07/12/2023 - The jury of the international competition of the festival’s 33rd edition awarded the film by Sam H Freeman and Ng Choon Ping, and gave a special mention to Animalia by Sofia Alaoui

Femme [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sam H Freeman, Ng Choon Ping
film profile] by Sam H Freeman and Ng Choon Ping (UK) has won the 2023 Black Panther Award given by the jury of the international competition at the 33rd edition of the Noir in Festival (1-7 December), presided by Spanish director Jaume Balagueró and composed of London’s Frightfest founder and co-director  Paul McEvoy as well as Italian pop duo La Rappresentante di Lista founder and singer, Veronica Lucchesi. The jury also unanimously awarded Animalia [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sofia Alaoui
film profile] (France/Morocco/Qatar) by Moroccan-French filmmaker Sofia Alaoui with a special mention.

The jury described Femme as “an exceptional work, contemporary and of vital importance, which explores current themes such as the question of gender and toxic relationships. We must highlight the extraordinary performance from the actor, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett. The film is intense, tight, with masterful storytelling.” Femme had won three awards at the British Independent Film Awards this year (read the news - Best Joint Lead Performance for Stewart-Jarrett and George MacKay; Best Costume Design for Buki Ebiesuwa, and Best Make-up and Hair Design for Marie Deehan). Animalia – winner of the Special Jury Prize: Creative Vision in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition of Sundance 2023 – was meanwhile called “an emotional and philosophical science fiction story, a superlative work by a wonderful emerging talent.”

The popular jury, composed of 70 people (IULM students and fan of cinema), debated for four days on the six films chosen by directors Giorgio Gosetti and Gianni Canova as representing the best Italian noir cinema of 2023. They finally gave the Claudio Caligari Prize for best Italian noir film of the year to The Last Night of Amore [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Andrea Di Stefano
film profile] by Andrea Di Stefano, which premiered as a Special Gala at the 2023 Berlinale. 

The Noir in Festival also decided to give Tony Sperandeo the Luca Svizzeretto - Independent Spirit Award (named after a journalist, friend and collaborator of the festival who passed away in 2016) which, since 2017, has crowned an unconventional figure of Italian cinema. The actor, among the protagonists in Garbage Man by Alfonso Bergamo, which premiere out of competition at the f2023 Noir in Festival, said that “After more than 100 films and many TV series episodes, receiving a prize is above all confirmation that I am alive and that those watching understand that I put my face and my personality into every role. In my career I have also been "the hero" but I am always remembered as "the villain." And I am glad about that because it's a more difficult role, a character to whom you have to give a soul every time, a reason to make him stay in the viewer's memory”.

The award:

Black Panther Award
Femme [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sam H Freeman, Ng Choon Ping
film profile] - Sam H Freeman, Ng Choon Ping (UK)

Special Mention
Animalia [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sofia Alaoui
film profile] - Sofia Alaoui (France/Morocco/Qatar)

Luca Svizzeretto - Independent Spirit Award
Tony Sperandeo

(Translated from Italian)