27/06/2016 - The Valencia International Film Festival, which wrapped on Friday, bestowed its top prize upon the Georgian film Anna’s Life by Nino Basilia

The Moon of Valencia Award for Best Feature – which comes with €30,000 in distribution support – at the 31^st edition of the Cinema Jove Valencia International Film Festival (17-24 June) has gone to the Georgian film Anna's Life [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nino Basilia
film profile], directed by Nino Basilia. “Devoid of a pretentious narrative and with a vast array of superbly coordinated emotions,” according to the jury, the movie portrays the odyssey of the single mother of an autistic boy who, after selling her house, hands the money over to a man who promises her a US visa so that she can emigrate to America, where she hopes for a better life.

Humidity [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nikola Ljuca
film profile], a co-production between Greece, the Netherlands and Serbia, snagged a Special Mention for Nikola Ljuca’s splendid direction and its ability to lay bare male emotion and take it to the most disturbing heights of vulnerability, according to the jury, comprising Cristina Perales, William Miller and Frank Freys.

In the shorts section, the Moon of Valencia Award went to My Silicone Love by Sophie Dros (the Netherlands) and Edmon by Nina Gantz (United Kingdom), while a Special Mention was given to the German title Symbolic Threats, directed by Mischa Leinkauf, Lutz Henk and Matthias Wermk. Timecode, Juanjo Giménez’s delightful film that managed to bring the Palme d’Or from the latest Cannes Film Festival back to Spain (read the news), pocketed the Movistar Plus+ Award, and the moving Madrilenian documentary 23 de mayo by David Martín de los Santos picked up the Pecera Estudio Award. In addition, Catalan director Clara Roquet went home with the Movistar Plus+ Pecera Estudio Short Project Award for Les bones nenes, which she will shoot imminently and will be screened at next year’s Cinema Jove.

The brand-new Moon Awards for Best Web Series and Director were the only trophies that crossed European borders, as Argentinian directors Fernando Milsztajn and Tian Cartier earned the accolades for Un año sin nosotros.

Here is the complete list of winners at Cinema Jove 2016:

Moon of Valencia Award for Best Feature
Anna's Life [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nino Basilia
film profile] – Nino Basilia

Special Mention 
Humidity [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nikola Ljuca
film profile] – Nikola Ljuca

Moon of Valencia Award for Best Short Film (ex aequo)
My Silicone Love – Sophie Dros
Edmond – Nina Gantz

Special Mention
Symbolic Threats – Mischa Leinkauf, Lutz Henk and Matthias Wermke 

Movistar Plus+ Award
Timecode – Juanjo Gíménez

Pecera Estudio Award
23 de Mayo – David Martín de los Santos

Movistar Plus+ Pecera Estudio Short Project Award
Les bones nenes – Clara Roquet

CIMA Award for Best Female-directed Film (Feature or Short)
Delivery – Leslie Belot, Thibaut Scalesse, Sophie Blayrat, Huang Kai and Torres Kai

WELAB Award for Short Film with Best Cinematography in the Panorama Valenciano Section
Graffiti – Lluis Quilez Sala

Moon for Best Web Series
Un año sin nosotros – Fernando Milsztajn and Tian Cartier

Moon for Best Web Series Director
Un año sin nosotros – Fernando Milsztajn and Tian Cartier

Audience Award Moon
Ma Femme est Pasteure – Víctor Costa

Special Mentions:

LAWebfest Special Jury Prize 
Cabanyal Z – Joan Alamar 

Marseille Web Fest Special Jury Prize
Cabanyal Z – Joan Alamar

Special Mention for Best Actor
Dan Brietman – Mundillo

Special Mention for Best Actress 
Gillian Mc Gregor – Nikola Tesla and the End of the World

Special Mention for Best Cast
Footballer Wants a Wife – Jovita O'Shaughnessy

Special Mention for Best Editing 
Osmosis – Louis Chiche

Special Mention for Best Cinematography
Beard Club – Sébastien Nadaud and Pablo Pinasco 

(Translated from Spanish)