On Monday 28 October, the closing ceremony of the 23^rd Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival was held in the DKO cultural centre in Jihlava, Czech Republic. Fonja [+lire aussi :
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Because Fonja was made by a collective of young filmmakers, all inmates in the largest youth detention centre in Madagascar, the main award for Best World Documentary Film 2019 went to all of the film’s directors: Ravo Henintsoa Andrianatoandro, Lovatiana Desire Santatra, Sitraka Hermann Ramanamokatra, Jean Chrisostome Rakotondrabe, Erick Edwin Andrianamelona, Elani Eric Rakotondrasoa, Todisoa Niaina Sylvano Randrialalaina, Sitrakaniaina Raharisoa, Adriano Raharison Nantenaina, Alpha Adrimamy Fenotoky, and Lina Zacher, “for the warmth, the intuition, the trust, the courage and generosity that are holding together a film that keeps on reaffirming the power of the innocent gaze while echoing the voices of the old masters”, as stated by the sole juror, Cristi Puiu. He handed out the Special Mention only to Lina Zacher, the creator, producer and editor of the film, who directed the young filmmakers, “for the intelligent and inspired use of the cinematographic device in her search for the ineffable.”

In competition section Between the Seas, the award for Best Central and East European Documentary Film 2019 went to Romanian documentary Teach [+lire aussi :
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In the Czech Joy section, which was opened this year for the first time to Czech films made by non-Czech directors, the award for Best Czech Documentary Film 2019 and a financial award of €10,000 went to Solo [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] by French-born director Artemio Benki. The film focuses on a young Argentine piano virtuoso and composer whose life has been turned upside-down by mental illness. The jury appreciated “the lightness, nonviolence and concentration used by the author to portray a strong human story of a suffering person and to get as close as possible without disturbing formal effects and pathos”.

In the programme section First Lights, focusing on debut films by documentary filmmakers, the excellent Aphasia [+lire aussi :
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Meanwhile, the Contribution to World Cinema Award at the 2019 Ji.hlava went to Kazakhstani director Sergey Dvortsevoy, the author of festival spot of this year’s edition. The festival trophy of the 23rd annual Ji.hlava IDFF was designed by Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Opus Bonum

Best World Documentary Film
Fonja [+lire aussi :
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Special Mention
Fonja - Lina Zacher

Between the Seas

Best Central and East European Documentary Film
Teach [+lire aussi :
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Best Central and East European Documentary Student Film
Life Could Be So Beautiful - Filip Jacobson, Angelika Herta (Poland/Germany)

Special Mention
Daily Manure - Nikola Krutilová (Czech Republic) (short film)

Czech Joy

Best Czech Documentary Film
Solo [+lire aussi :
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interview : Artemio Benki
fiche film] - Artemio Benki (Czech Republic/France/Argentina/Austria)

Special Mention
Lost Coast - Jiří Zykmund (Czech Republic)

Student Jury Award
Kings of Šumava - Kris Kelly (Czech Republic/Ireland)

Student Jury Special Mention
Apparatgeist - Marie-Magdalena Kochová (Czech Republic) (short film)

Fascinations

Best Experimental Documentary Film
Action, Almost Unable to Think - Haonan Mao (China) (short film)

Special Mention
abiding - Ugo Petronin (Netherlands) (short film)

Fascinations: Exprmntl.cz

Best Czech Experimental Documentary Film
Moréna Rex - Marie Lukáčová (Czech Republic) (short film)

Special Mention
Abstract Horror - Franz Milec (Czech Republic) (short film)

First Lights

Best Feature-Length Documentary Debut Film
Aphasia [+lire aussi :
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Student Jury Award
Aphasia - Jelena Jureša

Short Joy

Best Short Documentary Film
Shendy Wu: a Diary - Ingrid Pokropek (Argentina)

A Testimony on Politics

Best Film
The Cave [+lire aussi :
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A Testimony on Knowledge

Best Film
The Other Side of Mars [+lire aussi :
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A Testimony on Nature

Best Film
Anthropocene: The Human Epoch - Nicholas de Pencier, Jennifer Baichwal, Edward Burtynsky (Canada)

Silver Eye

Silver Eye Award Feature length category
Transnistra [+lire aussi :
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Special Mention
The Wind. A Documentary Thriller [+lire aussi :
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interview : Michał Bielawski
fiche film] - Michal Bielawski (Poland/Slovakia)

Silver Eye Award Short length category
Pripyat Piano - Eliška Cílková (Czech Republic)
Special Mention
Waiting for a Miracle - Aljona Surzhikova (Estonia)

Best Festival Poster
Festival Identity: Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Audience Award: International Short FF Zubroffka

Audience Award
Two Roads - Radovan Síbrt (Czech Republic)

Contribution to World Cinema Award
Sergey Dvortsevoy

Best Audiodocumentary
Dobrá vůle - Matěj - Tereza Reková (Czech Republic)