Japanese director Hikari’s “37 Seconds” was awarded the Best Film prize at the 18th edition of the RIFF – Rome Independent Film Festival. “Japan. In a world that seems to be hundreds of miles away from the European life, the film offers in a delicate and touching way, evergreen topics: trying to position itself in a competitive society. “
Like last year, the Award for Best Documentary, Italian and International, is an award given by the audience. RIFF Award for the best international documentary went to “Dave Grusin: Not Enough Time” by Barbara Bentree on the Oscar-winning composer of Tootsie, The graduate and Milagro among others.
Film “Pastrone” by Lorenzo De Nicola on silent cinema revolutionary director Giovanni Pastrone, the director of “Cabiria” won RIFF Award for best Italian Documentary .
For the Italian short films selection winner is “Oltre Il Fiume” by Luca Zambolin; “Vittoria per tutti” by Elia Bei wins the RAI Cinema Channel Award
The winner for the Short International section went to “Caesar” by Mohamed Megdoul (France). “The conflict of the classic such perfectly transfer to modernity. From the Shakespearean tragedy to the French banlieu. Human nature opens with intensity and depth in the film, where form and content are in harmony” and to a Film “Ethel” by Jonny Wright for “The clarity of the story that comes from the beauty of simplicity. It follows the canon of the genre without falling into banality. Filmed, performed and written with talent and passion “.
A special mention for the Short International section was given to “The Lost One” by Matilde Hirsch (France) “For the brilliant idea of reliving an archive film with a contemporary rhythm”
By decision of the Jury of the festival, RIFF Award for the Best Italian goes to “Oltre Il Fiume” by Luca Zambolin. “It is an amazing piece that combines beautiful realistic (and yet artistic) approach, fantastic and cinematically perfect from the beginning to the end, and allowing many different interpretations. He adds a new point of view on the traditional approach to WWII pieces”.
The RAI Cinema Channel Award for Best Italian Short is worth goes to “Vittoria per tutti” by Elia Bei “Because it tells a dramatic story with a dry and incisive style and lights the spotlight on the very topical issue of the revenge porn and more generally of the violence against women, a violence that, in the era of social networks, must be increasingly fought in all its forms ”.
For the Animation short section, the winner is “Daughter” by Daria Kashcheeva (Czech Republic). “A fantastic work: written, directed, edited, and conceived in an excellent way. A story that moves in a form that inspire.”
A special mention was given to “Butterflies in Berlin, Diary of A Soul Split In Two” by Monica Manganelli on the first transsexual operated in history during the rise of National Socialism.
For the students’ short film section the winner is film “Jupiter” by Benjamin Pfohl (Germany). “For the director’s ability to talk about serious and deep things in a simple way. For the rhythm of such that keeps the audience in suspense from the beginning to the last second and involves in the illusions, disappointments and hopes of the protagonists.”
A special mention went to the Italian film “Racconto notturno” by Gianluca Granocchia.