FESTIVALS: Venezuelan Family Wins 2017 Kinenova IFF Skopje

13-10-2017

FESTIVALS: Venezuelan Family Wins 2017 Kinenova IFF Skopje

By Marina Lazarevska

Family by Gustavo Rondon Cordova

SKOPJE: The Venezuelan debut feature Family / La Familia directed by Gustavo Rondon Cordova, which had its world premiere at Cannes Critics Week, received the Award for the Best Film at the 2nd edition of KineNova International Film Festival Skopje, which ran from 6 to 11 October 2017.

Ten films from nine countries were shown in the International Competition line up. The main jury consisting of Goran Markovic (Serbia), president, Hülya Uçansu (Turkey), Sinolicka Trpkova (Macedonia) and Igor Galo (Croatia) chose the film for ”extraordinary talent in presenting us a story of survival in a very brutal and violent world, which is valid both for the protagonists of the film and for the society of his country."

Alen Drljević of the Bosnian and Herzegovinian/Slovenian/ Croatian/German coproduction Men Don’t Cry / Muškarci ne plaču won Best Director Award for his mature directing dealing with the most delicate, historical and psychological situation of a team of protagonists, giving us simultaneously the feeling of optimism and hope with its ending.

Israeli Asaf Polonsky won Best Script Award for his One Week and a Day / Shavua ve Yo.

Serbian actor Zarko Lausevic received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Special Contribution to Film Art.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS:

Official Competition:

Best Feature Film:
Family / La familia (Venezuela)
Directed by Gustavo Rondon Cordova

Best Director:
Alen Drljević for Men Don’t Cry / Muškarci ne plaču (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia, Germany)
Produced by Deblokada Sarajevo
Coproduced by Iridium Film, This and That, Menderley Films, Produkcija Živa and Cineplanet
Supported by Foundation of Cinematography Sarajevo, the Slovenian Film Center, FS Viba, ZDF/Arte TV, MEDIA, the Ministry of Culture and Sport of Kanton Sarajevo, CineLink and Eurimages