The Festival du Nouveau Cinéma (FNC) has revealed the winners of its 54th edition, which ran from 8-19 October. Once again, the festival celebrated the audacity, diversity and innovation of contemporary cinema, recognising both feature films and projects in development presented within the framework of the Nouveau Marché.

In the International Competition, the Louve d’Or presented by Québecor, worth CA $15,000 (€9,200), went to I Only Rest in the Storm [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
entrevista: Pedro Pinho
ficha de la película] by Pedro Pinho, a fresco about an expat working for an NGO who finds himself in Guinea-Bissau, first screened in Un Certain Regard at Cannes, as decided by the international jury, composed of Naomie Décarie-Daigneault, Maxim Gaudette and Guillaume Vasseur. The Acting Award was presented to Ubeimar Rios for his role in A Poet [+lee también:
crítica
entrevista: Simón Mesa Soto
ficha de la película] by Simón Mesa Soto, which also took home the Jury Prize from Un Certain Regard. Lastly, the Daniel Langlois Innovation Award, hailing a work that is bold in aesthetic and technological terms, went to Affection affection [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película] by Maxime Matray and Alexia Walther, shown in Locarno’s Filmmakers of the Present.

In the National Competition, the Grand Prix Post-Moderne, comprising CA$1,000 (€600) in cash and CA$15,000 in post-production services, was awarded to Blue Heron [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película] by Sophy Romvari, which had previously won Best First Feature at Locarno. The jury also gave a Special Mention to Mon fils ne revint que sept jours by Yan Giroux.

In the Les Nouveaux Alchimistes strand, dedicated to formal experimentation, the Nouveaux Alchimistes Award (CA$1,000 presented by Main Film) went to Mare's Nest [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
entrevista: Ben Rivers
ficha de la película] by Ben Rivers, while a Special Mention singled out Zodiac Killer Project [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película] by Charlie Shackleton.

Among the other prizes, the Fierté Montréal Award, rewarding the best 2SLGBTQIA+ feature at the festival (CA$2,000, or €1,220), was given to A Useful Ghost [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
ficha de la película] by Thai filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke; the FIPRESCI Award went to The Devil Smokes (and Saves the Burnt Matches in the Same Box) by Mexican director Ernesto Martínez Bucio; and the Audience Award – Peace Prize, presented by the Réseau pour la paix et l’harmonie sociale (CA$2,000), was bestowed upon Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película] by Sepideh Farsi.

On the industry side, the FNC’s Nouveau Marché also singled out several promising projects: the Nouveau Marché Award (CA$25,000, or €15,300) went to the Portuguese project Sun in Saturn by Ary Zara “for the sensitivity of its writing and its formal boldness in the service of a universal emotion”. The ArteKino International Award (€6,000 in development funding) was presented to the Kyrgyz project 18th Birthday by Aizada Amangeldy. The First-Feature Pitches Award (CA$10,000, or €6,120) went to the Canadian project Tears of My Enemies by Holly Brace-Lavoie. Finally, the SLA Location Award (CA$1,200, or €735, in equipment rental) was given to Des fleurs en hiver by Alexia Roc.

Here is the full list of winners:

International Competition

Louve d’Or
I Only Rest in the Storm [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
entrevista: Pedro Pinho
ficha de la película] – Pedro Pinho (Portugal/France/Romania/Brazil)

Acting Award
Ubeimar Rios – A Poet [+lee también:
crítica
entrevista: Simón Mesa Soto
ficha de la película] (Colombia/Germany/Sweden)

Daniel Langlois Innovation Award
Affection affection [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película] – Maxime Matray, Alexia Walther (France)

National Competition

Grand Prix Post-Moderne
Blue Heron [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película] – Sophy Romvari (Canada/Hungary)
Special Mention
Mon fils ne revint que sept jours – Yan Giroux (Canada)

Les Nouveaux Alchimistes Competition

Nouveaux Alchimistes Award
Mare's Nest [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
entrevista: Ben Rivers
ficha de la película] – Ben Rivers (UK/France/Canada)
Special Mention
Zodiac Killer Project [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película] – Charlie Shackleton (USA/UK)

Other awards

Fierté Montréal Award
A Useful Ghost [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
ficha de la película] – Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke (Thailand/France/Singapore/Germany)

FIPRESCI Award
The Devil Smokes (and Saves the Burnt Matches in the Same Box) – Ernesto Martínez Bucio (Mexico)

Audience Award – Peace Prize
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película] – Sepideh Farsi (France/Palestine/Iran)

Audience Award – Temps Ø
Mag Mag – Yuriyan Retriever (Japan)

Nouveau Marché

Nouveau Marché Award
Sun in Saturn – Ary Zara (Portugal)
Production: Andreia Nunes (Wonder Maria Filmes)

ArteKino International Award
18th Birthday – Aizada Amangeldy (Kyrgyzstan)
Production: Nazgul Dolotkeldieva (Creative Bureau)

First-Feature Pitches Award
Tears of My Enemies – Holly Brace-Lavoie (Canada)
Production: Patrick Bilodeau (UGO Média)

SLA Location Award
Des fleurs en hiver – Alexia Roc (Canada)
Production: Jérémie Battaglia (Films Extérieur Jour)