During a ceremony on the evening of Monday, December 18, the Industry Village at the Les Arcs Film Festival announced the winners of its awards. The Work in Progress section's TitraFilm Award was given to 'Little Trouble Girls' by Urška Djukić, a co-production involving Spok Film (Slovenia), Staragara IT (Italy), Izazov 365 (Croatia), Nosorogi (Slovenia), Non-Aligned Films (Serbia), and Sister Productions (France).
Jury Statement on 'Little Trouble Girls': "We selected a film that, from a small sample of striking images, demonstrated a powerful magnetism of images and ideas. We were impressed by a fiercely intense bullying scene, beautifully staged and acted. The project's bold combination of cinematic fearlessness and poetry, and the clarity of its theme and form, moved us immensely. We look forward to seeing the completed film." The winner receives €10,000 in post-production sound and/or image services.
Lttile Trouble Girls
A special mention was given to 'Wind, Talk To Me' by Stefan Djordjević, produced by Non-Aligned Films (Serbia), Katunga (Serbia), Restart (Croatia), and Spok Film (Slovenia). The jury praised "a film that clearly takes a risk by being bold and personal, and appears to be a truly effective hybrid, pushing a distinctive cinematic language in an exhilarating way."
The jury for these awards included Paul Ridd (new director of the Edinburgh Film Festival and former acquisitions director at Picturehouse Entertainment), Fien Troch (filmmaker), and Annina Wettstein (festival programmer).
French Films Awarded by ArteKino and Alphapanda:
Among the co-production village projects, the ArteKino International Award was given to the French feature film 'The Kingdom of the Blind' by François Robic, produced by Moderato (Clémence Crépin Neel and Igor Courtecuisse). The jury, comprised of Rémi Burah, president of the ArteKino Foundation and director of Arte France Cinéma, and Malo Jacquemin of ArteKino International, awarded a €6,000 prize to support the project's development.
The Alphapanda Audience Engagement Award was granted to 'Zion' by French director Nelson Foix, produced by De l'Autre Côté du Périph (Laurence Lascary) and Kissfilms (Slievan Harkin). The jury, including Frédéric Mercier (critic for Positif magazine), Mathias Noschis (founder of Alphapanda), and Joanna Solecka (head of Alphapanda's Warsaw office), commended the film for intelligently and sensitively addressing the timely theme of masculinity. The winner receives €6,000 divided between marketing services and advertising purchases.
Zion
Other Awards:
The 22D Music Award went to 'The Swedish Torpedo' by Swedish director Frida Kempff, produced by Momento Film (Sweden), Amrion (Estonia), Inland Film Company (Finland), and Velvet Films (Belgium). The jury members, Carole Baraton (international sales and co-founder of Charades), Emmanuel Delétang (CEO of 22D Music), and Delphine Malausséna (composer), were impressed by the film's cinematography and the unique portrayal of a woman's personal and historical challenges.
Heather Millard of Compass Film (Iceland) for 'Shitballs' by Álfrún Örnólfsdóttir, and Gijs Kerbosch of Halal (Netherlands) for 'Angels' by Emma Westenberg, both received the Producers Network Awards, enabling them to participate in the Producers Network at the upcoming Cannes Film Market.
Finally, the Talent Village Award, with a prize of €1,500, was given to 'Cute' by Marlene Emilie Lyngstad (Norway), produced by Nordisk Film Production (Denmark). The jury acknowledged "a clear and impressive vision of a complex human relations story." A special mention was given to the French project 'Docile', directed by Joséphine Darcy Hopkins and produced by TBC Productions and Kazak Productions.