JURY AWARDS

Minh Tâm (France), Vincent Maury

At the age of 33, Minh Tâm has given up on love. Devoted to the education of her autistic son, overwhelmed by a domineering mother, she uses men just to escape briefly from daily life. Until the day she meets Olivier, who causes her to question her certainties.

Jury Statement: “For its honest, haunting and subtly devastating depiction of an emotionally damaged woman struggling to reconnect her body and her soul.”

La Laguna (Mexico), Aaron Schock

Deep in the rainforest of southern Mexico, a young Mayan boy lives a life of freedom and joy until confronted by family problems and the realities of growing up that might push him out into the world.

Jury Statement: “This film really took the Jury on a gorgeous journey into another world.  It is so beautifully photographed and edited, and shows an impressive level of intimacy with its subjects.  It felt like a Terrence Malick film- to have this much aesthetic control in a documentary situation is truly impressive.”

Limbo (Greece), Konstantina Kotzamani

The leopard shall lie down with the goat. The wolves shall live with the lambs. And the young boy will lead them.

Jury Statement: “This haunting film displays a level of mastery in terms of directing that feels truly visionary. Every frame is exquisitely composed, and also perfectly expresses the film’s tone of deep mystery and otherworldliness.”

Glove (US), Alexa Lim Haas & Bernardo Britto

An astronaut loses a glove in space and contemplates where it will go.

Jury Statement: “In five deceptively simple minutes, this animated film takes us from a factory in Delaware to the farthest reaches of space, transforming a real event into a delightfully speculative meditation on our place in the universe.”

Bon Voyage (Switzerland), Marc Wilkins

A couple’s compassion is put to the test when they come across a sinking ship of refugees while on a pleasure trip across the Mediterranean.

Jury Statement: “A superbly directed thriller that explores the current dilemma of the refugee crisis. The film challenges the audience at every turn, implicating the viewer asking them to think what would they do if faced with the same situation.”

Filip (Sweden), Nathalie Álvarez Mesén

A naturalistic story about a young boy and his older brother. Both are on journeys of self-discovery and revelation.

Jury Statement: “We loved the intimacy, sensitivity and delicacy of this family portrait, and were impressed by the nuanced performance of the young star; and we felt truly immersed in his point of view.”

Clínica de Migrantes: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness(US), Maxim Pozdorovkin

Everyday, Puentes de Salud, a volunteer-run clinic in South Philadelphia, serves the uninsured Latino immigrants of the community. A moving and human examination of immigration and health care in America today.

Jury Statement: “For its immensely empathetic and measured approach to capturing the workings of a volunteer-run clinic servicing the uninsured and undocumented in Philadelphia. It's a film that's both urgent in its timeliness and warmly human in its approach to the doctors and patients it follows.”

Mr. Madila (UK), Rory Waudby-Tolley

This hilarious and creative gem of an animated documentary brings to life interviews with a highly opinionated spiritual healer. Not content with talking about his craft, he also has plenty to say about filmmaking.

Jury Statement: “We loved this highly inventive and imaginative film. We were completely drawn into Mr Madila’s hilarious and wild world.”

Peacock (Czech Republic), Ondrej Hudecek

A twisted gay romance set in 19th-century Bohemia tells the true story of the birth of one of the nation's most influential writers. Suspense, laughter, violence, hope, heart, nudity, sex and a mostly happy ending.

Jury Statement: “For its incredible style, visual élan, and droll sense of humor in telling the strange, funny, and true story of the early days of famous Czech writer. We had trouble believing that this was a student film, but we have no trouble at all believing that Ondrej Hudecek is the successor to Wes Anderson.”

Gabber Lover (France), Anna Cazenave-Cambet

Laurie doubles on the back of Mila’s motorbike to a lake where they dance with abandon. Her gaze harbors longing but will the friendship sustain this transition?

Jury Statement: ““Energetic and stylish, this film examines the fear and courage implicit in a proclamation of new love. The jury was stuck by this films pacing and use of color and music. Clearly, this student is a filmmaker to watch”

I, Destini (US), Nicholas Pilarski & Destini Riley

In an animated diary, Destini Riley reflects on her life in Durham, N.C., a city divided by class and race. For Destini, whose brother is in prison, the carceral environment is difficult to escape.

Jury Statement: “This urgently timely story of incarceration and its effects on a family employs a spare animation style and an eloquent metaphor to transform a deeply personal tale into a cinematic language that speaks to us all.”

JURY SPECIAL MENTIONS

Thunder Road (US), Jim Cummings

Jimmy Arnaud eulogizes his mother.

Jury Statement: “The jury would also like to give a special mention to a film that in one breathtaking, surprising and hilarious take revealed the extraordinary talent of its writer director and star, Jim Cummings, a filmmaker and actor we are sure we'll be seeing much more of.”

People of the Delta (Ethiopia), Joseph Lawrence

In Ethiopia's Lower Omo Valley, a young man comes of age in a harsh time.

Jury Statement: “Beautifully shot with a dual storyline that intersects, the film is made all the more poignant by having real tribesmen, not actors, taking the viewer through this fictional narrative.”

Runners-up: Clinica de Migrantes: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, These C*cksucking Tears and Alzheimer’s: A Love Story

Runners-up: Violet and Alike

Peacock (Czech Republic), Ondrej Hudecek

A twisted gay romance set in 19th-century Bohemia tells the true story of the birth of one of the nation's most influential writers. Suspense, laughter, violence, hope, heart, nudity, sex and a mostly happy ending.

Teenage Seyna faces unexpected obstacles on her mission to become a French citizen, from the disapproval of her Cameroonian father to the limitations of the camera lens.