13/03/2023 - Valentina Maurel’s multi-award-winning film has triumphed in the main competition of the festival, which once again focused on festival favourites and Luxembourgish creation

(l-r) Marie Jung, Nadav Lapid, Asghar Farhadi, Niels Schneider and Agathe Rousselle, members of the international jury, at the festival (© Massimo Cataldo)

It’s a wrap for the 13^th edition of the Luxembourg City Film Festival, which brought some of the most recent festival favourites to the Grand Duchy from 2-12 March. Yesterday, the gathering announced its list of victors, led by the multi-award-winning I Have Electric Dreams [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Valentina Maurel
film profile], the first feature by Costa Rican-born, Belgian-based director Valentina Maurel. Consisting of renowned talents, such as Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi, Israeli director Nadav Lapid, French actors Agathe Rousselle and Niels Schneider, and Luxembourgish actress Marie Jung, the international jury decided to award the Grand Prix to the film, which depicts the coming of age of a teenager in Costa Rica who is forced to do so while enduring all types of violence inflicted by her father.

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Other films vying for the Grand Prix in the Official Competition received parallel awards. The 2030 Award by Luxembourg Aid & Development, a prize given to a film chosen from among a cross-cutting selection of five works illustrating or approaching development issues, or to a director with a link to the Luxembourg Cooperation partner countries, went to another European-Latin American co-production: Laura Mora’s The Kings of the World [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], the San Sebastián Golden Shell winner and Colombia’s Oscar submission. Ireland’s Oscar submission and the Berlinale Generation Kplus International Jury’s Grand Prize winner, The Quiet Girl [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Colm Bairéad
film profile] by Colm Bairéad, ended up winning the Audience Award, while the Venice Orizzonti winner World War III by Houman Seyyedi bagged both the FIPRESCI Award and the Young Jury Prize.

On the other hand, the Documentary section jury, which included European Film Academy CEO and director Matthijs Wouter Knol, Göteborg Film Festival director Jonas Holmberg, La Rochelle Film Festival general delegate Sophie Mirouze, La Roche-sur-Yon Film Festival artistic director Charlotte Serrand and critic Giovanni Marchini, handed the award to the bold and fascinating De Humani Corporis Fabrica [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Véréna Paravel, Lucien Cast…
film profile] by Verena Paravel and Lucien Castaing-Taylor, with a Special Mention going to We Students! [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], a portrait of youngsters from the Central African Republic by Rafiki Fariala.

As usual, besides international productions, the festival saved some room for Luxembourgish films. The official competition hosted the world premiere of Maret [+see also:
film review
film profile], the new movie by Laura Schroeder, after Barrage [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laura Schroeder
film profile], about a woman who loses parts of her memory and undergoes a groundbreaking operation by neurosurgeons in Lanzarote. The new documentary by Fabrizio Maltese, The Invitation, and the new horror flick by Jacques Molitor, Wolfkin [+see also:
trailer
film profile], also graced the Made in/with Luxembourg section, which included an enticing selection of short films by Luxembourgish directors, as well as co-productions with the country, such as Totem [+see also:
interview: Sander Burger
film profile] by Sander Burger, winner of both the School Jury Prize and the Children’s Jury Prize.

Lastly, the festival hosted events such as a master class with Asghar Farhadi and another one with animation director Pierre Földes (Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pierre Földes
film profile]), a panel about the evolution of various film professions, and a series of VR-related events and works at the VR Pavilion, the programme of which is still going on until 19 March (click here for more information).

Here is the full list of award winners:

Grand Prix
I Have Electric Dreams [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Valentina Maurel
film profile] - Valentina Maurel (Belgium/France/Costa Rica)

Documentary Award
De Humani Corporis Fabrica [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Véréna Paravel, Lucien Cast…
film profile] - Verena Paravel, Lucien Castaing-Taylor (France)
Special Mention
We Students! [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Rafiki Fariala (Central African Republic/France/Democratic Republic of the Congo/Saudi Arabia)

Other awards

FIPRESCI Award
World War III - Houman Seyyedi (Iran)

2030 Award by Luxembourg Aid & Development
The Kings of the World [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Laura Mora Ortega (Colombia/Luxembourg/France/Mexico/Norway)

Audience Award
The Quiet Girl [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Colm Bairéad
film profile] - Colm Bairéad (Ireland)

Young Jury Prize
World War III - Houman Seyyedi

School Jury Prize
Totem [+see also:
interview: Sander Burger
film profile] - Sander Burger (Netherlands/Germany/Luxembourg)

Children’s Jury Prize
Totem - Sander Burger

Best Immersive Experience Award
All That Remains - Craig Quintero
Special Mention
Container - Meghna Singh, Simon Wood