Chaired by French producer Sylvie Pialat, the jury of the 63rd Critics’ Week at the 77th Cannes Film Festival has handed the 2024 Grand Prize to Simon of the Mountain by Argentina’s Federico Luis. The feature debut, written by the director himself together with Tomas Murphy and Agustin Toscano, revolves around 21-year-old Simon. Introducing himself as a removal man’s helper, he claims not to know how to cook or clean a bathroom, but on the other hand, he does know how to make a bed. Recently, he seems to have become a different person… Produced by Argentina together with Chile and Uruguay, the movie is being sold internationally by French sales agent Luxbox.

The French Touch Jury Prize went to the US production Blue Sun Palace by filmmaker of Chinese heritage Constance Tsang, sold by French outfit Charades.

Intended to single out an actor or actress, the Rising Star Award ended up going to Brazil’s Ricardo Teodoro for his turn in Baby [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by his fellow countryman Marcelo Caetano. Produced by Brazil and co-produced by French firm Still Moving as well as Dutch outfits Circe Films and Kaap Holland Film, the feature is being sold by m-appeal (Austria).

Finally, of note among the awards handed out by the Critics’ Week partners was a double win for Julie Keeps Quiet [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Leonardo van Dijl
scheda film] by Belgium’s Leonardo Van Dijl, as it scooped the Gan Foundation Award for Distribution and the SACD Award. The film was staged by Belgian company De Wereldvrede, was co-produced by Belgium’s Films du Fleuve and Swedish outfits Hobab and Film i Väst, and is sold by Polish sales agent New Europe Film Sales.

Here is the full list of award winners:

Critics’ Week Grand Prize
Simon of the Mountain (Simon de la montaña) – Federico Luis (Argentina/Chile/Uruguay)

French Touch Jury Prize
Blue Sun Palace - Constance Tsang (USA)

Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award
Ricardo Teodoro - Baby [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] (Brazil/France/Netherlands)

Leitz Cine Discovery Award for Short Film
Montsouris Park (Montsouris) – Guil Sela (France)

Other awards

Gan Foundation Award for Distribution
Jour2Fête, French distributor of Julie Keeps Quiet [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Leonardo van Dijl
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SACD Award
Leonardo Van Dijl et Ruth Becquart – writers of Julie Keeps Quiet

Canal+ Award for Short Film
Absent (Koksan) – Cem Demirer (Turkey)