THE THREE WORKS ARE DIRECTLY PRESELECTED FOR THE OSCAR AWARDS
The Polish short Atlas, the Spanish production Manspreading and People of the waste land from Germany are the winning works of the Danzante Prizes of the International, Ibero-American and Documentary Contest respectively at the 47th edition of the Huesca film festival.
Among a total of 76 works from 29 different countries presented, these short films were selected by the festival’s official jury to receive the greatest recognitions of the event, and to enter directly the pre-selection to the Oscars from Hollywood.
The international competition has crowned the short film Atlas by Maciej Kawalski, highlighting “the way it tells a fantastic story with great talent, from an imaginative and original script and using a range of metaphorical readings about society. The short film plays with a great staging that flows at an allegretto ma non troppo rhythm which leads you toward a great ending”.
The International “Jinete Ibérico” animation film Danzante prize went to the short film Best friend (France) by Nicholas Olivieri, David Feliu, Juliana de Lucca, Shen Yi and Varun Nair, “because it is a very comprehensive production where script, storyboard and color flow perfectly, and are framed in a technically spectacular animation about a very current issue, highlighting how disturbing new technologies”.
The Mention ”Francisco García de Paso” for Human Values went to the UK short film: Ashmina; directed by Dekel Berenson, “for a very well-made work based on a personal experience, and because it introduces a new perspective of human relationships between two very different worlds.”
The international jury made up of the actress Goizalde Núñez, the programmer of the European Film Festival of Lecce, Luigi La Monica and the director Toni García, also wanted to give a special mention to the cast of the Israeli short Yom Ragil (by Lee Gilat) for “a top-level work “.
In the Iberoamerican category, the Ceuta filmmaker Abdelatif Hwidar is the winner of the first Danzante Award with Manspreading, “because we are all in that wagon and it shows the world’s photo of which we are all accomplices. A short film that teaches us that sometimes the correct answers can’t be found if the right questions are not asked” as stated in the official record. An act signed by the Mexican cultural manager Adriana Castillo, the Swiss programmer Cristiana Giaccardi and the journalist José Fernandez, who have also awarded the second prize of this contest, the Cacho Pallero award, to the Mexican production Fuego Olímpico by Ricardo Soto, ” a short film that tells us we mustn’t forget that many times history repeats itself; a short film that reminds us that in order to move forward it is always good to look back”.
The Ibero-American jury also wanted to give with a special mention to Una noche con Juan Diego Botto by Teresa Bellón and Cesar F. Calvillo.
The third of the competitions, the documentary, has recognized the work of the German Heba Khaled, People of the wasteland, with the first Danzante Award. A work that “shows and talks about war in a powerful way, with an immersive approach to reality, in times when everything is virtual”.
The jury, made up of the Spanish producer Arturo Méndiz, Juilette Muracciole (member of the Lille European Film Festival team) and the triple award winning sound engineer, Ricardo Steinberg, also gave Adiós Adiós Adiós by the Mexican Ricardo Castro the”José Manuel Porquet” Danzante prize “for considering the viewer as a travel companion of their intimate experiences”.
Regarding the debut films, the young jury of the festival formed by Anna Bueno, Isabel Mateo, Paula Olivar and Richi Pérez, wanted to reward two works: the Moldovan film Plus Minus Unu by Ion Borsch in the International category and the Spanish short Tahrib by Gerardo Cortés Vidal in the Ibero-American category.
Finally, the Best Screenplay Award, distinguished by Matilde Saz Fidalgo and Chus Fenero, was for Jiří Pes Uprchlík (Czech Republic), by Tomasz Winski. A special mention was also given to No me despertéis by Sara Fantova.
The Audience Award, sponsored by Aragón Televisión went to the Mexican short film Cortito de Jesús Osvaldo Pérez.
With the announcement of the winners, the 47th Huesca International Film Festival has ended. The balance of this edition is very positive with a great response both from the public and the industry with a high number of spectators to all the sessions at the Olimpia Theater competition and a notable presence of professionals from the sector.
LINK PALMARÉS 47HIFF: https://www.huesca-filmfestival.com/en/palmares-2019/
The Huesca International Film Festival is sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, the Government of Aragon, the Provincial Council of Huesca (Diputación), the City of Huesca, the Anselmo Pié Foundation and with the collaboration of Obra Social “la Caixa” and TUHUESCA.