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FESTIVALS Luxembourg

Foxtrot comes out on top at the Luxembourg City Film Festival

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- Samuel Maoz’s film won the Grand Prix at the eighth edition of the festival, while Pity snagged a Special Mention

Foxtrot comes out on top at the Luxembourg City Film Festival
Lior Ashkenazi (left) receives the Grand Prix by Orange for Foxtrot (© VDL, Patrick Muller)

The eighth edition of the Luxembourg City Film Festival came to a close on Sunday 4 March with its traditional awards ceremony. A screening of the madcap Isle of Dogs [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
, the latest film written and directed by Wes Anderson, rounded off proceedings at the Luxembourg-based gathering.

Of the ten fiction features duking it out in the Official Competition, the members of the international jury chaired by Atom Egoyan (with Anne SeibelLeonor SilveiraBruce McDonaldStéphan Roelants and Erfan Rashid) decided to hand the Grand Prix by Orange to Foxtrot [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Samuel Maoz
film profile
]
 by Samuel Maoz. A former Golden Lion winner at the Venice Film Festival in 2009 with Lebanon [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
, this time the filmmaker takes a step back and portrays the life of a soldier enlisted in the Israeli Army. In the movie, the day-to-day running of a checkpoint thus serves as the perfect opportunity to craft a critique of the institution of military service. More surprising was the Special Mention that the jury members awarded to Babis Makridis Pity [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Babis Makridis
film profile
]
.

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The two English-language films selected in the Official Competition were prizewinners as well: Sweet Country by Warwick Thornton received the Critics’ Award, while Lean on Pete [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Andrew Haigh took home the Youth Jury Award.

Gutland [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Govinda Van Maele
film profile
]
, a movie shot in the Luxembourgish countryside, picked up the Audience Award, as expected, as viewers were easily able to identify with the film’s characters. The feature debut showcases the mature approach of young Luxembourgish director Govinda Van Maele.

Comprising Luke W MoodyTomàs BaltazarYaara OzeryErfan Rashid and Mimi Plauché, the Documentary Competition jury handed the BGL BNP Paribas Award to Marta Prus for her film on the training of athletes in Russia, Over the Limit [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
. Meanwhile, Gustavo Salmerón earned a Special Mention for his whimsical Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gustavo Salmerón
film profile
]
.

Lastly, we should mention the Kids Jury Award, which was bestowed upon Cloudboy [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
. The Kids’ Festival Favourite Award was given to Luis and His Friends from Outer Space

The trophies were presented to the directors in the presence of the jury members, in the beautiful surroundings of the City of Luxembourg’s Cinémathèque.

Here is the complete list of award winners: 

Grand Prix by Orange
Foxtrot [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Samuel Maoz
film profile
]
 - Samuel Maoz (Israel/Switzerland/Germany/France)
Special Mention 
Pity [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Babis Makridis
film profile
]
 - Babis Makridis (Greece/Poland)

Documentary Award by BGL BNP Paribas
Over the Limit [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
- Marta Prus (Finland/Germany/Poland)
Special Mention
Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gustavo Salmerón
film profile
]
 - Gustavo Salmerón (Spain)

Audience Award by Orange
Gutland [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Govinda Van Maele
film profile
]
 - Govinda van Maele (Luxembourg/Belgium/Germany)

Critics’ Award 
Sweet Country - Warwick Thornton (Australia)

Youth Jury Award
Lean on Pete [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 - Andrew Haigh (UK)
Special Mention
Over the Limit - Marta Prus

Kids Jury Award 
Cloudboy [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 - Meikeminne Clinckspoor (Belgium/Norway/Sweden/Netherlands)

Kids’ Festival Favourite
Luis and His Friends from Outer Space - Christoph Lauenstein, Wolfgang Lauenstein (Germany/Luxembourg/Denmark)

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(Translated from French)

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