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DOCLISBOA 2021 Awards

918 Nights and Distopia triumph at Doclisboa

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- Arantza Santesteban's film has won in the international competition and Tiago Afonso's in the Portuguese one; other victors include You Are Ceauşescu to Me, Alcindo and Yoon

918 Nights and Distopia triumph at Doclisboa
Director Arantza Santesteban picking up her City of Lisbon Award for Best International Competition Film for 918 Nights

The 19th edition of Doclisboa wrapped on Saturday 30 October after nine intense days of screenings and industry events, with Spanish director Arantza Santesteban's 918 Nights [+see also:
film review
film profile
]
winning the main prize, the City of Lisbon Award for Best International Competition Film. A very personal, hybrid picture, Santesteban's film world-premiered at Doclisboa, a festival known for its unique mix of documentary and fiction titles within the same competitions, which always have a remarkable aesthetic and political aspect.

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The Brazilian film The Safest Place in the World by Aline Lata and Helena Wolfenson received the Canon International Competition Jury Award, while French director Clément Abbey's Public Library received an Honourable Mention.

In the Portuguese Competition, Distopia by Tiago Alfonso received both the HBO Portugal Award and the Schools Award for Best Film of the Portuguese Competition. The Portuguese Authors Society Portuguese Competition Jury Award went to the short Half a Light-Year by Leonardo Mouramateus.

Many of the Doclisboa awards are cross-sectional, with juries picking winners across different programmes. Thus, the New Talent Award went to Romania's Sebastian Mihăilescu for You Are Ceauşescu to Me [+see also:
film review
film profile
]
, which world-premiered in the International Competition, while the Healthy Workplaces Film Award went to Pedro Figueiredo Neto and Ricardo Falcão's Yoon, which bowed in the Portuguese Competition. Alcindo by Miguel Dores won the Audience Award from the Público newspaper for Best Portuguese Film.

In Doclisboa's Arché industry section, five projects received prizes. The biggest one, the RTP Award for Best Project in the Editing or First Cut Stage, consisting of €25,000 intended for TV rights in Portugal and Portuguese-speaking African countries, was handed to Juan José Pereira for Under the Flags, the Sun, while Handycam by Francisco Bouzas received the McFly Award, comprising €7,000 in post-production services. Natalia Garayalde received the Selina Award for Best Project in the Development or Writing Stage, which is an artistic residency, and Thais de Almeida Prado snagged the €2,000 School of Arts Universidade Católica Portuguesa Special Arché Jury Award for Best Project in the Writing and Development Stage. Finally, Orlando Furioso by Rafael Ramirez got an Honourable Mention.

The Nebulae section this year had Croatia as its Invited Country, and two Croatian projects received prizes. Be Realistic, Demand the Impossible by Vanja Juranić got the DAE Encouragement Award, while Underground Top Charts by Lidija Špegar picked up the Pitch the Doc Award.

Here is the full list of Doclisboa award winners:

International Competition

City of Lisbon Award for Best International Competition Film
918 Nights [+see also:
film review
film profile
]
- Arantza Santesteban (Spain)

Canon International Competition Jury Award
The Safest Place in the World - Aline Lata, Helena Wolfenson (Brazil)
Honourable Mention
Public Library - Clément Abbey (France)

Portuguese and Short Film Competitions 

HBO Portugal Award for Best Portuguese Competition Film
Distopia - Tiago Afonso (Portugal)

Portuguese Authors Society Portuguese Competition Jury Award
Half a Light-Year - Leonardo Mouramateus (Portugal, short)

Schools Award for Best Film of the Portuguese Competition
Distopia - Tiago Afonso

Cross-sectional Competition

New Talent Award
You Are Ceauşescu to Me [+see also:
film review
film profile
]
- Sebastian Mihăilescu (Romania)
Honourable Mention
The Spark - Valeria Mazzucchi, Antoine Harari (Switzerland/France/Italy)

Volvo Award for Best Short Film
Gargaú - Bruno Ribeiro (Brazil)
Honourable Mention
Avenuers (episode 3) - Roberto Santaguida (Canada)

Healthy Workplaces Film Award
Yoon - Pedro Figueiredo Neto, Ricardo Falcão (Portugal)

INATEL Foundation Award
Nūhū Yãg Mū Yõg Hãm: This Land Is Our Land! - Isael Maxakali, Sueli Maxakali, Carolina Canguçu, Roberto Romero (Brazil)

Fernando Lopes Award – Midas Filmes and Doclisboa Award for Best Portuguese First Film
Sounds of Weariness - Taymour Boulos (Lebanon/Belgium/Portugal/Hungary)

Audience Award
Alcindo - Miguel Dores (Portugal)

Green Years Competition

ADU Award for Best Green Years Film
Late August - Federico Cammarata, Filippo Foscarini (Italy)

Special Irmalucia Green Years Jury Award
In Spite of Ourselves - Olatz Ovejero, Clara López, Aurora Báez, Sebastián Ramírez (Spain)

Pedro Fortes Award for Best Green Years Portuguese Film
Meia-Luz - Maria Patrão (Portugal)
Honourable Mention
Ours Is the Wasteland - Mário Veloso (Portugal)

Arché Awards

RTP Award for Best Project in the Editing or First Cut Stage
Under the Flags, the Sun - Juan José Pereira (Paraguay/Argentina)

McFly Award – Special Arché Jury Award for a Project in the Editing or First Cut Stage
Handycam - Francisco Bouzas (Argentina)

Selina Award for Best Project in the Development or Writing Stage
BEA VII - Natalia Garayalde (Argentina)

School of Arts Universidade Católica Portuguesa Special Arché Jury Award for Best Project in the Writing and Development Stage
The Brazilwood Women - Thais de Almeida Prado (Brazil)
Special Mention
Orlando Furioso - Rafael Ramirez (Cuba/Ecudor)

Nebulae Awards

DAE Talent Encouragement Award
Be Realistic, Demand the Impossible - Vanja Juranić (Croatia)

Pitch the Doc Award
Underground Top Charts - Lidija Špegar (Croatia)

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