29/10/2024 - In its seventh edition, the Galician festival dedicated to experimental, auteur, and avant-garde cinema, is determined to be the connecting fabric between filmmakers and the industry

The winners of the 7th edition of Intersección (© Intersección)

On 26 October, the 7th edition of Intersección —A Coruña International Film Festival concluded with its awards ceremony in the classy Teatro Colón, one of the festival's regular venues. Over the previous six days, the public was able to enjoy more than 70 titles in different sections. 

Besides the competitive sections Internacional, Galicia, and Escolas, audiences could enjoy experimental shorts and feature films in the non-competitive categories, such as the retrospective of Austrian collective Total Refusal, and the sections Sección Z, Inmersiva, and Miradas Diversas. Straying a bit further from its experimental focus, but in tune with the Marxist, pacifist themes of Total Refusal, the section Clásicos Modernos had programmed the Clint Eastwood film Unforgiven and the Michael Mann film Miami Vice.

Another new addition to the festival was the extension of the industry programme NEXUS. Besides the pitching sessions at INTERSECTION LAB, a laboratory aimed at projects currently in development and for filmmakers to find advice and mentoring, Intersección for the first time hosted co-production spaces such as the FORO pitching session and matchmaking such as ÁGORA. “INTERSECTION NEXUS was born as a necessary commitment on the part of the festival,” festival director Gonzalo E. Veloso stated. “It is a necessary space both at the Galician and the national level.”

At the ceremony itself, a rich selection of official and non-official awards were given out. Regarding the big three categories, the Best Film Award in the International Section and a prize money of €2,000 went to the Swiss puppet animation Histoires sans lion by Vital Z'brun, who accepted his award via video message. The Best Spanish Short Film Award went to I Will Scream on Your Grave by María Cañas, which therefore qualifies for the Goya Awards by the Spanish Academy of Audiovisual Arts and Sciences. The Best Film Award in the Galicia Section and prize money of €1,000 went to Lavadoiro by Ana Amado and Lois Patiño. 

Further official awards were the Best Film Award and prize money of €350 in the Escolas Section, which went to Ei, Temi by Marta Aguilella, Arnau Belloc and Jesús Minchón, the Young Jury Prize for Delinquent by Alba Domínguez, and the Public Award for Tectonic Fold + A Painting with Subtitles by Carlos Fer. On the unofficial awards side, A veiled photography is space for a purpose of memory by Sabela Eiriz bagged the Contemporary Award, winning the exhibition of the work in a contemporary art gallery in Galicia. Platonic, platonic by Xacio Baño won the Numax Exhibition Award and a screening of the work at NUMAX cinemas. Delinquent by Alba Domínguez took home the MAV Award, a prize dedicated to a female work of art.

With the young festival continuing to find its footing, Veloso celebrated record attendance. “We are very happy, it was a success to be able to expand our venues.” One such new location was the Cantones Cines, allowing for increased capacity and opening the festival even more from festival attendees to the general public.

The full list of winners:

Best Film Internacional Section 
Histoires sans lion - Vital Z'brun (Switzerland)

Best Spanish Short Film
I Will Scream on Your Grave - María Cañas (Spain)

Best Film Galicia Section 
Lavadoiro - Ana Amado and Lois Patiño (Spain)

Best Film Escolas Section
Ei, Temi - Marta Aguilella, Arnau Belloc and Jesús Minchón (Spain)

Young Jury Prize
Delinquent - Alba Domínguez (Spain)

Audience Award
Tectonic Fold + A Painting with Subtitles - Carlos Fer (Spain)

Contemporary Award
A Veiled Photography is a Space for a Purpose of Memory - Sabela Eiriz (Spain)

Numax Exhibition Award
Platonic, Platonic - Xacio Baño (Spain)

MAV Award
Delinquent - Alba Domínguez

(Translated from Spanish)