The 41st Jerusalem Film Festival announced the competition winners in a ceremony that took place on Thursday, July 25, 2024.
The International Competition
The Nechama Rivlin Award for Best International Film
The Story of Souleymane – Directed by Boris Lojkine, Produced by Bruno Nahon
Motivation: “A film full of humanity, masterfully crafted, that never hits a false note”
Best Director Award
Emanuel Parvu for Three Kilometers to the End of the World
Motivation: “An honest and uncompromising look at the community that fails at keeping its members safe from corruption and religious obscurantism.”
Special Mention
Black Dog by Hu Guan
Motivation: “An original script, strong camera work, and outstanding performances, that take us on a unique cinematic journey.”
Jury: Michel Franco, Guy Nattiv, Maria Choustova
First Feature Competition
The GWFF Award for Best First Feature
Santosh – Directed by Sandhya Suri, Produced by Mike Goodridge, James Bowsher, Balthazar De Ganay, Alan McAlex
Motivation: “An investigation into a rape and murder case, bravely exploring complex human relationships while offering a powerful commentary on India’s caste system and misogyny. The film raises ethical questions about the nature of good, evil, and complicity. It showcases remarkable acting, particularly in the main characters’ transformations. Most importantly, the film addresses current gender-related taboo issues, relevant not only in India, but also worldwide.”
Special Mention
Block Pass by Antoine Chevrollier
Motivation: “A mature and engaging depiction of an initiation story in a homophobic context.”
Jury: Maud Amson, Raya Morag, Dana Blankstein Cohen
In the Spirit of Freedom Competition
Cummings Award for Best Feature Film
Ghost Trail – Directed by Jonathan Millet, Produced by Pauline Seigland
Motivation: “Through a brilliant and exciting script and phenomenal acting, the film skillfully leads us into the depths of the dark and tormented soul of a Syrian refugee, who is looking for justice, revenge, and redemption. He learns that one can necessarily get all three. The film approaches complex issues with depth and respect for the characters and the unimaginable traumas that they carry. For us, this début film represents the essence of the spirit of freedom in a cinematic work.”
The MKR Award for Best Documentary
The Invasion – Directed by Sergei Loznitsa, produced by Sergei Loznitsa, Maria Choustova
Motivation: “Through the film, we are offered a gaze into the brokenness and chaos of life under forced war. Intertwined are a unique collection of moments of hidden and visible beauty. Naivety in the face of irony. Empathy and compassion alongside cruelty and loss. Through spectacularly precise and unforgettable cinematic instants, we can wonder, and maybe even momentarily understand, how it looks and feels like to be under invasion.”
Jury: Reymonde Amsellem, Michel Zana, Itay Marom
Chantal Akerman Competition
The Chantal Akerman Prize
Henry Fonda for President – Directed by Alexander Horwath
Motivation: “Director Alexander Horwath constructs a sharp and layered thesis around the figure of American actor Henry Fonda, in a cinematic essay beginning in the 17th century and echoing through our present day. As befits an historian, he adheres to research and facts, combining them with his personal feelings and story in an intelligent and poetic manner.”
Israeli Feature Film Competition
The Haggiag Award for Best Israeli Feature
Eid – Directed by Yousef Abo Madegem, Produced by Haggai Arad, Elad Peleg, Shlomi Elkabetz, Galit Cahlon
Motivation: “For its sensitive, completely mature, and authentic portrayal of the preservation of one’s own self-respect in a rigid environment bound by traditions in contradiction with painfully unfulfilled love, yet leading to reconciliation and forgiveness.”
The GWFF Award for Best Israeli First Feature
Come Closer – Directed by Tom Nesher, Produced by Haim Mecklberg, Estee Yacov-Mecklberg, Tomer Mecklberg, Moshe Edery, Leon Edery, Domenico Procacci, Laura Paolucci, Oren Rogovin, Omer Rogovin, Hezi Bezalel, Carnie Bezalel, Omri Bezalel, Anthony Bregman, Yigal Mograbi
Motivation: “A moving and profound search into the conflicting emotions and struggles experienced through loss, from opposing views and characters, who come to terms and reunite, even as they’re forever changed and inhabited by loss. The script, the precise directing, the remarkable editing, the casting, and the healing music subtlety. Of course, the performances, especially by Eden, Maya, and Eden’s mother are heartbreaking, yet they shine throughout. All these elements combined bring the film to masterful maturity.”
The Anat Pirchi Award for Best Screenplay
Maya Kenig for The Milky Way
Motivation: “An original idea, the industrial exploitation of mother’s milk is turned into a complex, biting, social satire and becomes a metaphor for mother-child bonding on the emotional level.”
The Anat Pirchi Award for Best Actress
Lia Elalouf for Come Closer
Motivation: “For its sensitive and profound portrayal of the most difficult moments in every person’s life, which is the loss of a close and deeply loved being.”
The Anat Pirchi Award for Best Actor
Shadi Mar’i for Eid
Motivation: “For a completely convincing portrayal of the main character, all his conflicting emotions, along with a sensitive understanding of his defiance, pain, and hope.”
The Ensemble Award
Youthful Grace – Ido Tako, Amitay Shulman, Moris Cohen, Hilla Vidor, Adam Gabay, Swell Ariel Or, Hitham Omari
Motivation: “A beautiful and tender story about coming of age in the difficult surroundings of addiction and distress. The lead character is one who passes the means of survival to others around him, despite having no place of his own and struggling with hardship and loss. The film is masterfully crafted, with great casting and acting, clever rudimentary camera work, and fine editing. Beautiful closeups.”
Special Mention
Highway 65 by Maya Dreifuss
Motivation: “We were impressed by the courage it took, especially in this country, to turn a bereaved mother into a murderer. Sometimes, the very, non-glamorous local resonates and this film with its excellent cast, is both very local and universal.”
Israeli Cinema Awards
The Aaron Emanuel Award for Best Cinematography
Daniel Kedem, Guy Raz for ADA – My Mother the Architect
Motivation: “A very architectural, lean, and cartesian portrait of a master architect; a woman facing male dominant surroundings, but with an undeterred, fascinating mind, an architectural philosopher. The cinematography enhances her work and subtly reveals her mindset, discretely making it a wholesome portrait.”
The Yossi Mulla Award for Best Original Score
Ginevra Nervi for Come Closer
Motivation: “For its non-violent use as an integral part of the whole story, meaningfully supporting the plot and its flow in time.”
The Shagrir Award for Best Editing
Shauly Melamed, Neta Dvorkis for Taboo: Amos Guttman
Motivation: “The intricate weaving together of behind-the-scene sequences with quotes from the films and the sparse, disciplined use of candid talks recreate a very important cultural figure that bears witness to times of excommunication and secrecy, hopefully, gone.”
Israeli Documentary Competition
The Diamond Award for Best Documentary
The Governor – Directed by Danel El-Peleg, produced by Yoav Roeh, Aurit Zamir
Motivation: “The film opens a dark chapter in the history of Israel, in relation to its Arab-Palestinian citizens. The director, granddaughter of the protagonist, courageously reveals her grandfather’s deeds while masterly interweaving history with candid revelations of his private past.”
The Diamond Award for Best Director
Shakked Auerbach for Strange Birds
Motivation: “A very moving account of the struggle of a family with an autistic son or brother from the point of view of his younger sister. Through its remarkable editing, fine use of music, and family archives, the film invites us into a story of love and care. Life is hard, but love makes it beautiful.”
Special Mention
Tapes of Revolution by Yaniv Segalovich
Motivation: “The film sheds light on the passion and faith which drove filmmaker Yamin Messika to break down the walls of cultural separation and discrimination of Mizrahi culture, wounds that didn’t heal completely until today.”
Jury: Philippe Van Leeuw, Václav Marhoul, Noemi Schory
Israeli Short Film Competition
The Diamond Award for Best Narrative Short Film
Layers by Klil Kovesh
The Siena Film Foundation Award for Best Student Film
Things That Have No Name by Rachel Shatz
Best Performance Award
Swell Ariel Or for Layers
Best Animated Short Film
Heart Hug by Rimma Gefen, Nika Zhukova
Special Mentions
French by Dylan Joseph
Kosher Test by Riki Rotter
Jury: Ruthy Pribar, Alma Dishy Plaut, Artyom Dubitski
Israeli Video Art & Experimental Film Competition
The Lia van Leer Award, Courtesy of Rivka Saker
I’m Not Afraid of the Apocalypse, I am Afraid You Don’t Love me Anymore by Leila Erdman–Tabukashvili
Ostrovsky Family Fund Award
Little Boney and his Winter Extinguisher (at last!) by Jonathan Omer Mizrahi
