Awards

This year's CICAE Forum jury choose a film that's very strong on both a cinematic and political level. It tells a universal and personal story that plays to a background full of violence. The production design is marvellous and the two young main actresses pulled us in their story and did not let us go, untill this very moment.

Jury's comment: "For its sensitive portrait of the social and psychological changes that are influencing the gender roles in traditional society. Both subtle and truthful, the directors crafted a realistic family dynamic with a talented ensemble of actors."

The jury was very impressed by how this simple coming-of-age story tells so much about the everyday violence and fear in Georgia during a time of turmoil. In stark contrast, all this is portrayed in a poetic style.

For its empathetic portrayal of two couragerous and self-reliant girls engaging with their society in a time of change. It seems to announce some kind of rebirth for Georgian cinema.

The jury wanted to give a Special Award for Personal Storytelling for IN BLOOM. This film, in its intimate exploration of the lives of two teenage girls in the former Soviet state of Georgia just after the fall of the USSR, is an exemplar of personal history as political history, or fiction filmmaking infused with and bolstered by the truth.

Jury Statement: "For their deft handling of a large ensemble cast, for their approach to a subversively feminist story within a patriarchal culture, and for their ability to capture emotional chaos with depth, grace, and resonance, we present a Special Jury Mention for Excellence in Direction to Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross for My Happy Family."

For the compelling and original portrayal of a society in flux through a coming of age story employing brilliant photography, production design and an astonishing cast.

The FIPRESCI Jury has awarded My Happy Family (Georgia, 2017) by Nana & Simon with the following motivation, "for expressing, with a fully-developed and lively style, through a female character with a strong personality and full of contradictions, the complexity of a society in which tradition and modernity, emotional choices and rational decisions, sense of responsibility and the idea of freedom meet and clash with each other".

Golden Olive Tree Award goes to the film My Happy Family (Georgia, 2017) by Nana & Simon with the following motivation: "The audience is immersed in the life of a family where three generations, living in the same house, try to overcome their personal daily challenges between tradition and modernity. At the same time, the film is a subtle portrayal of a middle-aged woman and mother striving for self-determination. A mise-en-scene that makes us feel as if we had always been members of this family".

For its talent to portrait two strong teenage girls and the energetic recreation of reality in cinema.