14/11/2022 - Valentina Maurel’s coming-of-age drama has won the International Competition, Klondike was victorious in Meet the Neighbors, and Retreat won in the >>Film Forward section

I Have Electric Dreams [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Valentina Maurel
film profile], the debut feature by Valentina Maurel, a Costa Rican writer-director based in Belgium, has won the “Theo Angelopoulos” Golden Alexander for Best Feature Film at the 63^rd Thessaloniki International Film Festival, which ran from 3-13 November.

The international jury, comprising Mexican producer Nicolas Selis (Pimienta Films), Polish writer-director Tomasz Wasilewski, and Greek filmmaker Penny Panagiotopoulou, handed the €10,000 cash prize to the coming-of-age drama for which Reinaldo Amien Gutiérrez, who portrays the father, also snagged the Best Actor Award.

The second prize, the Special Jury Award – Silver Alexander, valued at €5,000, was bestowed upon A Piece of Sky [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michael Koch
film profile] by Michael Koch. Furthermore, the Bronze Alexander for Best Director, backed up by a cash prize of €3,000, went to Chie Hayakawa for Plan 75 [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Chie Hayakawa
film profile], with the film also receiving the FIPRESCI Award along with the Human Values Award of the Hellenic Parliament.

Rosy McEwen snagged the Best Actress Award for her performance in Georgia Oakley’s Blue Jean [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Georgia Oakley
film profile]. The Best Artistic Achievement Award was bestowed upon the film The Dam [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ali Cherri
film profile] by Ali Cherri, while Narcosis [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Martijn de Jong picked up a Special Mention along with the Audience Award.

In the Meet the Neighbors competition, Klondike [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Maryna Er Gorbach
film profile] by Maryna Er Gorbach received the section’s Golden Alexander, for “a shattering cinematic experience, which takes one into the very heart of darkness of war and its consequences,” according to the jury comprising Cypriot director-producer Tonia Mishali, Israeli writer-director Avi Nesher and producer Joyce Pierpoline (Women’s Impact Network).

The Silver Alexander in this section was bestowed upon Valeria Is Getting Married [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Michal Vinik, described by the jury as “a highly original film, extremely well-acted, written masterfully, directed with sensitivity, in a manner that takes the audience on a journey alongside these characters, in ways that were both surprising and intimate.” A Special Mention was bestowed upon Behind the Haystacks [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Asimina Proedrou, and the film has also received the FIPRESCI Award, the Greek Association of Film Critics Award, the Greek Film Centre Award and the Hellenic Film Commission Best Location Award.

As for the >>Film Forward Competition section, the Golden Alexander was given to Retreat [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Leon Schwitter, for “its precise work in cinematic storytelling, its narrative sound design and evocative camera work, for the intellectual stimulation that it offers to the viewer and the precise comment on the world we are living in.” The Silver Alexander went to Bastards by Nikos Pastras for “its young, fresh and lively approach to the medium.”

Here is the complete list of winners at the 63^rd Thessaloniki International Film Festival:

International Competition

Best Feature Film Award - “Theo Angelopoulos” Golden Alexander
I Have Electric Dreams [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Valentina Maurel
film profile] - Valentina Maurel (Belgium/France/Costa Rica)

Special Jury Award - Silver Alexander
A Piece of Sky [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michael Koch
film profile] - Michael Koch (Switzerland/Germany)

Special Jury Award for Best Director - Bronze Alexander
Chie Hayakawa - Plan 75 [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Chie Hayakawa
film profile] (Japan/France/Philippines/Qatar)

Best Actress Award
Rosy McEwen - Blue Jean [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Georgia Oakley
film profile] (UK)

Best Actor Award
Reinaldo Amien Gutiérrez - I Have Electric Dreams

Best Artistic Achievement Award
The Dam [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ali Cherri
film profile] - Ali Cherri (France/Canada/Sudan/Germany/Serbia)

Special Mention
Narcosis [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Martijn de Jong (Netherlands) 

Meet the Neighbors Competition

Best Feature Film Award - Golden Alexander
Klondike [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Maryna Er Gorbach
film profile] - Maryna Er Gorbach (Ukraine/Turkey)

Special Jury Award - Silver Alexander
Valeria Is Getting Married [+see also:
film review
film profile] - Michal Vinik (Israel/Ukraine)

Special Mention
Behind the Haystacks [+see also:
film review
film profile] - Asimina Proedrou (Greece/Germany/North Macedonia)

>>Film Forward Competition

Best Feature Film Award - Golden Alexander
Retreat [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Leon Schwitter (Switzerland)

Special Jury Award - Silver Alexander
Bastards - Nikos Pastras (Greece)

Immersive: All Around Cinema Award
From The Main Square - Pedro Harres (Germany)

Podcast Competition

Podcast Award
Born Greek - Katerina Bakogianni (Greece)
Special Mention
Dad - Nalia Ziku (Greece)

Podcast in Development Award
Mute - The Silent Violence of the Parting Wall - Andreas Vagias (Greece)

Other awards

Mermaid Award
My Emptiness and I [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Adrián Silvestre
film profile] - Adrián Silvestre (Spain)

Alpha Bank Accessibility Award
The Rite of Spring [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Fernando Franco and Koldo Z…
film profile] - Fernando Franco (Spain)

FIPRESCI awards

Best Film in the International Competition
Plan 75 - Chie Hayakawa

Best Film in the Greek Film Festival
Behind the Haystacks - Asimina Proedrou

Greek Association of Film Critics’ Award
Behind the Haystacks - Asimina Proedrou

Human Values Award
Plan 75 - Chie Hayakawa

Greek Film Centre Award (ex aequo)
Behind the Haystacks - Asimina Proedrou
Black Stone - Spiros Iakovides (Greece)

Hellenic Film Commission Best Location Award
Giorgos Babanaras - Behind the Haystacks

JF Costopoulos Foundation Award
Cavewoman - Spiros Stathoulopoulos (Greece/Colombia/USA)

WIFT Award
Thunder [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carmen Jaquier
film profile] - Carmen Jaquier (Switzerland)

Youth jury awards

Best Feature Film Award
Black Stone - Spiros Iakovides

Special Youth Jury Award
Paris in Harlem - Christina Kallas (USA)