation

Tribe versus Pride Terra Mater Factual Studios, Wildlife Films, Nat Geo Wild

 

Conservation

WINNER Big Cats - Episode 3 A BBC Natural History Unit Production for BBC and PBS with THIRTEEN Productions LLC co-produced by France Télévisions​

Broken Tail Crossing the Line Productions Ltd.

Jaguars - Brazil's Super Cats BBC Studios Natural History Unit, Nat Geo WILD

 

People and Big Cats

WINNER Livestock Insurance Program Fidget Films, LLC, Pontecorvo Productions, Snow Leopard Trust

Broken Tail Crossing the Line Productions Ltd.

Big Cats - Episode 3 A BBC Natural History Unit Production for BBC and PBS with THIRTEEN Productions LLC co-produced by France Télévisions​

Tribe versus Pride Terra Mater Factual Studios, Wildlife Films, Nat Geo Wild

 

Science and Behavior

WINNER ​Vanishing Kings - Lions of the Namib Into Nature Films, Interspot Film, BoksDocs, ORF, Smithsonian Channel, Arte

Africa's Hunters: The Misfit Plimsoll Productions, Blue Ant Media, Smithsonian Networks

Big Cats - Episode 3 A BBC Natural History Unit Production for BBC and PBS with THIRTEEN Productions LLC co-produced by France Télévisions​

 

Micro Movie

WINNER ​Pavel WWF-UK

Harimau Selamanya  ​(Tigers Forever) Nuvista Media, Rimba

Nat Geo Inspires: ​Collecting Data to Save Gorongosa's Lions National Geographic Society

Singye ​WWF-UK

 

Local Voices

WINNER ​Gyamo - Queen of the Mountains ​Riverbank Studios ​Directors: Gautam Pandey, Doel Trivedy

Ranger and Leopard Wildlife Pictures Institute for Jam-e Jam TV Network  Directors: Fathollah Amiri, Nima Asgari

The Tiger Who Crossed the Line ​Earthcare Productions ​Director: Krishnendu Bose

 

20^th THESSALONIKI DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL [2-11/3/2018]

The Awards

The International Jury of the 20^th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival comprised of:

AnnikaGustafsson, film critic, journalist (Sweden)

Caroline Libresco, festival programmer (USA)

David Borenstein, film director (USA)

Jan Rofekamp, sales agent, producer (The Netherlands)

Lefteris Charitos, film director (Greece)

Bestows:

THE AWARDS – International Competition_________________________________

Best Documentary - Golden Alexander for a film over 50’ in the International Competition section:

THE DISTANT BARKING OF DOGS by Simon Lereng Wilmont, Denmark-Finland-Sweden, 2017

The Golden Alexander award is accompanied by a €8.000 cash prize

Special Jury Award for a film over 50’ in the International Competition section ex aequo to:

BARONESA by Juliana Antunes, Brazil, 2017

and

METEORS by Gürcan Keltek, The Netherlands-Turkey, 2017

Τhe Special Jury Award is accompanied by a €2.000 cash prize

VR / VIRTUAL REALITY FILMS Competition section_________________________

The jury of the festival’s new VR documentaries Competition section comprised of:

Kirsten Kieninger, film critic, film editor (Germany)

George Drivas, visual artist, film director (Greece)

Argyris Theos, director of photography (Greece)

Bestows the best film award ex aequo to:

LIMBO by Shehani Fernando, UK, 2017

and

THE LAST CHAIR 1&2 by Anke Teunissen & Jessie van Vreden, The Netherlands, 2017

The award is accompanied by a €3.000 prize, sponsored by the Greek Film Centre.

FISCHER AUDIENCE AWARDS 2018______________________________________

- The Peter Wintonick Audience Award for a film over 50’ in the International Selection goes to:
OF FATHERS AND SONS by Talal Derki, Germany-Syria-Lebanon, 2017

- The Audience Award for a film under 50’ in the International Selection goes to:
THE LAST HONEY HUNTER by Ben Knight, Nepal, 2017

- The Audience Award for a Greek film over 50’ goes to:
BACK TO THE TOP by Stratis Chatzielenoudas, Greece, 2018

 
- The Audience Award for a Greek film under 50’ goes to:
PAINTING… by Dimitris Stamatis & Ioanna Neofytou, Greece, 2017

“HUMAN VALUES AWARD” OF THE HELLENIC PARLIAMENT________________
The “Human Values Award” (presented by the Hellenic Parliament) Jury consists of:

Kostas Dimos (Head of Programming)
Aris Fatouros (Program Consultant)
Vassilis Douvlis (Film director)
 

Awards the best film in the International Competition section to:

THE DISTANT BARKING OF DOGS by Simon Lereng Wilmont, Denmark-Finland-Sweden, 2017

ERT HELLENIC BROADCASTING CORPORATION AWARDS__________________
The ERT Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation bestows:

One award accompanied by a €3.000 cash prize to the Greek documentary over 50’ that wins the Fischer Audience Award. This award goes to:

BACK TO THE TOP by Stratis Chatzielenoudas, Greece, 2018

The Doc on Air award to the best project of the EDN Docs in Thessaloniki, judged by the EDN committee; the award is accompanied by a €2.000 cash prize sponsored by ERT and goes to:

RIDERS OF DESTINY by Michael Niermann (Producer: Ansgar Pohle, 7T1 Media, Germany)

GREEK FILM CENTRE AWARDS______________________________________
The Greek Film Centre bestows two awards:

One to a debut documentary film over 50’ that premieres in the Greek Program section that goes to:

ANTONIS’ VOICE by Christos Kapatos, Greece, 2018

The award is accompanied by a €3.000 prize.

One to a film participating in the TDF Doc Market’s Docs in Progress section that is bestowed to:

TINY SOULS directed by Dina Naser–Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, The Netherlands, France (Production: Dina Naser and Ruba Ghazi Hannun-Mad Moshawash, Co-production: Khaled Haddad-Jordan Prioneers, Palmyre Badinier-Urban Factory).

The award is accompanied by a €3.000 prize.

The GFC also sponsors the €3.000 cash prize to the awarded film of the VR Competition section, as aforementioned.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AWARD______________________________________
The Amnesty International Jury consisting of:

Stefania Filippova-Mertzimeki (Special Educational Personnel Department of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies, University of Macedonia)

Marianna Leontaridou (Member of Amnesty International Greece, film critic)

Amalia Speleta (Member of Amnesty International Greece, graduate student of the School of Philosophy and Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki)

Aris Dimokidis (Journalist)

Vassilis Loules (Film Director)

Awards the best film in the HUMAN RIGHTS section to:

EVERYTHING’ S BETTER THAN A HOOKER by Ovidie, France, 2017

and presents a Special Mention to the film:

MUHI – GENERALLY TEMPORARY by Rina Castelnuovo & Tamir Elterman, Israel-Germany, 2017

WWF AWARD_________________________________________________________
The WWF Jury consisting of:
Vicky Barboka (“Better Life” Project Associate)

Maria Livanou (Marine Program Associate WWF Greece)

Christi Sotiriou (Head of “Fish Forward” Project)

Iasonas Kantas (Head of Media at WWF Greece)

Awards the best film in the HABITAT section to:

THANK YOU FOR THE RAIN by Julia Dahr, UK-Norway-Kenya, 2017

FIPRESCI AWARD_____________________________________________________

The FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) Jury consisting of:

Yael Shuv, Israel – JuryPresident

Tonči Valentić, Croatia

Joseph Proimakis, Greece

Awards the best film of the International Competition section to:

THE DISTANT BARKING OF DOGS by Simon Lereng Wilmont, Denmark-Finland-Sweden, 2017

And awards the best Greek film participating in TDF’s international program sections to:

MARBLE HOMELAND by Menios Karayannis, Greece, 2018

THE GREEK FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION (PEKK) AWARD___________________
Bestows an award to the Greek film:

KOSTIS PAPAGIORGIS, THE SWEETEST MISANTHROPE by Eleni Alexandraki, Greece, 2017

YOUTH JURY AWARDS_________________________________________________

The Youth Jury, comprised of Fani Chatzi, Nena Chatzisiomou, Alexandra Nikitidou, Sotiria Panantoniou and Antonis Zaoutsos, students of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, bestows two awards:

Best Film Award to:

OBSCURO BARROCO by Evangelia Kranioti, France-Greece, 2018

Special Jury Award to:

A TREE REMEMBERS by Kostas Follas, Greece, 2018

DOC MARKET: DOCS IN PROGRESS AWARDS 2018_______________________

The TDF’s Doc Market - Docs in Progress international Jury, consisting of:
Laia Aubia, Distribution Manager, DocsBarcelona, Spain

Charlotte Madsen, Buyer, SVT, Sweden

Takis Veremis, Distributor, StraDA Films, Greece

Bestows two awards:

The first award of up to €15.000 for post-production services sponsored by 2|35 Inc Post-Production House to:

SEEDS OF COLUMBUS directed by Marianna Economou – Greece (Production: Stefi/Lynx Productions, Spyros Mavrogenis, Co-production: Rea Apostolides - Anemon Productions). 

The second award of up to €6.500 for music and sound services sponsored by MuSou to:

STARING AT THE SUNdirected by Atieh Attarzadeh and Hesam Eslami – France, Iran (Production: Etienne de Ricaud, Caractères Productions, Co-production: Hesam Eslami, Atieh Attarzadeh).

and presents a Special Mention to:

GENTLE WARRIORS directed by Marija Stonyte – Lithuania, Esthonia (Production: Giedre Zickyte, Moonmakers, Co-production: Riho Vastrik).