Editor

“Courage” and “Ristabbanna” winners of the RIFF New Vision Award to ‘The Wicked Uncle’

Concluding with a great success (about 10,000 viewers), the eleventh edition of the Rome Independent Film Festival, the film festival was presented from April 13th through 19th, in two main locations at the Nuovo Cinema Aquila and Casa del Cinema di Roma, with more than 120 competition entries – feature films, short films, and documentaries – from around 40 nations, including world and European premiers.

The international jury, composed of: Claudia Potenza, film and television performer; artistic director Alexia Roider of the ISFFC (International Short Film Festival of Cyprus); Räfael, French-Belgium artist; Johnny Palomba, film critic; Seeta Indrani, actress and director; Cristiano Gerbino professor of film history and founding partner of the projects Kino and Fake Factory; Christian Carmosino president of the “Officine” (workshops) and head of the Audiovisual Production Center of the Cultural and Entertainment Department at the University Roma Tre; Serena Sostegni of Cattleya; Michela Greco, journalist for Paese Sera; Lucia Loffredo journalist for La7; Lorenzo Hendel, director and documentary filmmaker, responsible for the program DOC3; Fabio Meloni, director of the Nuovo Cinema Aquila; and Libero De Rienzo, actor.

THE RIFF 2012 HAS AWARDED THE FOLLOWING WORKS:

BEST FOREIGN FILM
“Courage” by Greg Zglinski (Poland)

BEST ITALIAN FILM
“Ristabbanna” by Gianni Cardillo & Daniele De Plano

NEW VISION AWARD
“The Wicked Uncle” (Il Cattivo Zio) by Urs Odermatt (Switzerland/Germany)

BEST ITALIAN DOCUMENTARY FILM
“Io sono qui” (“I am here”) by Emmanuel Exitu

**ITALIAN DOCUMENTARY FILM SPECIAL MENTION
“Pino Masciari, Storia di un calabrese imprenditore” (“Pino Masciari,
Story of a Celabrian entrepreneur”) by Alessandro Marinelli

BEST FOREIGN DOCUMENTARY FILM
“Love in the grave” by David Vondracek (Czech Republic)

**FOREIGN DOCUMENTARY FILM SPECIAL MENTION
“Girls of Hope” by Aysegul Selenga Taskent (Turkey)
“Meet the Fokkens” by Gabrielle Provaas e Rob Schroder (Netherlands)

BEST ITALIAN SHORT FILM
(Joint winners)
“Cusutu n' Coddu (Cucito addosso)” by Giovanni La Pàrola
“Ombre” (“Shadows”) by Emanuele Pica

** ITALIAN SHORT FILM SPECIAL MENTION
“Nostos” (“Ours”) by Alessandro D'Ambrosi & Santa de Santis

BEST FOREIGN SHORT FILM
“Two Hearts” by Darren Thornton (Ireland)

** FOREIGN SHORT FILM SPECIAL MENTION
“Him (El)” by Lídice Abreu & Andrés Zawisza (Spain)
“Legacy” by Bryn Chainey (Germany)

BEST STUDENT SHORT FILM
“Controlled (Ferngesteuert)” by Hendrik Maximilian Schmitt (Germany)

** STUDENT SHORT FILM SPECIAL MENTION
“Martha Must Fly(Al Martha Lauf)” by Ma'ayan rypp (Israel)

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
“Caldera” by Evan Viera (USA)

** ANIMATED SHORT SPECIAL MENTION
“Much Better Now” by Philipp Comarella & Simon Griesser (Austria)

BEST SHORT FILM SCREENPLAY
“El Jardinero” (“The Gardener”) by Stefano Valentini

BEST SCREENPLAY SUBJECT MATTER
“Agata” by Riccardo Giullari

BEST FEATURE FILM SCREENPLAY
“La casa nel Bosco” (“The house in the woods”) by Giorgio Pirazzini

BEST MOVIE PITCHER
“Gli occhi di una vita” (“The eyes of a life”) by Michele Antonio
Parisi

Among the prestigious guests in attendance during the week of the Festival
were: Maurizio Sciarra, Valentina Carnelutti, Sabrina Impacciatore, Rolando
Ravello, Nino Frassica, Alessandro Haber, Sandra Milo, Franco Neri, Andrea De
Rosa, Vinicio Marchioni, Giorgio Colangeli, Luca Ward, Mario Donatone,
Daniela Virgilio, Andrea Sartoretti, Luca Lionello, Daniele Miglio, Jaan
Tootsen, Karel Vachek, Aysegul Selenga Taskent, David Wnendt, Hlin
Johannesdottir, Jesper Morthorst, Lukasz Dzieciol, Radim Prochazka, Bruce
Ornstein, Richard Neustadter, Martin Yurkovic, Lourdes Faberes, John
McIlduff, Jennifer Clary, Kevin Haberer, Rolf Peter Kahl, Urs Odermatt,
Jasmin Morgan, Alba Garcia. Mark Playne, Bryan Chainey, Mitsuyo Miyazaki,
Kelly Winsa, Simon Farmakas, Dominik Calzone, Pino Masciari, Evelyn Fama’,
Carmen Giardina, Vittoria Schisano, Sarah Maestri, Riccardo De Filippis.

The prizes was awarded by the Festival director, Fabrizio Ferrari, last
night, April 20, at the Animal Social Club (23 Via di Portonacci) at
9:30p.m.

The RIFF recognizes the Ministry of Heritage and Cultural Activities (DGC),
Department of Culture, Arts and Sports of the Lazio Region and Rome Capital
– Department of Culture and Historical Center.