The International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA) is pleased to unveil the winners of its 37th edition. This year, 22 feature films and 23 short films were in official competition. They competed to win one of seven Jury Awards: Grand Prix, Jury Award, Best First Film Award, Best Biographic Film Award, Cineplex Odeon Latin Award for Best Canadian Work, Best Short Film Award and Award for Best Interactive Work. All award-winning feature films were screened again on Sunday, March 31 at the Cineplex Odeon Cinema Quartier Latin.
THE JURY OF THE 37TH EDITION CONSISTED OF:
For the feature films: Manon Barbeau, documentary filmmaker and co-founder of Wapikoni Mobile (Quebec); Dominique Ferré, Program Advisor of the Documentary, Art and Culture Unit of France 5 (France); Émilie Perreault, cultural journalist and director (Quebec), Jonathan Pouthier, conservation attaché at the Film collection of the National Museum of Modern Art Center Pompidou (France).
In the category of short films and the FIFA Experientia component: Jean-Christophe Yakono, Creative Director at 4U2C and Cirque du Soleil (Quebec); Alexia Bürger, author and director (Quebec) and director Khoa Lê (Quebec).
FEATURE FILMS
CINEPLEX ODÉON AWARD LATIN QUARTER FOR THE BEST CANADIAN WORK
Immaculate Memories: The Uncluttered Worlds of Christopher Pratt by Kenneth Harvey | Canada | 2018
The jury members were unanimously convinced by the film by Kenneth Harvey. Thus, the film was awarded the prize for the best Canadian work. This decision was arrived at “for the rare complicity arising from a meeting between an artist and a filmmaker, for his intelligence to cinematographically translate the work of a life in all its richness and complexity. “
The creation of the Cineplex Odeon Quartier Latin Prize for Best Canadian Work will result in post-festival programming as part of Cineplex Events at Cineplex Odeon Quartier Latin. Dates to come.
BEST BIOGRAPHICAL FILM
Escher: Journey Into Infinity. Narrated by Stephen Fry by Robin Lutz | Netherlands | 2018
In the opinion of the jury, “this is a film that furiously wants to rediscover the work of Maurits Cornelis Escher. It is a complete and well-documented story, mixing the intimate and the world-famous work of this artist who claimed to be a mathematician rather than a draftsman. It also deserves an award for the ingenious and varied soundtrack, a prize for elegant animations, a prize for the humor of the narration by Stephen Fry’s. “
BEST FIRST FILM PRIZE
Where Are You, João Gilberto? by Georges Gachot | Switzerland | 2017
The prize for the cinematographic film was awarded to the portrait of the father of the bossa nova, João Gilberto, iconic figure of the Brazilian modernity passed from posterity to myth. The jury sees “in the footsteps of Marc Fisher – a Sherlock Holmes with a tragic destiny; Where are you João Gilberto? unfolds his story in the style of a poignant investigation at the heart of musical creation in search of an elusive maestro. Haunted by ghosts, this film draws ingeniously on the resources of writing the script and stylistic elements of an impossible portrait that the viewer can only grasp through its contours. “
JURY PRIZE
Etgar Keret: Based on a True Story by Stephane Kaas | Netherlands | 2017
Inspired by the incredible style of his subject, the director made the jury laugh, while offering a deep reflection on the art of telling stories. In a world that often lacks meaning, this author reconciles us to the absurdity of life and his art is like a dose of oxygen.
GRAND PRIZE
Chania by Lucija Stojevic | Spain | 2016
The Chana was awarded the Grand Prize: “In a film on art that leaves room for women artists, for the lesson of life and the essential reflection on art, for humanity, for editing which subtly connects the past to the present, for the effective narrative plot that portrays a nuanced and touching portrait of an exceptional and passionate dancer who has devoted her soul and her entire life to flamenco. For the finale where the elderly dancer climbs one last time on stage, with the same passion, at the risk of her life … For this rich moment of cinematic emotion!
SHORT FILMS AND INTERACTIVE WORKS
SHORT FILM PRIZE
Elsewhere by Adrian Figueroa | Germany | 2017
The jury chose to award the short film prize to Elsewhere for the remarkable freedom it shows, both in form and in purpose. “The humanity and the depth of the gaze that Anderson Figueroa puts on his subjects (eight prisoners sentenced to long sentences) encourages a real reflection on the state of captivity (both literally and figuratively). The jury considered that such a work contributes, by its singularity, to decompartmentalization of the documentary genre. “
BEST INTERACTIVE WORK
The jury awarded three mentions to the works that stood out most in the selection of the Experientia component:
· Claude Monet – L’obsession des nymphéas | France | 2018
Gods of Dance by Jayson Tang | United States | 2017
- Carriberrie by Dominic Allen | Australia | 2018
