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encounter, a story that is beautifully portrayed
by the actors, set against a backdrop of tragic
historical events, the 1
st
Prize for Best Short
Film and the sum of €4,000 went to the
film
Quiet Mujo
by Ursula Meier
.
2
nd
Prize for Best Short Film
For its use of a refreshing and comic situation
through a nimble ensemble cast to illuminate
current complexities in this part of the world,
the 2
nd
Prize for Best Short Film (along with
€1,500) went to
Ave Maria
by Basil Khalil
.
Best Director Award
For his handling of a difficult and delicate
subject matter with courage, vision and restraint,
the Best Director Award and sum of €2,500 went
to Martin Edralin for the film
Hole
.
Best Documentary Award
The Best Documentary Award was won jointly
by Astrid Bussink, for his work
Giovanni and
the Water Ballet
(for its charming and appealing
approach to gender identity issues), and Omar
Shami Nasr, for his documentary
Villages of the
Absent
(for its distilled and poetic portrayal of
older people left behind by their children). The
two shared the €3,000 prize.
International Special Mentions
Special Mentions in the International Competition
went out to:
•
The film
Always Tired
by Jochen Kuhn, for
exploring a contemporary social malaise
by breathing life into still drawings and
paintings.
•
Our Fathers’ Sons
by Ulaa Salim, for a
seamless build-up towards a climax that
delivers a real punch to inherited social views.
•
My Stuffed Granny
by Effie Pappa, for
successfully using a fairy-tale to reflect on
timeless economic issues, and for capturing
real human emotions in clay animation.
Martin Edralin
