The Awards of the 37th international FILMFEST MÜNCHEN
The 37th international FILMFEST MÜNCHEN drew to a close on Saturday, July 6, 2019 with a ceremonious presentation of awards. "Bacurau" by Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles was honored with the ARRI/Osram Award in the CineMasters competition, while Melina León's "Song without a Name" received the CineVision Award for best international film by a new director.
On Friday, the Brazilian-German co-production "The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão" received the newly created CineCoPro Award, but Latin American cinema was very strongly represented in the other competitions as well. Filmfest curator Florian Borchmeyer was overjoyed at this development: "The fact that different juries, independently of each other, have given three films from South America the three main international awards of FILMFEST MÜNCHEN is an impressive indication of the rise of Latin American cinema, which in its artistic complexity and political astuteness is getting closer and closer to the apex of world cinema. I'm especially pleased about the fact that two films from Brazil have received an award. Particularly in the current political climate of a country whose government systematically represses all pluralism and diversity of opinion and has declared a culture war in order to do so, these awards are a symbol of the vitality of cinematic art and its ability to offer artistic resistance to despotism and far-right authoritarianism."
Concluding the festival after the award ceremony was Nisha Ganatra's comedy "Late Night", with Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling in the lead roles. This film was given its German premiere in the sold-out Carl-Orff-Saal at the Gasteig.
ARRI/Osram Award
The film "Bacurau" by Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles received the ARRI/Osram Award for best international film. "This film blew us away. The story is set in a near future that seems uncomfortably close. What looks like a simple plot about a village defending itself from a gang of white supremacists trying to exterminate them turns out to be a multilayered poetical allegory of our world today. The filmmakers skillfully mix elements of magical realism, western, fantasy, horror, and trash. This film shows us that only with solidarity and empathy is there hope." the jury wrote in its statement.
Mads Brügger's investigative documentary "Cold Case Hammarskjöld" was given honorable mention by the jury.
This year's jury for the ARRI/Osram Award was comprised of Susan Senk, founder of Susan Senk Public Relations and Marketing; Bulgarian-German actor Samuel Finzi; and director Emily Atef. Competing for the ARRI/Osram Award for best international film in the CineMasters section were the latest films by ten notable directors. This 50,000-euro award is sponsored by Munich companies ARRI and Osram.
CineVision Award
The CineVision Award for best international film by a new director went to "Song without a Name"by Melina León. The jury explained its decision as follows: "Georgina Condori’s desperate voice tears through a newspaper office, a voice that needs to be heard, a voice that is not used to being raised. Director Melina León and her unsettlingly intense lead actor Pamela Mendoza Arpi lend Georgina that voice in a film characterized by an elaborate visual style, deep empathy and respect for the indigenous communities of their homeland. This film is a period piece, but unfortunately none of the issues it so deftly outlines have lost their relevance. We applaud her work. We want to hear more, Melina, because we are listening."
The 15,000-euro CineVision Award is sponsored by MPLC Deutschland GmbH — the Motion Picture Licensing Company. Competing in the CineVision section were ten first and second films by talented international directors whose cinematic style is breaking new ground. This year's jury members were actress Ursina Lardi; Smriti Kiran, artistic director of the Mumbai Film Festival; and actress Saskia Rosendahl.
FIPRESCI Prize
"Lara" by Jan-Ole Gerster has received the 2019 FIPRESCI Prize. The jury of the International Federation of Film Critics was comprised this year of Yael Shuv from Israel; Greg de Cuir, Jr. from the United States; and Giulia Dobre from Romania. They explained their decision as follows: "Lara, masterfully brought to life by the great actress Corinna Harfouch, is a challenging and complex character at the center of a beautifully constructed and incisive screenplay, directed by Jan-Ole Gerster with nuanced sophistication and wit. It is a brilliant cinematic portrait of the consequences of judgmental parenting and of art as a resolution."
Audience Awards
The festival's Audience Awards were also presented on the final day of the festival. The Bayern 2 and SZ Audience Award went to the film "For Sama" by Waad Al Kateab and Edward Watts.
This year's Kinderfilmfest Audience Award went to "Lotte And the Lost Dragons" by Janno Põldma und Heiki Ernits. This 1,000-euro award is sponsored by SZ Familie.
ONE-FUTURE-PRIZE
This year's One Future Prize, awarded by the Interfilm Acadamy, went to the Chilean film "Perro Bomba" by Juan Cáceres. The jury, comprised of Dr. Peter Marinković, director Mirjam Orthen and the actresses Franziska Ball and Irina Kurbanova, explained its decision as follows: "'Perro Bomba' brings up a controversial aspect of Chile's recent past and points out society's ills, thus addressing universal issues at the same time. This film demonstrates the idealism of a director who is fighting for a better, more just world. We believe that further far-reaching, relevant films can be expected of Juan Cáceres, and we wish to take this opportunity to encourage him. For this, we are awarding him the 2019 One Future Prize."
