Babak Anvari's Under the Shadow goes home with the HR Giger 'Narcisse' Award at the NIFFF
- The 16th edition of the NIFFF drew to a close on Saturday night with the announcement of the award winners, followed by a screening of The Handmaiden, the latest effort by Park Chan-wook
Under the Shadow [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Jordan-UK-Qatar-Iran) by London-based Iranian director Babak Anvari pocketed the HR Giger ‘Narcisse’ Award for Best Feature Film at the latest edition of the NIFFF – Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival. The prestigious award was handed to Anvari by the chair of the jury, Colombian director Luis Ospina. Meanwhile, the Jury Special Mention went to Polish movie The Lure [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Agnieszka Smoczyńska
film profile] by Agnieszka Smoczyńska, produced by WFDiF, Platige Image and Telewizja Polska (TVP) - Agencja Filmowa, with backing from the Polish Film Institute.
Parents [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Elliott Crosset Hove
film profile] by Danish filmmaker Christian Tafdrup, produced by Nordisk Film Production with support from the Danish Film Institute’s New Danish Screen talent scheme, snagged the Silver Méliès for Best European Fantastic Film. Tafdrup’s movie thus gets an automatic nomination for the Golden Méliès, which will be given out on 29 October at the Fantastik Filmfest in Lund, Sweden. The NIFFF Award from the International Critics (international competition) and the RTS Audience Award (international and Asian competition) were bestowed upon US directors Daniel Scheinert and Dan Kwan for their Swiss Army Man.
Once again this year, the NIFFF boasted a strong audience turnout and a plethora of film-industry professionals (35,500 admissions to 150 screenings), which stands as a testament to the growing popularity of the fantastic genre. As is the case every year, the Neuchâtel audience was able to take in the variety and richness of a genre that started off as an underground scene and is steadily gaining popularity without ever losing its subversive edge.
Here is the complete list of award winners:
HR Giger ‘Narcisse’ Award for Best Feature Film (international competition)
Under the Shadow [+see also:
trailer
film profile] – Babak Anvari
Special Mention: The Lure [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Agnieszka Smoczyńska
film profile] – Agnieszka Smoczyńska
Silver Méliès for Best European Fantastic Film
Parents [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Elliott Crosset Hove
film profile] – Christian Tafdrup
NIFFF Award from the International Critics (international competition)
Swiss Army Man – Daniel Scheinert & Dan Kwan
Imaging the Future Award for Best Production Design (international competition)
Swiss Army Man – Daniel Scheinert & Dan Kwan
Denis-de-Rougemont Youth Award (international competition)
Detour – Christopher Smith
Award for Best Asian Film (Asian competition)
Honor My Father – Erik Matti
RTS Audience Award (international and Asian competitions)
Swiss Army Man – Daniel Scheinert & Dan Kwan
HR Giger 'Narcisse' Award for Best Swiss Short Film
Ivan’s Need – Veronica Lingg, Manuela Leuenberger & Lukas Suter
Silver Méliès for Best European Fantastic Short Film
Ivan’s Need – Veronica Lingg, Manuela Leuenberger & Lukas Suter
Taurus Studio Award for Innovation (Swiss shorts competition)
Belle comme un coeur – Gregory Casares
(Translated from Italian)
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