Our Features Awards winners for 2022 have been announced at our Closing Gala at The Everyman. Congratulations to all!
And the winners are…
Gradam Spiorad na Féile / Spirit of the Festival Award (presented by The Gate Cinema):
Piaffe directed by Ann Oren
Special mention: The Worst Ones (Les Pires) directed by Lisa Akoka, Romane Gueret
Jury’s comments: “It was a privilege and a delight to be asked to participate in this year’s jury. The Spirit of the Festival programme is, as ever, a particularly special and audacious selection of films, emblematic of a special and audacious festival. The jury was impressed by the singularity Vojtěch Mašek’s Arvéd, the icy wonders of Mikko Myllylahti’s The Woodcutter Story, the swagger of Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk’s Pamfir, and the white-knuckle emotional thrills of Juraj Lerotić’s Safe Place. We give special mention to Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret’s The Worst Ones, a meaningful engagement with the ethics of street casting and film practice, bolstered by superb performances and sensitive direction. It was difficult – and argumentative! – to choose an outright winner from such an accomplished programme, and yet Ann Oren’s Piaffe, a daring, kinky exploration of blossoming female sexuality, was an obvious candidate. Composed of indelible images, impeccable sound design, and erotic charge – as spearheaded by Simone Bucio’s quietly carnal central performance – Piaffe marks an extraordinary debut. We simply cannot wait to see what Oren does next.”
Gradam Na Féile Do Scannáin Faisnéise / Award for Cinematic Documentary:
Children of the Mist directed by Diem Ha Le
Jury’s comments: “From the selection of films for the Cinematic Doc Award, the jury was especially captivated by one particular film. The sensitive and respectful eye of the filmmaker builds an intimate portrait of a family, an entryway to a remote community stuck between cultural traditions and modern society. The protagonist’s first love, the teenage rebellion, the disappointments of adulthood… Universal subjects that in this beautifully crafted first feature are depicted through characters who are complex and multilayered, like real human beings always are. For this cinematographic craft, balancing between the personal and the collective, the jury gives the Award to Children of the Mist by Ha Le Diem.”
Cork International Film Festival Youth Jury Award
Leonor Will Never Die directed by Martika Ramirez Escobar
Jury’s comments: “For the winner of this year’s Youth Jury award, we chose the film that we thought had the most innovative storytelling and great subversion of genre conventions. With metaverse elements and breaking the fourth wall on a whole other level, it invites you into the filmmaking process and makes you feel like a part of the film. While fun, it deals with trauma, grief and death in a way that makes sense – without being too depressing. The film is engaging and entertaining and we loved the experience of watching it. The winner of the Youth Jury Award is Leonor Will Never Die, directed by Martika Ramirez Escobar.”
Special mention: How is Katia? (Yak Tam Katia?) directed by Christina Tynkevych
Our thanks to our Trophy Partner Cork Crystal for providing the stunning awards pieces.
