03/11/2020 - The film by brothers Fabio and Damiano D'Innocenzo has gone home from the gathering with the top prize, also scooping the Best Director Award in the official section

The 35^th edition of the Mostra de València – Cinema del Mediterrani came to a close on 30 October with the handing out of its trophies. The movie that emerged triumphant was the Italian production Bad Tales [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Fabio and Damiano D’Innocenzo
film profile], which went home with the top prize: the Golden Palm for Best Film in one of the official sections (which comes with €25,000). In charge of weighing up the films in competition was a jury chaired by author Elisa Ferrer. Said jury stated that the film deserved the trophy “for its cleverly provocative representation of the eternal conflict between generations in the context of a society that is breaking down”. In addition, the film picked up the Award for Best Director, an acknowledgement of the work of brothers Fabio and Damiano D'Innocenzo.

The gathering’s second-most-important award, the Silver Palm (worth €10,000), went to Willow [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
interview: Milcho Manchevski
interview: Sara Klimoska
film profile] by North Macedonia’s Milcho Manchevski as, according to the statement by the jury, it is an “extremely well-directed film, which explores the concept of motherhood through three women’s search for love”. Furthermore, the Bronze Palm (valued at €5,000) ended up going to The End Will Be Spectacular [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Syria’s Ersin Çelik, which was deemed worthy of the accolade because “cinema is the best tool to help us not to forget stories. Despite the harsh conditions, the difficulties and the impossibilities, the team still dared to make this film because they thought it was a story worth telling.”

The Best Screenplay Award was bestowed upon Merzak Allouache and Bahia Allouache, who penned the script for the Algerian flick Paysages d’Automne; Best Actor went to Firas Nassar for his turn in Between Heaven and Earth [+see also:
film review
film profile] (Palestine/Iceland/Luxembourg); and Best Actress was granted to Adriana Matoshi for her work in Zana [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Antoneta Kastrati
film profile] (Kosovo/Albania). Best Cinematography was taken home by Adolpho Velos for his efforts as DoP on Mosquito [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: João Nunes Monteiro
film profile], a Portuguese-French-Brazilian war film that also snagged the Best Soundtrack Award, in recognition of the score composed by Justin Melland.

The À Punt Award for the Official Section film that best “promotes the values of social integration, civic-mindedness, cooperation and peace, demonstrating a respect for social, gender, cultural and geographical diversity” was presented to Paysages d’Automne by Algeria’s Merzak Allouache. The prize entails the acquisition of broadcasting rights by À Punt Mèdia and values “the ability of its creators to examine investigative journalism and assert it as a tool to lay bare the most profound parts of the social reality. In this case, the protagonist’s eyes are used to uncover the upheaval in the Islamic world, now totally detached from the Arab Spring, and portrays aspects as diverse as women’s experience of structural male chauvinism, systemic corruption and the loss of rights affecting freedom of the press.”

Here is the full list of winners:

Golden Palm for Best Film
Bad Tales [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Fabio and Damiano D’Innocenzo
film profile] – Fabio and Damiano D'Innocenzo (Italy/Switzerland)

Silver Palm
Willow [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
interview: Milcho Manchevski
interview: Sara Klimoska
film profile] – Milcho Manchevski (North Macedonia/Hungary/Belgium)

Bronze Palm
The End Will be Spectacular [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Ersin Çelik (Syria/Iraq/Spain)

Best Director
Fabio and Damiano D'Innocenzo – Bad Tales

Best Screenplay
Merzak Allouache and Bahia Allouache – Paysages d’Automne (Algeria)

Best Cinematography
Adolpho Velos - Mosquito [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: João Nunes Monteiro
film profile] (Portugal/France/Brazil)

Best Actor
Firas Nassar - Between Heaven and Earth [+see also:
film review
film profile] (Palestine/Iceland/Luxembourg)

Best Actress
Adriana Matoshi - Zana [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Antoneta Kastrati
film profile] (Kosovo/Albania)

Best Soundtrack
Justin Melland – Mosquito

À Punt Award
Paysages d’Automne - Merzak Allouache

Honorary Palm
Maria de Medeiros

(Translated from Spanish)