18/12/2020 - Jasmila Zbanic wins the Crystal Arrow and the Audience Award, The Whaler Boy scoops the Grand Prize, Mendonza and Natasa Stork are named best actors while the Cineuropa prize goes to Shorta

It’s a double victory at the 12th Les Arcs Film Festival (whose one-off online edition will continue until 26 December) for Quo Vadis, Aida? [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jasmila Žbanić
film profile], by Bosnian director Jasmila Zbanic, which not only walked away with the 2020 Crystal Arrow for Best Film, as decided upon by a jury helmed by the French director and actress Zabou Breitman, but also won big with the Audience Award.

Unveiled in competition at the Venice Film Festival, Quo Vadis, Aida? was produced by Bosnian firm Deblokda alongside Austrian groups Coop99 and ORF, Romanian outfit Digital Cube, Poland’s Extreme Emotions, Paris-based Indie Prod, the Netherlands’ N279 Entertainment, German firm Razor Film, Norway’s Tordenfilm and Turkey’s TRT. International sales are steered by Parisian group Indie Sales, while the film’s French release is set to take place in 2021, courtesy of Condor.

The main jury awarded its Grand Prize to The Whaler Boy [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Philipp Yuryev
film profile] by Russia’s Philipp Yuryev, and distinguished the acting talent of the Gabarre Mendoza family in Last Days of Spring [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Isabel Lamberti
film profile], a film by Spain’s Isabel Lamberti, as well as that of Natasa Stork in Preparations To Be Together For An Unknown Period of Time [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lili Horvat
interview: Natasa Stork
film profile], coming courtesy of Hungary’s Lili Horvát. Joining them on the winners list is Romania’s Alexander Nanau, for the photography he offers up in his documentary Collective [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]  (all his own work), and English composer Chris Roe for the music gracing After Love [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Aleem Khan
film profile], a film directed by his compatriot Aleem Khan.

Also of note is the Cineuropa Prize, which went to Shorta [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Anders Ølholm and Frederik …
film profile] by Danish directors Anders Ølholm and Frederik Louis Hviid, and the Young Jury Award which was claimed by Greek filmmaker Christos Nikou for Apples [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Christos Nikou
film profile].

The full list of winners is as follows:

Crystal Arrow
Quo Vadis, Aida? [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jasmila Žbanić
film profile] - Jasmila Zbanic (Bosnia-Herzegovina/Austria/Romania/France/Netherlands/Germany/Poland/Norway/Turkey)

Grand Jury Prize
The Whaler Boy [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Philipp Yuryev
film profile] - Philipp Yuryev (Poland/Russia/Belgium)

Best Acting Performance
The Gabarre Mendoza family – Last Days of Spring [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Isabel Lamberti
film profile] (Netherlands/Spain)
Natasa Stork - Preparations To Be Together For An Unknown Period of Time [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lili Horvat
interview: Natasa Stork
film profile] (Hungary)

Best Original Music
Chris Roe - After Love [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Aleem Khan
film profile] (UK)

Best Photography
Alexander Nanau - Collective [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Romania/Luxembourg)

Audience Award
Quo Vadis, Aida? -  Jasmila Zbanic

Cineuropa Prize
Shorta [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Anders Ølholm and Frederik …
film profile] - Anders Ølholm and Frederik Louis Hviid (Denmark)

Young Jury Award
Apples [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Christos Nikou
film profile] - Christos Nikou (Greece/Poland/Slovenia)

Best Short Film
Sherbet - Nikola Stojanovic (Serbia)

Short Film Special Mention
Dustin - Naïla Guiguet (France)