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FESTIVALS Georgia

Ray & Liz and Happy as Lazzaro split the awards at Batumi

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- Richard Billingham's film has picked up the Grand Prix and Best Actress, while the Cannes entry received Best Director and Actor at the Georgian event

Ray & Liz and Happy as Lazzaro split the awards at Batumi
Actor Luca Chikovani picks up one of the awards for Happy as Lazzaro (© Batumi International Art-house Film Festival)

The Batumi International Art-house Film Festival took place for the 13th time from 17-23 September, and saw Richard Billingham's Ray & Liz [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Richard Billingham
film profile
]
and Alice Rohrwacher's Happy as Lazzaro [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alice Rohrwacher
film profile
]
split the main awards in the International Competition. Ray & Liz won the Grand Prix and Best Actress for Ella Smith, while Rorhwacher picked up Best Director and Adriano Tardiolo scooped Best Actor. Happy as Lazarro also received a Special Mention from the Critics’ Jury – who opted to give their main award to Sergei Loznitsa's Donbass [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sergei Loznitsa
film profile
]
.

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Two Special Jury Prizes were given to Tinatin Kajrishvili's Horizon [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Tinatin Kajrishvili
film profile
]
and Wolfgang Fischer's Styx [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Wolfgang Fischer
film profile
]
.

In the Documentary Competition, Talal Derki's Of Fathers and Sons [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
continued its winning streak, and Audrius Stonys and Kristīne Briede's Bridges of Time [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
was recognised with a Special Mention.

In the Short Film Competition, Georgia's Davit Pirtskhalava won Best Film with Eraser, and Special Mentions went to All These Creatures by Australia's Charles Williams and Delivery by Jordanian filmmaker Yazan Al Ghazzawi.

Lifetime Achievement Awards were bestowed upon three legendary Georgian film professionals: cinematographer Lomer Akhvlediani, composer Soso Bardanashvili and actor Gela Kandelaki.

Here is the full list of award winners:

International Competition

Grand Prix
Ray & Liz [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Richard Billingham
film profile
]
- Richard Billingham (UK)

Best Director
Alice Rohrwacher - Happy as Lazzaro [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alice Rohrwacher
film profile
]
(Italy/Switzerland/France/Germany)

Best Actress
Ella Smith - Ray & Liz

Best Actor
Adriano Tardiolo - Happy as Lazzaro

Special Jury Prize
Horizon [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Tinatin Kajrishvili
film profile
]
- Tinatin Kajrishvili (Georgia/Sweden)
Styx [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Wolfgang Fischer
film profile
]
- Wolfgang Fischer (Germany/Austria)

Georgian Critics’ Jury Prize

Best Film
Donbass [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sergei Loznitsa
film profile
]
- Sergei Loznitsa (Germany/Ukraine/France/Netherlands/Romania)
Special Mention
Happy as Lazzaro - Alice Rohrwacher

Documentary Film Competition

Best Film
Of Fathers and Sons [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
- Talal Derki (Germany/Syria/Lebanon/Qatar)
Special Mention
Bridges of Time [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
- Audrius Stonys and Kristīne Briede (Latvia)

Short Film Competition

Best Film
Eraser - Davit Pirtskhalava (Georgia)
Special Mention
All These Creatures - Charles Williams (Australia)
Delivery - Yazan Al Ghazzawi (Jordan)

Lifetime Achievement Award for Contribution to Cinema
Lomer Akhvlediani (Georgia)
Gela Kandelaki (Georgia)
Soso Bardanashvili (Georgia)

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