Force Majeure (Sweden)
Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem (France)
Ida (Poland)
Leviathan (Russia)
Tangerines (Estonia)
Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Leviathan, which is among the films short-listed for the best foreign-language film Oscar, was awarded the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year at this year’s Palm Springs International Film Festival.
The festival, which will conclude Jan. 12, announced its juried award winners at a luncheon at Spencer’s Restaurant in Palm Springs on Saturday. The fest screened 196 films from 65 countries, including 51 of the 83 foreign language entries for this year’s Academy Award.
The audience award winners, which were announced Jan. 11, included Ava DuVernay‘s civil rights drama Selma, hailed as best narrative feature, and Alan Hicks‘ portrait of a jazz legend and his protege, Keep on Keepin’ On, which was voted be documentary.
The jury, which selected Leviathan, said, “At once timely and timeless, this film manages to comment on contemporary issues in a way that is both artistically stunning and deeply humane.”
The FIPRESCI Prize for the Best Actor of the Year in a Foreign Language Film went to Haluk Bilginer, who stars in Turkey’s Winter Sleep, directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, which also is on the Oscar shortlist. Anne Dorval received the prize for best actress in a foreign-language film for he work in Canada’s Mommy, directed by Xavier Dolan.
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The New Voices/New Visions jury gave its prize to the Serbian film No One’s Child, directed by Vuk Ršumovic. It presented a special mention to the French film Fidelio, Alice’s Journey, directed by Lucie Borleteau.
The festival’s Cine Latino Award was presented to the Spanish feature Flowers, directed by Jon Garaño and José Mari Goenaga. A special mention went to Not All Is Vigil (Spain/Colombia), directed by Hermes Paralluelo.
The Polish film Walking Under Water, directed by Eliza Kubarska, received The John Schlesinger Award, which is given to a first-time documentary filmmaker. The film is the real-life story of Alexan, a compressor diver and member of the Badjao tribe of ocean nomads who live on the edge of the Sulu and Celebes Seas in Borneo.
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Corn Island, from George and directed by George Ovashvili, received the HP Bridging the Borders Award presented by Cinema Without Borders and Hewlett Packard, which honors the film that is most successful in exemplifying art that promotes bringing the people of our world closer together. The Cinema Without Borders Special Jury Award went to Three Windows and a Hanging, from Kosovo and directed by Isa Qosja.
Jan. 12, 10:35 a.m. This story has been updated to include the announcement of the audience award winners.
The complete list of award winners follows:
FIPRESCI Prize for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Leviathan (Russia), directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev
Mercedes-Benz Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature
Selma, directed by Ava DuVernay
Mercedes-Benz Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature
Keep on Keepin’ On, directed by Alan Hicks
FIPRESCI Prize for the Best Actor of the Year in a Foreign Language Film
Haluk Bilginer from Winter Sleep (Turkey), directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
FIPRESCI Prize for Best Actressof the Year in a Foreign Language Film
Anne Dorval, Mommy(Canada), directed by Xavier Dolan
New Voices/New Visions Award
No One’s Child (Serbia), directed by Vuk Ršumovic – Winner
Fidelio, Alice’s Journey (France), directed by Lucie Borleteau – Special Mention
Cine Latino Award
Flowers (Spain), directed by Jon Garaño and José Mari Goenaga – Winner
Not All Is Vigil (Spain/ Colombia), directed by Hermes Paralluelo – Special Mention
The John Schlesinger Award
Walking Under Water (Poland), directed by Eliza Kubarska – Winner
HP Bridging the Borders Award
Corn Island (Georgia), directed by George Ovashvili – Winner
Three Windows and a Hanging(Kosovo), directed by Isa Qosja – Special Jury Award
