The award
winners for this 22nd edition were announced during the closing
ceremony that took place this evening at the Concordia University’s Alumni
Auditorium.
GRAND PRIZE
FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE presented by Bell Media
Present.Perfect. by
Shengze Zhu
“A complex,
cinematic work, a testament to the deep social,
political and interpersonal
impacts created by the Internet. In exploring a Chinese livestreaming platform, the film dissects the machinery of performance, surveillance,
self-exposure and value creation in social media, while also discovering spaces
for empathy and connection enabled by the
new technology. The jury was impressed by the film’s profound
understanding of a present-day flooded with images and representations
that are, paradoxically, becoming increasingly unintelligible.”
SPECIAL JURY
PRIZE – INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
Heimat Is a Space in Time by
Thomas Heise
“An epic film, its maker’s distinctive voice shining through
as he digs into family archives, testimonials and remnants of the indescribable
horrors and upheavals of 20th
century Germany. A monument is a memorial to those who are no longer with us,
and a place for the living to refresh their memories, and this film is a
masterful cinematic monument.”
SPECIAL
MENTION – INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
143 Sahara Street by Hassen
Ferhani
“Taking place
entirely in a tiny roadside café in a harsh and inhospitable landscape, this
film gives us some private moments with Malika and the community, human and
non-human alike, that exists around and because of her. The simple, humble
cinematic approach results in a richly textured portrait, a tribute to a woman
in exile who reigns over a marginal but cherished space.”
The jury for
the International Feature Competition was composed of Abril Alzaga (executive
director of FICUNAM), Denis Côté (filmmaker), Laura Huertas Millán (filmmaker),
Ryan Krivoshey (founder and president of Grasshopper Film) and Dennis Lim
(director of programming at Film at Lincoln Center).
GRAND PRIZE
FOR BEST NATIONAL FEATURE presented by Studios St-Antoine
Une
femme, ma mère
by Claude Demers
“This
tender, loving film explores the collective memory of film and the imagination
to reconstruct the touching personal history of the director’s mother.”
SPECIAL JURY
PRIZE – NATIONAL FEATURE
Wilcox by Denis Côté
“This
successful cinematic gambit, with breathtaking images and sounds, immersed us
in solitude both liberating and poignant.”
NEW
VISIONS AWARD presented
by Post-Moderne and la Société civile des auteurs multimédia
Don’t Worry, the Doors Will Open by
Oksana Karpovych
“For
its beautiful look at the director’s country of origin, for making the camera a
travelling companion, for the humanity and humility evident in every frame.”
The National
Feature Competition jury was composed of Sonia Bonspille Boileau (filmmaker),
Stephan Riguet (founder of AndanaFilms) and Alex Moussa Sawadogo (artistic
director of the Afrikamera Festival and Ouaga Film Lab).
BEST
INTERNATIONAL SHORT OR MEDIUM-LENGTH FILM
Faire-part by Rob
Jacobs, Anne Reijniers, Nizar Saleh and Paul Shemisi
“Through
conversations in relation to each other, their environment and the cinematic
lens, we are exposed to an inspiring movement. Four filmmakers set on a mission
to document a variety of performance artists who use their voice to empower the
people on domestic social and political issues.”
BEST NATIONAL
SHORT OR MEDIUM-LENGTH FILM presented by Télé-Québec and SLA
Location
Homeport by
Laurence Lévesque
“Connected to
the imagery, rhythm and heartbeat of this film, we embarked on a journey of a
young family attempting to sustain a living of a dying tradition.”
The jury for
the short and medium-length competitions was composed of Asinnajaq (filmmaker),
Valérie Fouques (Mission leader at CNC) and Carlo Guillermo Proto (filmmaker).
MAGNUS-ISACSSON
AWARD
nîpawistamâsowin:
We Will Stand Up by Tasha
Hubbard
“For the
urgent nature of the issues the filmmaker addresses from both historical and
sociological perspectives, and for the exceptional access to and investment in
the tragic events recounted.”
The jury for
the Magnus-Isacsson Award was composed of Jocelyne Clarke (producer, filmmaker
and editor), Alexandre Chartrand (DOC Québec), Miryam Charles (Main Film),
Jessica Legault (Cinema Politica) and Hubert Sabino-Brunette (Funambules
Médias).
STUDENTS’
AWARD presented by Desjardins
nîpawistamâsowin:
We Will Stand Up by Tasha
Hubbard
“A film that
makes an important statement, not least in the context of the Canadian
competition; a film that addresses an issue that should inspire each of us to
take action.”
The jury for
the Students’ Award was composed of Victoria Caputo (Dawson College), Kaël
McKeown-Opasinski (Dawson College), Ariane Poitras (Cégep André-Laurendeau),
Jorge Contreras (Collège de Maisonneuve), Thomas Dufresne-Morin (Cégep
Marie-Victorin) and Chloé Sirois (Cégep de St-Laurent).
WOMEN INMATES’
AWARD
nîpawistamâsowin:
We Will Stand Up by Tasha
Hubbard
“For its powerful subject matter, courage to document a disturbing reality and compelling call to action.”
The Women
Inmates’ jury is composed of five inmates of the Joliette Institution. Claudia,
Esther, Roseline, Sophie and Stéphanie chose a winner from a
selection of eight films from the official competition and Panorama. This
initiative, implemented for the first time in Québec for the RIDM 2011 edition,
is made in partnership with the Société Elizabeth Fry du Québec, the Entente
sur le développement culturel de Montréal – project supported by the ministère
de la Culture et des Communications and Ville de Montréal.
PEOPLE’S
CHOICE AWARD, presented by Cineplex
Kenbe la –
Until We Win by
Will Prosper
Thanks to the
RIDM’s partners
The RIDM
wishes to thank its institutional, primary and associate partners for helping
make this 22nd edition a memorable one. Thanks to the ministère de la Culture
et des Communications, SODEC, the Secrétariat à la région métropolitaine, the
Canada Council for the Arts, the Ville de Montréal, Telefilm Canada, the
Conseil des arts de Montréal, Bell Media, Canal D, the Canada Media Fund,
Télé-Québec, FACTOR, Tourisme Montréal, the CSN, Radio-Canada, Université du
Québec à Montréal, Concordia University, Post-Moderne, the Société civile des
auteurs multimédia (SCAM), Studios Saint-Antoine, Mouvement des caisses
Desjardins, PRIM, BDO, the Cinémathèque québécoise, Cineplex, the Quartier des
Spectacles Partnership and Candlewood Suites Montréal.
Quebec’s
only film festival dedicated to documentaries, the Montreal International
Documentary Festival presents the best reality‐based films, including the
works of established directors and new talents.
The 22nd
annual RIDM ends Sunday, November 24, 2019.
Information: ridm.ca / info@ridm.ca
