31/05/2021 - Russian helmer Victor Kossakovsky’s empathetic film has scooped the Award for Best Documentary, while Spaniard Alba Sotorra picked up the Audience Award for The Return: Life after ISIS

On Saturday 28 May, DocsBarcelona handed out the awards of its 24th edition, which started unspooling on the 18th and which invited audiences to flock back to the movie theatres while simultaneously taking place online, via the Filmin platform. According to its director, Joan González, “With 85,000 viewers, this has been a year of transition, and we’ve been able to get back to experiencing the magic of documentaries in the cinemas.” Its programme of 33 features, hailing from just as many countries, was brought to close with a screening of High Maintenance – The Life and Work of Dani Karavan [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], a portrait of the titular Israeli sculptor, who sadly passed away last Saturday at the ripe old age of 90.

However, the big winner at the gathering was the tremendous Gunda [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], a co-production between the USA and Norway directed by Victor Kossakovsky, which was released in Spanish theatres just one day beforehand. Meanwhile, the public plumped for The Return: Life after ISIS [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Spaniard Alba Sotorra, which also picked up the Award of the Reteena Youth Jury.

In the Latitud section, dedicated to films from Spain and Latin America, Ida Cuéllar’s The Secret of Doctor Grinberg [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] came out on top, while the Amnesty International Catalonia Award was bestowed upon Room Without a View by Roser Corella (Austria/Germany). The complete list of award winners can be consulted at the bottom of this article.

As for the industry area, it’s worth noting that more than 450 meetings between 83 financiers and participants hailing from 29 countries were organised during the festival, and this will provide a huge boost to documentary production over the next few months, given that the attendees got to know first hand 45 different projects (see the news). In addition, the gathering handed out a plethora of prizes in this strand, and all of the winners ended up being European: Unbound, Touché, Queen of Chess, Age, Ole mi coño – The Riposte to Digital Violence, Pepi Fandango [+see also:
trailer
interview: Lucija Stojević
film profile] and The Click Trap.

To sum up this article, let’s look to the future. Indeed, as González explains: “We’re sure that this hybrid formula will be maintained once we reach the end of this exceptional period. Things are changing, and this festival is mindful of that so as to adapt to it in some cases and get ahead of the game in other cases, such as with the in-person experience in the theatres, encompassing new elements that we will gradually be developing. There were many small moments that set the tone of this very special edition, which paves the way for what will be its 25^th iteration, in May 2022.”

Here is the full list of winners:

DocsBarcelona Award for Best Documentary – Panorama Official Section
Gunda [+see also:
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trailer
film profile] – Victor Kossakovsky (Norway/USA)

New Talent Award
Inside the Red Brick Wall – Hong Kong Documentary Filmmakers collective (China)

Award in the Latitud Official Section
The Secret of Doctor Grinberg [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Ida Cuéllar (Spain)

Amnesty International Catalonia Award
Room Without a View – Roser Corella (Austria/Germany)

Audience Award
The Return: Life after ISIS [+see also:
trailer
film profile] – Alba Sotorra (Spain/UK)

DOC-U Award
La ermitaña – Anna Hanslik (Spain)

Docs&Teens Award
El niño de fuego – Ignacio Acconcia (Spain)

Award of the Reteena Youth Jury
The Return: Life after ISIS – Alba Sotorra

Docs del Mes Audience Award
Honeyland [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ljubomir Stefanov, Tamara K…
interview: Tamara Kotevska, Ljubomir S…
film profile] – Tamara Kotevska and Ljubonir Stefanov (North Macedonia)

DocsBarcelona 2021 Industry Awards

Public Pitch Award
Unbound – John English and Tom Garner (UK)

Speed Meetings Award
Touché – Martina Moor (Italy)

Docs Series Award
Queen of Chess – Bernadett Tuza-Ritter (Hungary)

Rough Cut Pitch Award
Age – Gustav Ägerstrand, Asa Ekman, Oscar Hedin and Anders Teigen (Sweden)

Public Pitch Award
Ole mi coño – The Riposte to Digital Violence – Patricia Franquesa (Spain)

DAE Award
Pepi Fandango [+see also:
trailer
interview: Lucija Stojević
film profile] – Lucija Stojevic (Spain)

FipaDoc Award
The Click Trap – Peter Porta (Spain)

East Doc Platform Award
Unbound – John English and Tom Garner

DokFest Munich – Doc Around Europe Award
Ole mi coño – The Riposte to Digital Violence – Patricia Franquesa

San Sebastián Lau Haizetara Co-Production Forum Award
The Click Trap – Peter Porta (Spain)

(Translated from Spanish)