19/06/2023 - The first Iranian film to win Transilvania’s official competition impressed the jury with its original idea, while European victors included Family Time, Between Revolutions and Day of the Tiger

Like a Fish on the Moon director Dornaz Hajiha receiving the Transilvania Trophy from jury member Michel Franco and special guest Geoffrey Rush

The director of the Iranian movie Like a Fish on the Moon, Dornaz Hajiha, turned out to be the big winner during the 22nd Transilvania International Film Festival awards gala, which took place on Saturday evening at the Lucian Blaga National Theatre in Cluj-Napoca. As usual, the Transilvania Trophy was endowed with €10,000. The work of the cast was also singled out: actress Sepidar Tari, as the protagonist, won the Best Performance Award (€1,000), splitting it with Nacho Quesada, who plays the lead role in the Argentinian film The Barbarians. Taking into account the victories by the helmer of the Argentinian-Brazilian drama Charcoal, Carolina Markowicz, who picked up the Best Director Award (€3,500), and Tia Kouvo, who snagged the Special Jury Award (€1,500) for Family Time [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Tia Kouvo
film profile] (Finland/Sweden), a new record has thus been set, since for the first time in the history of the festival, the most important awards went to women.

Between Revolutions [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Vlad Petri
film profile] (Romania/Croatia/Qatar/Iran) by Vlad Petri was crowned Best Feature Film in the Romanian Days competition, having been picked by the jury for the strong emotions it elicits in viewers. The director will receive a prize of €1,500, plus analogue laboratory services worth €10,000, offered by Cinelab Romania. The fictionalised poetic documentary also received the FIPRESCI Award, while Andrei Tănase’s Day of the Tiger [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Andrei Tănase
film profile] (Romania) was named Best Debut, a prize endowed with €1,000.

The winner of the second iteration of the What's Up, Doc? competition was Anhell69 [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Theo Montoya
film profile] (Colombia/Romania/France/Germany) by Theo Montoya, a meticulously documented story of a generation that has to deal with violence in the Colombian city of Medellín. The prize is worth €2,000.

This year’s special guests Oliver Stone and Geoffrey Rush were honoured with Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Here is the full list of awards handed out at the 22nd edition:

Main Competition

Transilvania Trophy
Like a Fish on the Moon – Dornaz Hajiha (Iran)

Best Director
Carolina Markowicz - Charcoal (Argentina/Brazil)

Special Jury Prize
Family Time [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Tia Kouvo
film profile] – Tia Kuovo (Finland/Sweden)

Best Performance (ex aequo)
Sepidar Tari - Like a Fish on the Moon
Nacho Quesada – The Barbarians (Argentina)

Lifetime Achievement Awards
Oliver Stone
Geoffrey Rush

Romanian Days competition

Best Feature
Between Revolutions [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Vlad Petri
film profile] – Vlad Petri (Romania/Croatia/Qatar/Iran)

Best First Feature
Day of the Tiger [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Andrei Tănase
film profile] - Andrei Tănase (Romania)

Special Mention for a Feature Film
Eagles From Țaga [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Iulian Manuel Ghervas, Adina Popescu (Romania/Slovakia)

FIPRESCI Award
Between Revolutions – Vlad Petri

Best Short Film
Our Summer Break – Lara Ionescu (Romania)

Special Mentions
Berliner Kindl – Lucia Chicoș (Romania)
Whole Family – Alexandra Diaconu (Romania)

Audience Award
Carbon [+see also:
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trailer
film profile] – Ion Borș (Moldova/Romania/Spain)

Excellency Award
Horațiu Mălăele

What’s Up, Doc? competition

Best Documentary
Anhell69 [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Theo Montoya
film profile] – Theo Montoya (Colombia/Romania/France/Germany)
Special Mention
100 Seasons [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Giovanni Bucchieri
film profile] – Giovanni Bucchieri (Sweden)