The Thessaloniki Documentary Festival (TDF), which ran on site in its regular locations in Thessaloniki but also online, from 10-20 March, wrapped its 24^th edition with an awards ceremony at the Olympion Cinema yesterday evening.

The jury of the International Competition Feature Length section, comprising Dimitris Koutsiabasakos (director and associate professor at the Film School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki), filmmaker Alexandre O Philippe and writer-director Laila Pakalnina, announced its award winners, with Simon Lereng Wilmont’s A House Made of Splinters [+lire aussi :
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The Special Jury Prize, worth €5,000, went to Declan McGrath and Neasa Ní Chianáin’s Young Plato, which “can only give us hope in future generations and their capacity to make the world a better place”.

In the Newcomers International Competition, which included debut and sophomore features, the Golden Alexander – Dimitri Eipides Award, accompanied by a cash prize of €10,000, was bestowed upon Golden Land [+lire aussi :
critique
fiche film] by Inka Achté. The jury members – director Angeliki Aristomenopoulou, documentarian and author Michael Graversen, and Laurien ten Houten, industry relations - talks manager at IDFA – underlined, “Through coherent storytelling and beautiful cinematography, it shows – in a non-didactic manner – a family’s struggles and dreams. A family which tries to build a better future in, and for, their ancestral land.” The Special Jury Prize, accompanied by a cash prize of €4,000, went to The Devil’s Drivers [+lire aussi :
critique
fiche film] by Daniel Karsenty and Mohammed Abugeth, which “sheds light on matters of great urgency and gives a voice to an oppressed and marginalised group of people whose story had been left largely untold”.

In the »Film Forward International Competition, which showcases the work of new and daring directors, the jury, comprising artist and anthropologist Toby Lee, director Babis Makridis, and director and video artist Marta Popivoda, gave the Golden Alexander, which comes with €6,000 in cash, to The Bride by Samira Guadagnuolo and Tiziano Doria, which, “with minimal yet powerful and precise cinematic means, tells an important story of how patriarchal societies repress women”. The Special Jury Prize, accompanied by a €3,000 cash prize, was bestowed ex æquo upon Amateur by Martín Gutiérrez and Letter to Nikola by Hara Kaminara.

Furthermore, in the Podcast Competition section, the jury (comprising filmmaker and visual artist Eliana Abravanel, journalist Leonidas Antonopoulos, and radio producer Matoula Kousteni) bestowed the Podcast Award, accompanied by a €2,000 cash prize, upon Forever by Dimitris Daskas because of its “heart-wrenching topic, human-centred narration and highly interesting culmination. It could have been an outstanding novella; it could have been a brilliant documentary film.” Also, a Special Mention was given to Invisible by Marianna Kakaounaki, a “journalistic document and a remarkable piece of research journalism tinted with political-thriller hues”.

Gabi, Between Ages 8 and 13 [+lire aussi :
bande-annonce
fiche film] by Engeli Broberg picked up the Mermaid Award as the best LGBTQI-themed film. Arm Wrestler by Yorgos Goussis won the FIPRESCI Award for Best Greek Film, which also comes with €3,000 from the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT), along with the Youth Jury Award. Finally, the Greek Film Centre Award for Best Greek Debut Documentary Film Over 50 Minutes went to The Itinerary by Orestis Athanasopoulos; the accolade is accompanied by a €3,000 cash prize.

Here is the full list of award winners at the 24^th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival:

International Competition

Golden Alexander
A House Made of Splinters [+lire aussi :
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Special Jury Prize
Young Plato – Declan McGrath, Neasa Ní Chianáin (UK/Ireland/France/Belgium)

Newcomers International Competition

Golden Alexander - Dimitri Eipides
Golden Land [+lire aussi :
critique
fiche film] – Inka Achté (Finland/Sweden/Norway)

Special Jury Prize
The Devil’s Drivers [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] – Daniel Karsenty, Mohammed Abugeth (Qatar/France/Lebanon/Germany)

»Film Forward International Competition

Golden Alexander
The Bride – Samira Guadagnuolo, Tiziano Doria (Italy)

Special Jury Prize (ex aequo)
Amateur – Martín Gutiérrez (Spain)
Letter to Nikola – Hara Kaminara (Greece/Belgium)

Podcast Award
Forever – Dimitris Daskas (Greece)
Special Mention
Invisible – Marianna Kakaounaki (Greece)

ENS Louis Lumière Award – French Institute of Upcoming Audio Documentary Creator
Νepheli Sani – Sonic Memorabilia (Greece)

Mermaid Award
Gabi, Between Ages 8 and 13 [+lire aussi :
bande-annonce
fiche film] – Engeli Broberg (Sweden/Norway)
Special Mentions
Mel – Inna Sahakyan, Paul Cohen (Armenia/Netherlands)
Sirens – Rita Baghdadi (USA/Lebanon)

Human Values Award of the Hellenic Parliament
Eternal Spring – Jason Loftus (Canada)

Greek Film Centre Award
The Itinerary – Orestis Athanasopoulos (Greece)

Amnesty International Award
F@ck this Job – Vera Krichevskaya (UK/Germany)

FIPRESCI Award (International Competition)
A House Made of Splinters – Simon Lereng Wilmont

FIPRESCI Award (Best Greek Film)
Arm Wrestler – Yorgos Goussis (Greece)

Greek Association of Film Critics’ Award
Last Voyage – Aris Chatzistefanou (Greece)

WIFT (Women in Film & Television) Award
Anima – My Father’s Dresses [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Uli Decker
fiche film] – Uli Decker (Germany)

WWF Greece Award
The Velvet Queen [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Marie Amiguet et Vincent M…
fiche film] – Marie Amiguet, Vincent Munier (France)
Special Mention
Nuisance Bear – Jack Weisman, Gabriela Osio Vanden (Canada)

Youth Jury Awards

Best Greek Film Award
Arm Wrestler – Yorgos Goussis

Special Jury Prize
The Other Half [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] – Giorgos Moutafis (Greece)

Fischer Audience Awards

Fischer Audience Award “Peter Wintonick”
Eternal Spring – Jason Loftus

International Film Under 50 Minutes
Take Me Where There Is Life: A Letter to My Father – Carmen La Griega (Spain)

Feature-length Greek Film
Broken Sound – Fivos Kontogiannis (Greece)

Greek Film Under 50 Minutes
Iodine – Greece on the Ruins of Missolonghi – Orfeas Peretzis (Greece)

Greek Film Screened Online in the Platform and From Screen to Screen Sections
+1 – Argyris Liapis (Greece)