AwardsWatch

Thirty-one highly promising and ambitious new feature projects from across the globe were presented at the online Holland Film Meeting (HFM) last week. As one of Europe’s must attend international exchange platforms for professional collaboration and creative development, the HFM creates a bridge between the Dutch and international film industries. Tonight the HFM Awards Ceremony 2020 took place online, hosted live from Utrecht – HFM’s hometown. The four prize categories of this year were the NFF Script Development Award, Camalot/Filmmore Emerging Cinema Award, Works-in-Progress Award sponsored by Intermission Film and the HFM Market Potential Award.

The Winners of 2020

NFF Script Development Award: Marina (Brazil)
Marina, the only black teen in her wealthy private school, prepares for her dreamed 15th birthday party. Meanwhile, dozens of bodies with bullets holes are found in her tropical hometown. She remains unaffected, until she starts hanging out with Pedro, the seamstress’ son, a guy that could be her first love or the next body gunned down.
Director and screenplay: Laís Santos Araújo & Pethrus Tibúrcio (Aguda Cinema)
Producers: Nara Aragão & João Vieira Jr. (Carnaval Filmes)
Special jury mention for Holy Electricity - Tato Kotetishvili.
The jury consisted of Anna Ciennik (script consultant, France), David Kimbangi (Film4, UK) and Susan Korda (story & post-production consultant, USA).

Camalot/Filmmore Emerging Cinema Award: Holy Electricity (Georgia/The Netherlands)
Nika and Nodo, two crusaders in contemporary Tbilisi, smell business opportunities when giant neon crucifixes appear around town. But selling home-size copies door-to-door turns out less successful than thought. Adding ‘holy electricity’ as an extra feature seems lucrative, but Nika fears to be doomed to hell. A black comedy about the power of religion and the dangers of gullibility.
Director and screenplay: Tato Kotetishvili
Producers: Irakli Metreveli (Zango Studio), Tekla Machavariani (Nushi Film)
Co-producer: The Film Kitchen (NL)
Special jury mention for Good Enough: Burnout Diary - Dario van Vree.
The jury consisted of Mathias Noschis (AlphaPanda, Germany), Debbie Rowland (We Are The Tonic, UK) and Sergina Stavroulaki (Heretic Outreach, Greece).

Works-in-Progress Award sponsored by Intermission Film: Anouschka (The Netherlands)
An interactive production about a magical black girl's journey through space and time. 
Director: Tamara Shogaolu
Screenplay: Sandy Bosmans & Elinor Vanderburg
Producers: Jamari Perry, Tamara Shogaolu & Marcela Stolzmann (Ado Ato Productions)
Special jury mention for Nosferatu Reanimated - Erik van Schaaik, Wood - Flynn van Kleist and Black Pete (or How I found my true self and accidentally unleashed a race war) - Gonzalo Fernandez.
The jury consisted of Charles Bin (Best Friend Forever Sales, Belgium), Karla Quintero (International Film Festival Panama) and Jane Tattersall (SIM International, Canada).

HFM Market Potential Award: This Is Home (UK)
When a quiet young heroin dealer falls in love with the guy who stashes his drugs, and an overweight shop-keeper falls for the homeless girl across the street, they struggle to find a way to transcend their realities and create new ways to be free…
Director: TBC
Screenplay: Silas Parry
Producer: Gill Parry (feral inc.)
The jury consisted of Edgar Daarnhouwer (Paradiso Filmed Entertainment, Benelux), Anne-Sophie Lehec (Cinemarket.io, France/Germany) and James Warren (Intermission Film, Netherlands/UK/USA).