Where and when was the third edition of the Edera Film Festival?
The 2021 edition of the Edera Film Festival took place from July 28 to 31 at the Cinema Edera in Treviso.
Edera Film Festival 2021: the winners chosen by the technical jury
Presented by the Artistic Directors Gloria Aura Bortolini, Giuseppe Borrone, and Sandro Fantoni, the thirty young directors under 35 who took part in this edition of the festival came, besides Italy, from various countries around the world: France, Belgium, Turkey, North Macedonia, the United Kingdom, and Russia.
Award for Best Feature Film
The jury formed by Thomas Bertacche, Elisa Marchesini, and Federico Sartori awarded the prize for best feature film to the film “Pozzis, Samarcanda” directed by Stefano Giacomuzzi (Italy, 2021). The young director from Udine was able to reconcile the role of director with that of supporting actor for Alfeo Carnelutti, the protagonist of the film, which the jury considers: ‘in every way a journey of initiation for the author that gives back a wonderful humanity, an authentic cinematic portrait, far from any complacency.’
Special mentions:
A special mention is given to “Nocturnal” by Nathalie Biancheri (United Kingdom, 2019) and to “Toprak” by Sevgi Hirschhäuser (Turkey, 2020)
Award for Best Documentary
The jury composed of Paola Gallo, Livio Meo, and Annamaria Sartor awarded the prize for best documentary to Matteo Sandrini, director of ‘L’uomo delle chiavi, sulla vecchiaia’. The jury chose to award this documentary:
“for the power and harmony that the daily life of the protagonist exudes. We find ourselves unexpectedly facing a true hymn to life because, instead of finding an elderly person who disconsolately awaits death, we find a soul rich in ancient wisdom, simple and at the same time extraordinarily profound, conveying an absolutely universal message for all ages.“
Special mentions:
Among the documentaries, a special mention was given to “La Patente” by Giovanni Gaetani Liseo (Italy, 2019) – ‘for the delicate undertaking of observing and telling, with simplicity and depth, the dream of a boy met among the silences and noises of nature, and of whom, with the passing minutes, we become fascinated travel companions and spontaneous supporters.’ and to “Islam de Cuba” by Marzia Rumi (Italy, 2020) – ‘for having great strength and courage in proposing a completely new theme, of which, in the near future, we will hear much more: the search for spirituality in environments that have historically not been educated to do so.’
Award for Best Short Film
The jury formed by Bartolo Ayroldi, Maria Di Razza, and Adolfo Valente awarded “November 1st” by Charlie Manton (United Kingdom, 2019) as the best short film of the third edition of the Edera Festival.
As stated by the jury, what made the short film deserving of the first prize was
“its power, which engages and excites and cannot leave one indifferent. The screenplay, perfectly supported by a rigorous, essential direction, perfect in every single shot, manages to dig into the souls of the characters with strength and surgical precision, without ever giving in to the seductions of sentimentalism.“
Special mentions:
Receiving a special mention in this category are the shorts “Sticker” by Georgi M. Unkovski (North Macedonia, 2019), ‘a work that highlights the dehumanization of a bureaucratic, corrupt, and persecutory society in which the individual cannot but succumb and is forced to choose between civic responsibility and parental responsibility…‘ and “Ma Planète” by Valéry Carnoy (Belgium, 2018) ‘for the delicacy of tone and the originality of the staging, in an operation that only auteur cinema – sometimes – can achieve.’
And it doesn’t end here!
Here are the winners chosen by the popular jury:
Award for Best Feature Film: “Nocturnal” by Nathalie Biancheri (United Kingdom, 2019),
Award for Best Documentary: “La Napoli di mio padre” by Alessia Bottone (Italy, 2020)
Award for Best Short Film to “Sticker” by Georgi M. Unkovski (North Macedonia, 2019).
Special Awards of the 2021 Edition
Changing Landscapes Award: “Movida” (Italy, 2020) by director Alessandro Padovani awarded by the Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche
Best Short Film on a Social Theme Award: “I passi per la vita” (Italy, 2019) by director Simone Pazienza awarded by the Rotary Club Treviso Terraglio
Best Female Director Award: “Nocturnal” (United Kingdom, 2019) by director Nathalie Biancheri awarded by AIDDA – Association of Women Entrepreneurs and Managers
