The 46-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress, who recently won her first Golden Globes award, has claimed the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Actress in an International Feature Film at the 36th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival.
In awarding Saldaña with the prize, jurors cited “the ferocity and complexity of her performance in Emilia Pérez, which shows a virtuosic range of expression, from song and dance to her potent interpretation of a morally shaded character. Although her character plays a supporting role, she drives the narrative with the power of a protagonist.”
I’m Still Here bested several other Oscar-shortlisted International Feature Film contenders including Emilia Pérez, for the FIPRESCI Prize.
A special jury of international film critics determined the winner of the FIPRESCI Prize, praising the drama directed by Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles “for conveying the horror of encroaching dictatorship from the intimate perspective of a mother defending not just her family of five, but her dignity. Evoking the severity of the violence without resorting to melodrama, director Walter Salles captures a critical moment of history in scrupulous and compelling detail.”
The FIPRESCI jury members included Brian D. Johnson (Canadian Film Critic), Marcelo Janot (Brazilian Film Critic), and Paola Caseslla (Italian Film Critic).
The 50-year-old Mexican Salvadoran filmmaker’s Prayers for the Stolenhas won the FIPRESCI Prize for Best International Feature Film at the Palm Springs Film Festival, which revealed its juried winners this week despite being forced to cancel its 2022 edition.
It centers on three young girls in a mountain town who take over the houses of those who have fled, dress up as women when no one is watching, and have a hiding place as their mothers train them to flee from those who turn them into slaves or ghosts. Until one day, when one of the girls doesn’t make it to her hideout in time.
The jury awarded it the top prize “for a miraculously vivid portrayal of girlhood under siege told with visual exuberance and powerful intimacy from the ensemble cast.”
The film also took the festival’s Ibero-American Award, the top prize in its Ibero-American sidebar devoted to the best films from Latin America, Spain or Portugal.
Special mentions in the Ibero-American sidebar were given to Anita Rocha da Silveira’s Medusa and Víctor Escribano’s 7 Lives, 7 Lakes.
The Palm Springs Film Festival, which had been scheduled to run January 6-17 before being scrapped amid the latest COVID surge, is considered a must-stop forInternational Feature Oscar contenders, with 36 of the 93 official submissions this year slated for the lineup.
Here’s the full list of winners:
FIPRESCI Prize: Best International Feature Film
Prayers For the Stolen (Mexico)
Directed by Tatiana Huezo
FIPRESCI Prize: Best Actor in an International Feature Film
Amir Jadidi
A Hero (Iran)
FIPRESCI Prize: Best Actress in an International Feature Film
Agathe Rousselle
Titane (France/Belgium)
FIPRESCI Prize: International Screenplay
A Hero (Iran)
Screenplay by Asghar Farhadi
Best Documentary Award
Flee (Denmark)
Directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen
Special Mention
The Caviar Connection (France)
Directed by Benoît Bringer
New Voices/New Visions Award
Happening (France)
Directed by Audrey Diwan
Special Mention
Wildhood (Canada/Germany)
Directed by Bretten Hannam
Ibero-American Award
Prayers For the Stolen (Mexico)
Directed by Tatiana Huezo
Special Mentions
Medusa (Brazil/USA)
Directed by Anita Rocha da Silveira
7 Lives, 7 Lakes (Spain)
Directed by Víctor Escribano
Local Jury Award
Escape from Mogadishu (South Korea)
Directed by Ryoo Seung-wan.
Special Mention
Mission: Joy – Finding Happiness in Troubled Times (USA)
Directed by Louie Psihoyos, Peggy Callahan
MOZAIK Bridging the Borders Award
A Hero (Iran)
Director Asghar Farhadi
Special Mentions
Fear (Bulgaria)
Directed by Ivaylo Hristov
Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America (USA)
Directed by Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler
Young Cineastes Award
Yuni (Indonesia)
Directed by Kamila Andini
Special Mention Any Day Now (Finland)
Directed by Hamy Ramezan
The Brazilian actor was named Best Actor at this year’s Locarno Film Festival for hisbeautifully understated performance as a security guard at Manaus Harbor in Brazilian filmmaker Maya Da-Rin’s The Fever.
“I never thought this would happen,” said Myrupu of his win for his performance in the film, which earned Da-Rin the FIPRESCI Prize.
Carlos Lenintook home the Peace Hotel Award for his film La Paloma y El Lobo. The 36-year-old Mexican filmmaker’s earned the award for his “future promise in world cinema.”
The international jury was headed by French filmmaker and novelist Catherine Breillat.
TheGolden Leopard, the Locarno Film Festival’s top honor, went to Portuguese directorPedro Costa, for his latest featureVitalina Varela, which had its world premiere in the Swiss festival’s international competition.
The 2020 Locarno Film Festival will be from August 5-15.
This year’s winners are below:
International competition
Golden Leopard: Vitalina Varela by Pedro Costa, Portugal Special Jury Prize: Pa-Go (Height Of The Wave) by Park Jung-Bum, South Korea Leopard For Best Direction: Damien Manivel for Les Enfants D’isadora, France/South Korea Leopard For Best Actress: Vitalina Varela for Vitalina Varela by Pedro Costa, Portugal Leopard For Best Actor: Regis Myrupu for A Febre by Maya Da-Rin, Brazil/France/Germany Special Mentions: Hiruk-Pikuk Si Al-Kisah (The Science Of Fictions) by Yosep Anggi Noen, Indonesia/Malaysia/France, Maternal by Maura Delpero, Italy/Argentina
Filmmakers Of The Present Competition
Cineasti Del Presente Golden Leopard: Baamum Nafi (Nafi’s Father) by Mamadou Dia, Senegal Best Emerging Director Award: 143 Rue Du Désert by Hassen Ferhani, Algeria/France/Qatar Special Jury Prize: Ivana Cea Groaznica (Ivana The Terrible) by Ivana Mladenović, Romania/Serbia Special Mention: Here For Life by Andrea Luka Zimmerman, Adrian Jackson, United Kingdom
Moving Ahead
Moving Ahead Award: The Giverny Document (Single Channel) by Ja’tovia M. Gary, Usa/France Special Mentions: Those That, At A Distance, Resemble Another by Jessica Sarah Rinland, United Kingdom/Argentina/Spain, Shān Zhī Běi (Osmosis) by Zhou Tao.
First Feature
First Feature Award: Baamum Nafi (Nafi’s Father) by Mamadou Dia, Senegal Peace Hotel Award: La Paloma Y El Lobo (The Dove And The Wolf) by Carlos Lenin, Mexico Special Mentions: Instinct by Halina Reijn, Netherlands, Fi Al-Thawra (During Revolution) by Maya Khoury, Syria/Sweden
Leopards Of Tomorrow – International Competition
Pardino D’oro For The Best International Short Film: Siyah Güneş (Black Sun) by Arda Çiltepe, Turkey/Germany (Locarno Short Film Nominee For The European Film Awards 2019) Pardino D’argento: Umbilical by Danski Tang, Usa Pardi Di Domani Best Direction Prize: Otpusk (Leave Of Absence) by Anton Sazonov, Russia Premio Medien Patent Verwaltung Ag Prize: White Afro by Akosua Adoma Owusu, Ghana/USA
Leopards Of Tomorrow – National Competition
Pardino D’oro For The Best Swiss Short Film: Mama Rosa by Dejan Barac, Switzerland Pardino D’argento Swiss Life: Tempête Silencieuse by Anaïs Moog, Switzerland Best Swiss Newcomer Prize: Terminal by Kim Allamand, Switzerland Piazza Grande Award: Instinct by Halina Reijn, Netherlands
Other awards
Ecumenical Jury Prize: Maternal by Maura Delpero, Italy/Argenti Special Mention: Vitalina Varela by Pedro Costa, Portugal FIPRESCI Prize: A Febre by Maya Da-Rin, Brazil/France/Germany Europa Cinemas Label: Maternal by Maura Delpero, Italy/Argentina
The 38-year-old Mexican actor picked up the FIPRESCI Prize for best actor at the 27th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival for his performance in Pablo Larrain’s Neruda.
Garcia Bernal portrays Oscar Peluchonneau, the fascist Chief of the Policía de Investigaciones, in the film about poet and Communist Senator Pablo Neruda.
Neruda, which was selected as the Chilean entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards, also picked up the fest’s Cine Latino Award.
The John Schlesinger Award, presented to a director of a first or second feature documentary, was awarded to Cristina Herrera Borquez for No Dress Code Required, which looks at a same-sex couple as they fight for the right to marry in their hometown of Mexicali, Baja California.
The fest, which ran through January 16, announced its juried award winners at a luncheon Saturday at the Hilton Palm Springs.
Here’s the complete list of winners:
FIPRESCI Prize for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year Toni Erdmann (Germany), directed by Maren Ade
FIPRESCI Prize for the Best Actor in a Foreign Language Film Gael García Bernal in Neruda (Chile)
FIPRESCI Prize for Best Actress in a Foreign Language Film Isabelle Huppert in Elle(France)
New Voices/New Visions Award Winner: White Sun (Nepal/U.S./Qatar/Netherlands), directed by Deepak Runiyar
Special Mentions: Kati Kati (Kenya/Germany), directed by Mbithi Masya and Mellow Mud (Latvia), directed by Renārs Vimba
The John Schlesinger Award Winner: No Dress Code Required (Mexico), directed by Cristina Herrera Bórquez
Special Mention: Beauties of the Night (Mexico), directed by Maria José Cuevas
Cine Latino Award Winner: Neruda (Chile), directed by Pablo Larraín
Special Mention: Everything Else (Mexico), directed by Natalia Alamda
HP Bridging the Borders Award Winner: Mercenary (France), directed by Sacha Wolff
Salma Hayek is bringing her latest behind-the-scenes project to the Middle East.
The Doha Film Institute has revealed its lineup for the 2nd annual Ajyal Film Festival. The fest, which takes place December 1-6, will host 90 films from 43 countries including the Middle East premiere of Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet, produced by the 48-year-old Mexican actress and directed by Roger Allers.
The animated film, based on the Lebanese writer’s iconic long-form meditative poem, features the voices of Liam Neeson, John Krasinski and Hayek. DFI co-financed and co-produced the film, which will close the festival. Hayek will attend the premiere.
Festival director and acting DFI chief exec Fatma Al-Remaihi has also placed a firm emphasis on local filmmaking talent with a Made In Qatar section that boasts 20 short films by Qatari filmmakers.
“This year, we were overwhelmed by the number of submissions by professionals and aspiring filmmakers. We are also delighted that we have been able to support their ambitions through our filmmaking challenges and look forward to sharing the results of these initiatives through the Made in Qatar programs,” said Al-Remaihi.
“The thematic diversity and quality of projects in the Made in Qatar section is a testament to the growth and vibrancy within the creative community of our nation.”
Also confirmed to attend is Jordanian director Naji Abu Nowar to present Theeb, which also received financing from DFI. The film, a coming-of-age story of a Bedouin boy who embarks on a perilous journey across the desert as the Ottoman Empire crumbles, has already won the Orrizonti Award for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival this year; as well as best Arab Film and the FIPRESCI Prize for best narrative feature at the recent Abu Dhabi Film Festival.
Bérénice Bejo is being heralded for her Past achievements…
The 37-year-old Argentine actress won a best actress award at the 25th Palm Springs International Film Festival for her critically acclaimed role in the French/Iranian family drama The Past.
Bejo received the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Actress of the Year in a Foreign Language Film on Saturday during the closing ceremony of the festival.
“Bérénice Bejo’s portrait of a woman in profound transition, struggling to close the door on one relationship, trying to keep the other open, offers a symphony of emotions: regret, longing, love, hurt, need,” festival juror Steven Rea said at the ceremony.
“Her character may waver, but Bejo’s performance stays straight and true,” he added.
The French-language film was directed by Oscar-winning Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi.
It’s the latest award for the Oscar-nominated actress’ performance in the past.
Bejo is also nominated for Most Promising Actress from the Magritte Awards, whichare given annually for excellence of Belgian francophone cinematic achievements.
In awarding Saldaña with the prize, jurors cited “the ferocity and complexity of her performance in Emilia Pérez, which shows a virtuosic range of expression, from song and dance to her potent interpretation of a morally shaded character. Although her character plays a supporting role, she drives the narrative with the power of a protagonist.”
