Yesterday, the 67^th San Sebastián International Film Festival announced the winners of its various industry sections. Mexico, Nicaragua and Argentina shone bright in the the two sections championing the collaboration between the Latin American and European film industries, Films in Progress 36 and the 8th Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum, while Kosovo triumphed in Glocal in Progress and Brazil in Ikusmira Berriak.

The Mexican project Non Distinguishing Features [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
scheda film], directed by Fernanda Valadez, won the Films in Progress Industry Award, which consists of the post-production of the movie and its distribution in Spain. Produced by Astrid Rondero for Corpulenta Producciones and Jack Zagha for Avanti Pictures, the film, which is still in the editing phase, tells the story of a Mexican woman who sets out on a peregrination in search of her son, who disappeared en route to the US border.

The Glocal in Progress section, dedicated to works in progress shot in non-hegemonic European languages, saw the victory of More Raça’s Andromeda Galaxy [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: More Raça
scheda film], a co-production between Kosovo (Sunaj Raça for Arena), France (Alexander Koka for United Postproduction), North Macedonia (Dejan Ilijev for Mind Productions) and Italy (Alfredo Federico for 39 Films). The film, which is in post-production and will receive funding for its finalisation and distribution in Spain, follows a 52-year-old man struggling with unemployment, financial woes and family problems in Kosovo, who decides to sell a kidney to emigrate to Europe.

Two projects came out on top in the 8th Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum. The main winner of this edition was Daughter of Rage [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Laura Baumeister
scheda film], a project co-produced by Nicaragua (Rossana Baumeister for Felipa Films), Mexico (Martha Orozco for Martfilms), the Netherlands (Christine Anderton for Halal), Germany (Bettina Brokemper for Heimatfilm) and France (Samuel Chauvin for Promenades Films), and directed by Laura Baumeister. It thus took home the Best Project Award (worth €10,000 gross), the EFADs-CACI Europe-Latin America Co-Production Grant (€20,000) and the ArteKino International Prize (€6,000). The film, presently at the funding stage, follows a young girl living in Managua’s immense rubbish dump, who is forced to struggle through life by herself after her mother leaves. In the meantime, Almamula [+leggi anche:
trailer
intervista: Juan Sebastián Torales
scheda film], a project co-produced by France (Pilar Peredo for Tu Vas Voir), Argentina (Lorena Quevedo for Twins Latin Films) and Luxembourg (Nicolas Steil for Iris Productions), directed by Juan Sebastian Torales, won the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award (€20,000). The film, now at the final script stage, tells the tale of a 12-year-old boy who, after being attacked for being homosexual, goes to live on a ranch and discovers the legend of the Almamula, a creature that carries off those who practise an impure sexual act.

Lastly, the Ikusmira Berriak annual residency programme for the development of projects, organised in collaboration with Tabakalera and Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola, awarded post-production funding to Painless by Brazilian director Michael Wahrmann, a co-production between Brazil (Silvia Cruz and Julia Alves for Sancho&Punta), Portugal (Luis Urbano for O Som e a Fúria) and Argentina (Ezequiel Borovinsky for Wanka). The film, described as a social horror-thriller, revolves around a retired French couple who buy an abandoned house on a paradisiac island in Brazil.

As a reminder, last Sunday saw the announcement of the Zinemaldia Startup Challenge (see the news).

Here is the full list of award winners:

Films in Progress 36

Films in Progress Industry Award
Non Distinguishing Features [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
scheda film] – Fernanda Valadez (Mexico)

Glocal in Progress

Glocal in Progress Award + Glocal in Progress Industry Award
Andromeda Galaxy [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: More Raça
scheda film] – More Raça (Kosovo/France/North Macedonia/Italy)

8th Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum

8th Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum Best Project Award
Daughter of Rage [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Laura Baumeister
scheda film] – Laura Baumeister (Nicaragua/Mexico/Netherlands/Germany/France)

EFADs-CACI Europe-Latin America Co-Production Grant
Daughter of Rage – Laura Baumeister

Eurimages Co-Production Development Award
Almamula [+leggi anche:
trailer
intervista: Juan Sebastián Torales
scheda film] – Juan Sebastian Torales (France/Argentina/Luxembourg)

ARTE Kino International Prize
Daughter of Rage – Laura Baumeister

Ikusmira Berriak

REC Grabaketa Estudioa Post-Production Award
Painless – Michael Wahrmann (Brazil/Portugal/Argentina)