The 18^th edition of REC – the Tarragona International Film Festival unspooled between 1 and 9 December in Tarragona and unveiled its winners’ list late last week: The Heart [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], a Swedish film directed and written by Fanni Metelius, and also starring her, was, in the eyes of the international jury, the best feature debut shown at the gathering. The same jury handed a Special Mention to the Hungarian flick Hope You’ll Die Next Time :-), helmed by Mihály Schwechtje.

Meanwhile, the critics’ jury (comprising members of the Catalan Association of Film Critics and Writers - ACECC) opted to reward the Danish film Songs in the Sun, directed by Kristian Sejrbo Lidegaard, with a Special Mention going to the Paraguayan-German-Uruguayan-Norwegian-Brazilian co-production The Heiresses [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], a movie by Marcelo Martinessi that previously picked up two awards at the most recent Berlinale: the Silver Bear-Alfred Bauer Prize and the Award for Best Actress, for Ana Brun.

Another movie that passed through the latest Berlin Film Festival (in the Panorama section) was the Spanish title Thirty Souls [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Diana Toucedo
scheda film] by Galicia’s Diana Toucedo (winner of the Primer Test sidebar of this very same gathering last year), and it also scooped the Youth Jury Award at REC 2018; this same jury also singled out The Heart with a Special Mention. The audience thought the French film Little Tickles [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], a drama about child abuse, jointly directed by Andréa Bescond and Eric Métayer, was worthy of its prize.

Standing out among the highlights of this year’s event was the preview screening of El Rey [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], a film adaptation of the stage play of the same name helmed by Alberto San Juan and Valentín Álvarez, which enjoyed its world premiere at the most recent Seville European Film Festival and which stars San Juan himself, Willy Toledo and Luis Bermejo, the latter playing the title role of the king in this scathing critique of the Spanish monarchy.

Another standout moment of REC 2018 – which paid tribute to Spanish filmmaker Juanma Bajo Ulloa (Alas de mariposa) – was its opening ceremony, which featured the Spanish premiere of El Pepe, A Supreme Life [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Emir Kusturica
scheda film], a documentary – produced by companies from Argentina, Uruguay and Serbia – about the incomparable figure of José Mújica, the former president of Uruguay. The movie, directed by Emir Kusturica, was shown out of competition at the most recent Venice Film Festival.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Best International Debut Feature
The Heart [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] - Fanni Metelius (Sweden)
Special Mention
Hope You’ll Die Next Time :-) - Mihály Schwechtje (Hungary)

Critics’ Award
Songs in the Sun - Kristian Sejrbo Lidegaard (Denmark)
Special Mention
The Heiresses [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] - Marcelo Martinessi (Paraguay/Germany/Brazil/Uruguay/Norway)

Youth Jury Award
Thirty Souls [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Diana Toucedo
scheda film] - Diana Toucedo (Spain)
Special Mention
The Heart – Fanni Metelius

Audience Award
Little Tickles [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] - Andréa Bescond, Eric Métayer (France)