Bound in Heaven crowned best film at the 19th Rome Film Fest
- The first prize goes to Chinese director Huo Xin, while Night Call, Reading Lolita in Tehran and Bring Them Down are also awarded; Bird triumphs at Alice nella città
The winning title of the 19th Rome Film Fest is Chinese – Bound in Heaven by Huo Xin, already projected in the Centrepiece section in Toronto and in competition in San Sebastián, has been crowned Best Film in the Progressive Cinema Competition by the jury presided by Argentinian director, writer and producer Pablo Trapero and including Italian editor Francesca Calvelli, French actress Laetitia Casta, British producer Gail Egan and American novelist and screenwriter Dennis Lehane.
The same jury gave its Grand Prize to Night Call [+see also:
film review
interview: Michiel Blanchart
film profile] by Michiel Blanchart, the Best Directing Award to American film Jazzy by Morrisa Maltz and the Best Screenplay Award to Bring Them Down [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Christopher Andrews. The best actors in Rome this year are Ángela Molina in They Will Be Dust [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carlos Marqués-Marcet
film profile] and Elio Germano in The Great Ambition [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], while all the female cast of Reading Lolita in Tehran [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] was awarded a Special Jury Prize. This latter title, directed by Israeli filmmaker Eran Riklis, was also a favourite with the audience, which voted using the festival’s official app, through the festival’s website or via the link on their ticket.
The jury in charge of choosing the best debut film, presided by writer-director Francesca Comencini and including producer, composer and writer Kaili Peng and actor Antoine Reinartz, gave its prize –across the titles of the Progressive Cinema Competition, the Freestyle and the Grand Public sections– to two films ex aequo: Bound in Heaven once again, and Ciao bambino [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Edgardo Pistone
film profile] by Edgardo Pistone.
As for the autonomous section Alice nella città, Andrea Arnold’s Bird was chosen as Best Film in the international competition, voted by a jury of 35 children between the ages of 16 and 19. The jury presided by filmmaker Riccardo Milani and composed of actress Lucia Ocone, director Luna Gualano, artistic director of the Premio Solinas Annamaria Granatello, and actress, producer and composer Federica Luna Vincenti has instead declared No More Trouble - Cosa rimane di une tempesta by Tommaso Romanelli Best Italian Film, while a Special Mention went to My Birthday [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Christian Filippi, which came out of the Biennale College Cinema in Venice. The star of the latter, Zackari Delmas, was also crowned Best Young Italian Actor. Finally, the Best Debut Feature Award went to Rita [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], the directing debut of Spanish actress Paz Vega.
The full list of winners:
Progressive Cinema Competition
Best Film
Bound in Heaven - Huo Xin (China)
Jury Grand Prize
Night Call [+see also:
film review
interview: Michiel Blanchart
film profile] - Michiel Blanchart (Belgium/France)
Best Directing
Morrisa Maltz - Jazzy (United States)
Best Screenplay
Christopher Andrews - Bring Them Down [+see also:
film review
film profile] (Ireland/UK/Belgium)
Best Actress – “Monica Vitti” Award
Ángela Molina - They Will Be Dust [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carlos Marqués-Marcet
film profile] (Spain/Switzerland/Italy)
Best Actor – “Vittorio Gassman” Award
Elio Germano - The Great Ambition [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Italy/Belgium/Bulgaria)
Jury Special Award
The female cast of Reading Lolita in Tehran [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Israel/Italy)
Other awards
Best Debut Feature (ex aequo)
Bound in Heaven - Huo Xin (Progressive Cinema section)
Ciao bambino [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Edgardo Pistone
film profile] - Edgardo Pistone (Italy) (Freestyle section)
Special Mention
Actor Liu Hsiu-Fu - Pierce [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nelicia Low
film profile] (Singapore/Taiwan/Poland)
FS Audience Award
Reading Lolita in Tehran - Eran Riklis
Alice nella città
Best Film Award
Bird [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Andrea Arnold (UK)
Other awards
Raffaella Fioretta Award for Best Italian Film in Panorama Italia
No More Trouble - Cosa rimane di una tempesta - Tommaso Romanelli (Italy)
Special Mention
My Birthday [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Christian Filippi (Italy)
Colorado-Rainbow Award for Best Debut Feature
Rita [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Paz Vega (Spain)
RB Casting Award for Best Young Italian Actor
Zackari Delmas - My Birthday
UNITA Under 35 Special Mention for Best Actor in the Panorama Italia Competition
Zackari Delmas - My Birthday
Audience Golden Ciak Award in the Onde Corte Section
Al buio - Stefano Malchiodi (Italy) (short film)
Notorious Project Award for Best Concept Series
Udon alla carbonara - Edoardo Bigazzi (Italy)
Notorious Project Award for Best Concept Movie
Rainbow Gloves - Andrea Gravagnuolo and Gianluca Cravero (Italy)
SIAE Award for Best Project in the Unbox Italy category
Sparare alle angurie - Antonio di Donato
(Translated from Italian)
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