The successful third edition of Novos Cinemas, held in Pontevedra, Spain, between 11 and 16 December, was notable for the impressive number of European feature films spread across the gathering’s two competitions: the Official Section and Latexos. This strong European presence was also reflected in the winners’ list, as a considerable number of French and Spanish movies won awards.

The International Jury, made up of Mexican filmmaker-producer Paula Astorga (Once Upon a Time in Hungary), Galician director Eloy Domínguez Serén (Hamada [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Eloy Domínguez Serén
fiche film], No Cow on the Ice [+lire aussi :
bande-annonce
fiche film]) and Galician film teacher Manolo González, handed the Novos Cinemas Award for Best Feature in the Official Section to Suburban Birds by Chinese director Qiu Sheng. The jury also bestowed a Special Mention upon A Violent Desire for Joy [+lire aussi :
bande-annonce
fiche film] by France’s Clément Schneider. The latter film, which was premiered in the ACID section of the most recent Cannes Film Festival, was described by the members of the jury as “an ode to freedom and a clear reflection of the past from the present – a restrained, mature, brilliant cinematic exercise that is immensely relevant to the modern day”. 

(L'article continue plus bas - Inf. publicitaire)

The Youth Jury (Xurado Novo), made up of University of Vigo students Ricardo Araújo Gil, Amy Margaret Egan, Pedro Ignacio Ferrari, Ángela Hernández González and Noemi Parga Iglesias, awarded France’s Virgil Vernier as Best Director in the Official Section, for Sophia Antipolis [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Virgil Vernier
fiche film]. The auteur of this movie, which was first unveiled in the Filmmakers of the Present competition of the Locarno Film Festival, was lauded for his way of “demystifying contemporary society through an acerbic and elegant style, and for revealing our individual and collective violence in a surprising way”. 

The Latexos Jury, comprising Spanish film critics Violeta Kovacsics, José Manuel López and Ramón Rey, gave the NUMAX Special Award to the Spanish-French co-production Young & Beautiful [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
fiche film] by Marina Lameiro, “for its portrait of intimacy; using the power of suggestion and what happens out of shot, the images of an extraordinary urgency manage to capture the void of the current social situation and the sheer bewilderment of a generation”. Lastly, Thirty Souls [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Diana Toucedo
fiche film] by Galician director Diana Toucedo pocketed the Novos Cinemas Audience Award.

Here is the full list of winners:

Official Section 

Novos Cinemas Award for Best Feature 
Suburban Birds – Qiu Sheng (China) 

Special Mention
A Violent Desire for Joy [+lire aussi :
bande-annonce
fiche film] – Clément Schneider (France) 

Youth Jury Award for Best Director
Virgil Vernier – Sophia Antipolis [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Virgil Vernier
fiche film] (France)

Latexos section 

NUMAX Special Award
Young & Beautiful [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
fiche film] – Marina Lameiro (Spain/France)

Other awards 

Cinemas de Galicia–AGADIC Audience Award
Thirty Souls [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Diana Toucedo
fiche film] – Diana Toucedo (Spain)