26/11/2013 - The French filmmaker of Polish descent wins with Les désemparés. Special Prize for Baya Kasmi and Michel Leclerc. Junior Prize for Sabine Dabadie

The 27^th Sopadin Grand Prix for Best Screenplay (which is open to authors who have not yet written more than three screenplays for features) was awarded last night to Julia Kowalski (notably noticed with her short Musique de chambre) for Les désemparés [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

The screenplay sees Jozef, a Polish worker who arrives in Nantes to find his son Roman, whom he abandoned 15 years earlier. He tries to find him with the help of Rose, the daughter of his boss, but he does not imagine that he is about to turn the lives of these two teenagers upside down.  

A Special Prize of the Jury was awarded to Baya Kasmi - Michel Leclerc (the winning duo of the prize in 2008 with The Name of Loves [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]) for Je suis à vous tout de suite. This screenplay focuses on a brother and sister, born to a French mother and Algerian father, who have taken dramatically different paths in life and do what they can to avoid each other until a medical urgency forces them to meet again.  

The 16^th Junior Prize for Best Screenplay (open to authors under the age of 28) went to Sabine Dabadie for Alice. This screenplay is set in London, in 1880. A few days before her weeding, Alice Liddell has a dream about the encounter that changed her life. At the age of 8, she falls in love with Charles Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll, who invents the famous tale Alice in Wonderland for her. Charles is 28 years old. Their love is impossible... and Alice’s parents make sure they stay apart forever. As an adult though, Alice wakes up and decides to try all she can to live with the love of her life.  

It is also worth mentioning that a Special Prize of the Jury went to Hafsia Herzi for Bonne mère and a Special Mention to Ramata-Toulaye Sy for Dans la cour des grands.

Presided by Julie Gayet, the jury also included Valérie Boyer (General Director of France 2 Cinéma), Sophie Dulac (President of the Écrans de Paris), Olivier Père (Delegate General Director of Arte France Cinéma) and Franck Weber (Acquisition director for French cinema for Canal+).

(Translated from French)