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TRIESTE 2021 WEMW / Awards

First Cut+ hands out its awards at When East Meets West

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- Organised during WEMW for the second consecutive year, the programme has awarded prizes to the upcoming film projects by Araceli Lemos and Peter Kerekes

First Cut+ hands out its awards at When East Meets West
The two winning projects, Holy Emy by Araceli Lemos (left) and Censor by Peter Kerekes

The first session of First Cut+’s second edition, the programme that aims to boost the competitiveness and marketability of feature films that have previously been hosted at First Cut Lab, has announced its award winners. Running for five days (22-26 January) during the digital 11th edition of When East Meets West, First Cut+ invited eight films along to participate (see the news), which are all currently in post-production.

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Holy Emy [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Araceli Lemos
film profile
]
, directed by first-time Greek writer-director Araceli Lemos, received the First Cut+ Award, offered by L'Avventura Studio (covering digital marketing expertise for an international festival launch), Tiramisù (offering consultancy on the trailer and poster) and WOLF Consultants (providing consultations on positioning the finished film). The supernatural story follows two sisters, both members of the Catholic Charismatic Filipino community of the Greek port city of Piraeus. Emy’s gift cements their bond, but when her sister Teresa brings Argyris into their lives, everything falls apart (see the news). Written by Lemos and Giulia Caruso, the film is being produced by Konstantinos Vassilaros (StudioBauhaus).

Censor [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Peter Kerekes
film profile
]
 (working title) by Slovakian director Peter Kerekes was the winner of both the Sub-Ti Award, providing subtitling services, and the Sub-Ti Access Award, which creates subtitles for people with sensory disabilities, as announced by Federico Spoletti, managing director at SUB-Ti. The hybrid project follows a child who is born in prison and the struggles his mother goes through in a race against time to avoid her son ending up in an orphanage (see the news). Written by Kerekes and Ivan Ostrochovský, the project is being produced by Ostrochovský and Katarina Tomková for Bratislava-based Punkchart films, and is being made in co-production with endorfilm, Arthouse Traffic, Rozhlas a televízia Slovenska, E-S Production and Peter Kerekes Film.

Regarding this special edition, Ilaria Gomarasca, head of First Cut+, stated: “The First Cut+ participants are all winners, in my opinion, because they all benefit from five intense days of meetings with film professionals who worked together with them on the positioning and the launch of their films. It was an edition full of positive energy, albeit spread digitally. Both the participants and the advisors gave it their best shot for the fulfilment of a great session.”

The next edition of First Cut+, where eight different film projects will take part and be presented, is planned to be held during the upcoming edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival’s Eastern Promises Industry Days.

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