01/02/2021 - The film by the newcomer Georgian director was unanimously victorious, with Special Mentions going to Exile, My Morning Laughter and So She Doesn’t Live, and Cineuropa singling out Sweat

Beginning [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dea Kulumbegashvili
film profile] by Dea Kulumbegashvili (a Georgian-French co-production) is the winner of the 2021 Trieste Film Festival. The jury (Paolo Bertolin, Adina Pintilie, Ewa Puszczyńska) were unanimous in their decision to award the movie the Trieste Prize (€5,000), with the film having already bagged no fewer than four trophies at San Sebastián in September, as well as scooping prizes at seven other international events. They described it as: “A debut film displaying a rare authorial confidence, as well as pure stylistic coherence, resulting in a cinematic reality composed of pictures, sounds and performances (notably that of the astonishing lead actress) which continually encourage viewers to question their opinions on this astounding and thrilling story”. The jury also awarded special mentions to Exile [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Visar Morina
film profile] by Visar Morina, My Morning Laughter [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Marko Djordjevic and So She Doesn’t Live [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Faruk Loncarevic.

The Alpe Adria Cinema Award, meanwhile, which is worth €2,500 and honours the Best Documentary in competition, was won by Acasă, My Home [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Radu Ciorniciuc
film profile] by Radu Ciorniciuc, courtesy of a jury composed of Heidi Gronauer, Eszter Hajdú and Leena Pasanen.

The Osiride Brovedani Foundation Award for Best Short Film in competition went to Beyond is the Day by Damian Kocur, as decided upon by a jury composed of Alessandra De Luca, Dimitra Karya and Andrijana Sofranić Šućur, who also bestowed a Special Mention upon Iris Baglanea’s Goads.

As for the films battling it out in Trieste’s three competitions, these were assessed by an online assembly of accredited participants who then voted on the winners of their Audience Award: Father [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Srdan Golubović
film profile] by Srdan Golubovic was named Best Feature Film, Town of Glory by Dmitrij Bogoljubov was crowned Best Documentary and Love is Just A Death Away by Bára Anna Stejskalová earned the accolade of Best Short.

For its part, the Cineuropa Prize for the Best Feature Film in competition went to Sweat [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Magnus von Horn
film profile] by Magnus von Horn, “For telling a story which we first feel in our muscles and then in our minds. Buoyed by Magdalena Koleśnik’s powerful performance, the film shows us how to create – or destroy – an influencer based on the trends of the moment”.

Other trophies handed out at the festival included the 2021 Corso Salani Award, which went to Ultimina [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Jacopo Quadri; the Sky Arte HD network’s SkyArte Prize - consisting of the acquisition and distribution of one of the films in the TriesteFF Art&Sound line-up - which was won by Marc di Domenico’s Aznavour By Charles [+see also:
trailer
film profile], with Boris Miljković’s Homecoming earning itself a Special Mention; the Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa Award for Best Documentary in competition, bestowed upon Once Upon a Youth [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Ivan Ramljak, and the Central European Initiative Award for films best representing modern-day reality and intercultural dialogue, which went to Srdan Golubovic’s Father.

The full list of award winners is as follows:

Trieste Best Feature Film Award
Beginning [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dea Kulumbegashvili
film profile] - Dea Kulumbegashvili (Georgia/France)
Special Mention
Exile [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Visar Morina
film profile] - Visar Morina (Kosovo/Germany/Belgium)
My Morning Laughter [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Marko Djordjevic (Serbia)
So She Doesn’t Live [+see also:
film review
film profile] - Faruk Loncarevic (Bosnia Herzegovina)

Alpe Adria Cinema Award for Best Documentary
Acasă, My Home [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Radu Ciorniciuc
film profile] by Radu Ciorniciuc (Romania/Finland/Germany)

Osiride Brovedani Foundation Award for Best Short Film
Beyond is the Day - Damian Kocur (Poland)
Special Mention
Goads - Iris Baglanea (Greece)

Audience Award for Best Feature Film
Father [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Srdan Golubović
film profile] - Srdan Golubovic (Serbia/France/Germany/Croatia)

Audience Award for Best Documentary
Town of Glory - Dmitrij Bogoljubov (Russia/Germany/Czech Republic)

Audience Award for Best Short Film
Love Is Just A Death Away - Bára Anna Stejskalová (Czech Republic)

Cineuropa Prize
Sweat [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Magnus von Horn
film profile] - Magnus von Horn (Poland/Sweden)

Corso Salani Award
Ultimina [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Jacopo Quadri (Italy)

SkyArte Prize
Aznavour By Charles [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Marc di Domenico (France)
Special Mention
Homecoming [+see also:
film review
film profile] - Boris Miljković (Serbia)

Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa Award
Once Upon a Youth [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Ivan Ramljak (Croatia)

Central European Initiative Award
Father - Srdan Golubovic

PAG Jury Award for Best Short Film
Akturimas – Laurynas Bareiša (Lithuania)
Special Mention
Goads - Iris Baglanea

Eastern Star Award
Miki Manojovic

Cinema Warrior Award
Unione Nazionale Interpreti Teatro e Audiovisivo U.N.I.T.A. (Italy’s National Union of Theatre and Audiovisual Interpreters)

(Translated from Italian)