08/10/2018 - M by Yolande Zauberman and Graves Without a Name by Rithy Panh scoop the most awards at the 33rd Namur International French-Language Film Festival

The Namur International French-Language Film Festival (FIFF), which took place from 28 September to 5 October, chose once again to distinguish documentaries, handing awards to Yolande Zauberman (M [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]) and Rithy Panh (Graves Without a Name [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rithy Panh
film profile]), a festival regular.

M, discovered this summer at Locarno Film Festival, follows in the footsteps of Menahem Lang, who opens the secret door to his hometown, Bneï Brak, "the city of men in black" – the world capital of ultra-Orthodox Jews. The film essentially revisits a crime scene, because it was here that he was raped throughout his childhood. It’s also about revisiting the places he once loved so much, an initiatory journey strewn with secret encounters, rediscovered rituals... peace making. The film won the Bayard d'Or for Best Film, presented by a jury chaired by Thierry Klifa, touched by this film, which was "full of rage and tenderness about a man's work in resilience." 

The jury also awarded Cambodian filmmaker Rithy Panh and his new film, Graves Without a Name – which once again focuses on the forgotten victims of the genocide perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge – with two awards, the Special Jury Prize and the Bayard for Best Photography.

In addition to the two documentaries, the jury also awarded In Safe Hands [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Jeanne Herry with the Bayard for Best Screenplay and the Best Actress award, which went to Elodie Bouchez.

The Belgian film For a Happy Life [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], the first feature film by Salima Glamine and Dimitri Linder, which premiered at the festival, won three awards: the Audience Award, the Critics' Prize and the Cinevox Award, while the weightless comedy The Trouble With You [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pierre Salvadori
film profile], by Pierre Salvadori received a Special Mention from the jury, as well as the Be TV Award for Best Feature Film.

Finally, it's worth noting that the young jury awarded two French films, Sauvage [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Camille Vidal-Naquet
film profile] by Camille Vidal-Naquet, which won the Bayard for Best First Fiction Film, and Little Tickles [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Andrea Bescond and Eric Métayer, which won the Discovery Award. 

The Awards: 

Official Competition 

Bayard d’Or for Best Film
M [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Yolande Zauberman (France) 

Special Jury Prize
Graves Without a Name [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rithy Panh
film profile] - Rithy Panh (Cambodia/France)

Special Jury Mention
The Trouble With You [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pierre Salvadori
film profile] - Pierre Salvadori (France) 

Bayard for Best Screenplay
Jeanne Herry - In Safe Hands [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (France/Belgium) 

Bayard for Best Photography
Rithy Panh, Prum Mésar – Graves Without a Name

Bayard for Best Actress
Elodie Bouchez - Pupille

Bayard for Best Actor
Théodore Pellerin - Genèse (Canada)

First Fiction Film Competition

Bayard for Best First Fiction Film
Sauvage [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Camille Vidal-Naquet
film profile] - Camille Vidal-Naquet (France)

Discovery Award
Little Tickles [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Andréa Bescond, Éric Metayer (France)

International Short Film Competition

Bayard for Best Short Film
D’un château l’autre - Emmanuel Marre (Belgium/France) 

Special Jury Prize
Beautiful Loser - Maxime Roy (France) 

Jury Mention
Hector Malot: Le Dernier jour de l’année - Jacqueline Lentzou (Greece)

National Short Film Competition 

Best Short Film Award
Une soeur - Delphine Girard (Belgium) 

Special Jury Prize
Kaniama Show - Baloji (Belgium) 

Best Photography Award
Léo Lefèvre - Garçon (Belgium)

Acting Award
Pierre Nisse, Françoise Atoch - D’un château l’autre

Mention
Simon Pleure - Sergio Guataquira Sarmiento (Belgium) 

Other Awards 

Audience Award for Best Feature Fiction Film
For a Happy Life [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Salima Sarah Glamine, Dimitri Linder (Belgium/Luxembourg)

Audience Award for Best Documentary
Un amour rêvé - Arthur Gillet (Belgium)

Audience Award for Best Short Film
Une soeur - Delphine Girard

Junior Jury Prize
School's Out [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sébastien Marnier
film profile] - Sébastien Marnier (France) 

Cinevox Award – Belgian Feature Film
For a Happy Life - Salima Sarah Glamine, Dimitri Linder

Special Mention
Our Struggles [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Guillaume Senez
film profile] - Guillaume Senez (Belgium/France)

Critics’ Award – Belgian Feature Film
For a Happy Life - Salima Sarah Glamine, Dimitri Linder 

Be TV Award – Feature Film
The Trouble With You - Pierre Salvadori 

BeTV Award – Belgian Short Film
Une soeur - Delphine Girard 

ARTE Award – Short Film
Accord parental - Benjamin Belloir (Belgium) 

RTBF Award – Belgian Short Film
Accord parental - Benjamin Belloir 

University of Namur Award
Une soeur - Delphine Girard

(Translated from French)