I Have Electric Dreams [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
entrevista: Valentina Maurel
ficha de la película], 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 [+lee también:
crítica
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entrevista: Michael Koch
ficha de la película] 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 [+lee también:
crítica
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entrevista: Chie Hayakawa
ficha de la película], 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 [+lee también:
crítica
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entrevista: Georgia Oakley
ficha de la película]. The Best Artistic Achievement Award was bestowed upon the film The Dam [+lee también:
crítica
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entrevista: Ali Cherri
ficha de la película] by Ali Cherri, while Narcosis [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
ficha de la película] by Martijn de Jong picked up a Special Mention along with the Audience Award.

In the Meet the Neighbors competition, Klondike [+lee también:
crítica
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entrevista: Maryna Er Gorbach
ficha de la película] 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 [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película] 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 [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película] 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 [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
ficha de la película] 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 [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
entrevista: Valentina Maurel
ficha de la película] - Valentina Maurel (Belgium/France/Costa Rica)

Special Jury Award - Silver Alexander
A Piece of Sky [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
entrevista: Michael Koch
ficha de la película] - Michael Koch (Switzerland/Germany)

Special Jury Award for Best Director - Bronze Alexander
Chie Hayakawa - Plan 75 [+lee también:
crítica
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entrevista: Chie Hayakawa
ficha de la película] (Japan/France/Philippines/Qatar)

Best Actress Award
Rosy McEwen - Blue Jean [+lee también:
crítica
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entrevista: Georgia Oakley
ficha de la película] (UK)

Best Actor Award
Reinaldo Amien Gutiérrez - I Have Electric Dreams

Best Artistic Achievement Award
The Dam [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
entrevista: Ali Cherri
ficha de la película] - Ali Cherri (France/Canada/Sudan/Germany/Serbia)

Special Mention
Narcosis [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
ficha de la película] - Martijn de Jong (Netherlands) 

Meet the Neighbors Competition

Best Feature Film Award - Golden Alexander
Klondike [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
entrevista: Maryna Er Gorbach
ficha de la película] - Maryna Er Gorbach (Ukraine/Turkey)

Special Jury Award - Silver Alexander
Valeria Is Getting Married [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película] - Michal Vinik (Israel/Ukraine)

Special Mention
Behind the Haystacks [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película] - Asimina Proedrou (Greece/Germany/North Macedonia)

>>Film Forward Competition

Best Feature Film Award - Golden Alexander
Retreat [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
ficha de la película] - 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 [+lee también:
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entrevista: Adrián Silvestre
ficha de la película] - Adrián Silvestre (Spain)

Alpha Bank Accessibility Award
The Rite of Spring [+lee también:
crítica
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entrevista: Fernando Franco y Koldo Zu…
ficha de la película] - 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 [+lee también:
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entrevista: Carmen Jaquier
ficha de la película] - Carmen Jaquier (Switzerland)

Youth jury awards

Best Feature Film Award
Black Stone - Spiros Iakovides

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