The Scandinavian production dominated proceedings at the 29th International Fantasy Film Festival, a spine-tingling event running 26th to 30th January, which unfolded in the flesh in the Vosges-based city, with English filmmaker Edgar Wright as its guest of honour.

Presided over by Julie Gayet (with the support of Alexandre Aja, Suliane Brahim, Valérie Donzelli, Mélanie Doutey, Bertrand Mandico, Grégory Montel and Pascal-Alex Vincent), the jury awarded the 2022 Grand Prize to Hatching [+leggi anche:
recensione
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intervista: Hanna Bergholm
scheda film] by Finland’s Hanna Bergholm. This first feature film by the director - which also won over the Youth Jury and was only recently screened at the Sundance Film Festival - will be distributed in France as of 2 March by The Jokers Films, with sales entrusted to Wild Bunch International.

The Jury Prize was jointly awarded to You Are Not My Mother by Ireland’s Kate Dolan (whose French release is planned for 10 August 2022 via Star Invest) and The Grandmother [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Paco Plaza
scheda film] by Spain’s Paco Plaza (released in national cinemas last Friday by Sony Pictures Releasing and set to be distributed in France by Wild Bunch), while the trophy for Best Original Score went to Italy’s Daniele Luppi for his work on Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon by US director Ana Lily Amirpour.

The other big winner of this year’s Gérardmer festival was The Innocents [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Eskil Vogt
scheda film] by Norway’s Eskil Vogt, which scooped the Audience Award as well as the Critics’ Prize. Discovered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section, this feature film (which is the second directed by Joachim Trier’s trusty co-screenwriter) will be distributed in French cinemas on 9 February, courtesy of Les Boomakers and Kinovista.

The full list of prize-winners is as follows:

Grand Prize
Hatching [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Hanna Bergholm
scheda film] – Hanna Bergholm (Finland/Sweden)

Jury Prize (ex aequo)
You Are Not My Mother - Kate Dolan (Ireland)
Grandmother [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Paco Plaza
scheda film] - Paco Plaza (Spain/France)

Best Original Score
Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon – Ana Lily Amirpour (USA)

Audience Award
The Innocents [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Eskil Vogt
scheda film] - Eskil Vogt (Norway/Sweden/Denmark/Finland/France)

Critics’ Award
The Innocents - Eskil Vogt

Youth Jury Award
Hatching – Hanna Bergholm

Grand Prize for Best Short
Charge mentale - Benjamin Malherbe (France)