16/06/2020 - Other victorious films stealing focus at the “live” awards ceremony held in Bologna include The Earth is Blue as an Orange and Self Portrait

Jury member Luca Ragazzi (centre) and festival artistic director Leena Pasanen (right) onstage during the awards ceremony

On the same day that Italian movie-theatres were re-opened post-Covid (15 June), the Biografilm Festival also returned to the cinema, handing out “in person” the awards of its 16th edition, which this year unspooled online. Bologna’s Pop Up Cinema Medica Palace was the setting in which the winning films of the Festival - an event which attracted over 45,000 bookings in the Biografilm Hera Theatre’s virtual cinema - were finally announced last night.

Biografilm 2020’s International Competition jury, composed of Luca Ragazzi (director and film critic), Shelly Silver (artist and video-artist) and Martijn te Pas (festival programmer and documentary specialist), awarded the trophy for Best Film to Janna Ji Wonders’ Walchensee Forever [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] and the Best First Work gong to Iryna Tsilyk’s The Earth is Blue as an Orange [+see also:
film review
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interview: Iryna Tsilyk
film profile], with a Special Mention going to Noodle Kid by Huo Ning and Wake Up On Mars [+see also:
film review
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interview: Dea Gjinovci
film profile] by Dea Gjinovci.

The Biografilm Italy Competition jury, meanwhile, featuring Roberta Mattei (film and theatre actress), Cristina Rajola (documentary producer and international co-production specialist) and Ester Sparatore (artist and documentary-maker), crowned Pierfrancesco Li Donni’s Our Road [+see also:
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film profile] Best Film, with a Special Mention going to In A Future April [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Francesco Costabile and Federico Savonitto. For its part, the Audience Award for the Best Film of the Biografilm Festival 2020 was scooped by Self Portrait [+see also:
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film profile] by Katja Hogset, Margreth Olin and Espen Wallin.

“It’s a wonderful thing to be back in cinemas and meeting people in person, but I’m also excited about virtual participation in the festival”, new director Leena Pasanen remarked. “Our decision to move online has been rewarded by the audience who have followed our programme closely and demonstrated their devotion on social media too. The event dedicated to film professionals, Bio to B, was also incredible in subscription terms, with 160+ virtual attendees who were able to connect with one another from within their own homes”. She concluded: “We will continue to work so as to ensure that, next year, those who are unable to travel to Bologna are once again able to take part in the festival”.

The Bio to B 2020 Pitching Forum jury, composed of Lejla Dedic (producer for Al Jazeera Balkans) and Markus Nikel (Senior International Consultant TV and Crossmedia, Author Factual and Documentary), likewise unveiled its winners.

The list of the awards:

International Competition

Unipol Award for Best Film
Walchensee Forever [+see also:
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film profile] - Janna Ji Wonders (Germany)

Hera “New Talent” Award
The Earth is Blue as an Orange [+see also:
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interview: Iryna Tsilyk
film profile] - Iryna Tsilyk (Ukraine/Lithuania)

Hera “New Talent” – Special Mention
Noodle Kid - Huo Ning (China)
Wake Up On Mars [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dea Gjinovci
film profile] - Dea Gjinovci (Switzerland/France)

Biografilm Italy Competition

Best Film Award
Our Road [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Pierfrancesco Li Donni

Special Mention
In A Future April [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Francesco Costabile, Federico Savonitto

Audience Award
Self Portrait [+see also:
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trailer
film profile] - Katja Hogset, Margreth Olin, Espen Wallin (Norway)

Bio to B Pitching Forum

Best Emilia-Romagna Project
50 - Santarcangelo Festival [+see also:
trailer
interview: Michele Mellara, Alessandro…
film profile] - Michele Mellara, Alessandro Rossi (Italy)
Production: Mammut Films

Best Italian Project
The Mayor, Me, Mussolini and the Museum - Piergiorgio Curzi, Sabika Shah Povia (Italy/France)
Production: Road Television, Illegitime Defense

Best European Project
Jump Out - Nika Saravanja (Belgium/Italy)
Production: Tico Film Company, Playtime Films

DAE Award
Red Flag. Or: The Story of How I Became a Communist When I Was 8 and Now I Don't Know Who the Hell To Vote For - Nicola Piovesan (Italy/Estonia)
Production: Sayonara Film, Exitfilm

(Translated from Italian)