Turin hands trophies to Botox and Identifying Features
- The 38th edition of the festival unspooled online and resulted in prizes for Iranian director Kaveh Mazaheri’s film and Fernanda Valadez’s Mexican-Spanish co-production
The 38th edition of the Torino Film Festival, a nine-day programme consisting of 133 films and a jam-packed schedule of sidebar events, which was directed by Stefano Francia di Celle and unspooled entirely online this year, came to an end on Saturday 28 November with the announcement of the winning film Botox by Kaveh Mazaheri. “We managed to pull off the not so easy task of finding a solution which would allow the festival to take place, whilst also protecting its identity, despite the extremely challenging circumstances we found ourselves in", enthused Enzo Ghigo, the chairman of Turin’s National Film Museum which organises and managed the festival.
In addition to naming Botox Best Film and treating it to the Best Screenplay accolade, the jury composed of Waad Al-Kateab (Syria), Jun Ichikawa (Japan), Paola Randi (Italy), Martina Scarpelli (Italy) and Homayra Sellier (Iran) handed its Special Prize to Identifying Features [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], the debut work by Mexico’s Fernanda Valadez whose lead actress Mercedes Hernandez also earned herself an award. Best Actor went to Conrad Mericoffer, who starred in Poppy Field [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Eugen Jebeleanu
film profile] by Romania’s Eugen Jebeleanu, whilst a Special Mention went to the Nigerian title This is My Desire, which is Arie & Chuko Esiri’s first work.
The full list of winners at this year’s Torino Film Festival is as follows:
International Competition
Best Film
Botox - Kaveh Mazaheri (Iran/Canada)
Special Jury Prize
Identifying Features [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Fernanda Valadez (Mexico/Spain)
Best Actress
Mercedes Hernandez – Identifying Features
Best Actor
Conrad Mericoffer - Poppy Field [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Eugen Jebeleanu
film profile] (Romania)
Best Screenplay
Kaveh Mazaheri, Sepinood Najian - Botox
Jury Special Mention
This is My Desire - Arie Esiri, Chucko Esiri (Nigeria)
International Short Films Competition
Best Short
A Better You - Eamonn Murphy (Ireland)
Special Jury Prize
Just a Guy - Shoko Hara (Germany)
Special Jury Mentions
The Last Mermaid - Fi Kelly (Scotland/UK)
L'Escale - Pieter de Cnudde (Belgium)
Best Italian Short
Old Child - Elettra Bisogno
Special Jury Prize for Italian Short
Malumore - Loris Giuseppe Nese
International Documentary Competition
Best Documentary
The Last Hillbilly [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Diane Sara Bouzgarrou, Thomas Jenkoe (France)
Special Jury Prize
Ouvertures [+see also:
trailer
interview: Louis Henderson
film profile] - The Living and the Dead Ensemble (France)
Best Italian Documentary
Pino [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Walter Fasano (Italy)
Special Jury Prize for Best Italian Documentary
Al largo - Anna Marziano
Other Awards
FIPRESCI Prize (for Best Film or Short)
Moving On - Dan-bi Yoon (South Korea)
RAI Cinema Channel Award
A Better You - Eamonn Murphy (Ireland)
Achille Valdata Award
This is My Desire - Arie Esiri, Chucko Esiri
(Translated from Italian)
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