VIDEO 39th Fantasporto closed with the Awards Ceremony
IN 2019, THE 39TH OPORTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL – FANTASPORTO AWARDED CHINA, POLAND AND THE PHILIPINES.
CHINESE “LAST SUNRISE” WINS MAIN FANTASY SECTION.
“Last Sunrise” by Chinese first time director Wen Ren was the big winner of the main section, Fantasy Cinema, of Fantasporto with a sci-fi story about the day the sun stops shining forever. The Best Director award went to British Julian Richards, for two films, “Reborn” and “Daddy’s Girl”, both in competition, a singular fact for it was the first time in the long history of this festival that a director presented two features and got granted one of the top awards. Also British, “In Fabric” brought the scent of originality with a story about a department store and gathered the Special Award of the Jury. Brazilian director and screenwriter won the screenplay award with ”A Mata Negra” about a girl who lives in the forest. Also in this section, actors Christopher Rygh, from Norway, convinced the jury for his performance in “The Head Hunter”, a feature shot in Portugal, and Australian Georgia Chara won Best Actress with “Living Space”. Hungarian feature “His Master’s Voice” by Gyorgy Palfi was awarded Best Special Effects with a story about a scientist that discover that, in fact, we are not alone in the universe. The Best Short was “My First Time” by Israeli Asaf Livni.
POLAND’S “WEREWOLF” WINS FANTASPORTO DIRECTORS WEEK
In the Directors Week competition, main honours went to Polish “Werewolf” by Adrian Panek about children released from concentration camps after the end of World War II. The Special Jury of this non -genre attached official section was won by the Phillipino “Waiting for Sunset” by Carlo Catu, about an unmarried old couple who is asked to help the woman’s long lost husband. This film also won Dante Rivero a Best Actor Award in this section. American Christina Choe brought, in her first feature, a story about a girl who believes she may be Steve Buscemi’s long lost daughter and took the Best Director award home. Best Screenplay went to Hungarian Balint Hegedûs and Károly Uji Mészáros for “X – The eXploited” (Hungria), directed by former Fantasporto Best Film winner (with “ Liza, The Fox-Fairy”), Meszaros himself who attended the screenings. Best Actress was won ex-aequo by two Philipino’s actresses, Ai-Ai de las Alas (“School Service”), and Ina Raymundo (“Kuya Wes”).
ORIENT EXPRESS REWARDS A TALE OF SORCERY AND A DRAMA IN THE STREETS OF MANILA
“THE WITCH: PART 1 – THE SUBVERSION”, by former Fantasporto Winner Hoon-Jong Park’s Hit feature In South Korea, was considered Best Asian film and “School Service” by Louie Ignacio Lagdameo , Orient Express Special Jury Award, brought the drama of the children begging in the streets of Manila.
Closing the Awards of this 39th edition, The Audience Award went to the American documentary “The Panama Papers” by Alex Winter and the Critics Award went to Indian environmental conscious “Painting Life “ by Biju Kumar Damodaran, about a film crew which suddenly must face a world without technology in the mountains of the Himalayas.
“THE HEAD HUNTER” ALSO WINS THE BEST PORTUGUESE FILM AWARD.
The co-production directed by Jordan Downey, “The Head Hunter”, was produced by Kevin Stewart, born in Portugal in the Northwest of Portugal, and shot in his family zone, won the Best Portuguese Film. This is the story of a lonely hunter (a remarkable Christopher Rygh, also primed in the Fantasy Section) taking revenge on the monsters that killed his daughter. In the Film Schools competition, the prize went to Lisbon’s ETIC and a Special Mention rewarded “Cinzas” by Célia Fraga.
A large majority of the representatives of the features in competition attended Fantasporto, which screening over 36 World and International premieres in a total of nearly 200 very recent shorts and features. Fantasporto’s 40th anniversary will be celebrated in 2020.
FANTASY INTERNATIONAL JURY
The International Jury of the Fantasy Section of the 39th Oporto International Film Festival - Fantasporto was composed of Milan Todorovic, Anton Bitel, Bruno Chatelin and Josep Maria Contel Ruiz The jury has decided to grant the following awards:
Best Film Award Fantasporto
LAST SUNRISE- WEN REN - CHINA
Jury’s Special Award
IN FABRIC – PETER STRICKLAND- UK for the level of originality
Best Direction
JULIAN RICHARDS for REBORN and DADDY’S GIRL
Best Actor
CHRISTOPHER RYGH in THE HEAD HUNTER (USA/PORT)
Best Actress
GEORGIA CHARA in LIVING SPACE- AUSTRALIA
Best Screenplay
RODRIGO ARAGÃO for A MATA NEGRA (BRAZIL)
Best Visual Effects
HIS MASTER’S VOICE – GYORGY PALFI (HUNGARY)
Best Short Film
MY FIRST TIME – ASAF LIVNI (ISRAEL)
Special Mention of the Fantasy Jury:
THE FARE – D.C.HAMILTON (USA)
OFFICIAL DIRECTORS WEEK AWARDS
Manoel de Oliveira Award
The International Jury of the 29th Directors Week –Fantasporto has decided to grant the following awards:
Directors Week Best Film Award
WEREWOLF- ADRIAN PANEK – 88’- POLÓNIA/ALEM/HOL
Directors Week Jury’s Special Award
WAITING FOR SUNSET – CARLO CATU – 90’ FILIPINAS
Directors Week Best Director Award
NANCY – CHRISTINA CHOE- 85’ – EUA /USA
Directors Week Best Screenplay Award
BÁLINT HEGEDUS AND KAROLY MESZÁROS – X-THE EXPLOITED - HUNGARY
Directors Week Best Actor Award
DANTE RIVERO – WAITING FOR SUNSET – FILIPINAS/ THE PHILLIPES
Directors Week Best Actress Award
EX- AEQUO:
AI-AI DE LAS ALAS- SCHOOL SERVICE – FILIPINAS
INA RAYMUNDO – KUYA WES - FILIPINAS
OFFICIAL COMPETITIVE SECTION ORIENT EXPRESS 2019
Best Film Orient Express
THE WITCH: PART 1- THE SUBVERSION– HOON-JUNG PARK - COREIA DO SUL
Special Jury Award Orient Express
SCHOOL SERVICE – LOUIE IGNACIO LAGDAMEO- FILIPINAS
PORTUGUESE FILM AWARD 2019
Best Portuguese Film Award
THE HEAD HUNTER - JORDAN DOWNEY - EUA/PORT
Best Film School Award
ETIC/EPI
Special Mention for Creativity
CINZAS – CÉLIA FRAGA – ESAP
Critics Award
PAINTING LIFE - BIJU KUMAR DAMODARAN- ÍNDIA
Audience Award
THE PANAMA PAPERS- ALEX WINTER - USA
