The Archaeology Channel International Film Festival 2021 which took place June 23-27, featured many of the world’s best films on archaeology and cultural heritage, as well as in-person presentations by Jaime Bach, an anthropologist and archaeologist who played a key role in the search for Amelia Earhart.
The top jury award, Best Film by Jury went to Riddle of the Bones: Gender Revolution directed by Birgit Tanner and Carsten Gutschmidt, which highlights key research developments in archaeology and forensic analysis that contradict the traditional view of the Stone Age that men were strictly hunters and women were strictly gatherers. This film explains how, why and when the gender divide began, and which cultures were involved in that division.
The Festival jury awarded four Special Mention awards. The Lost Redwood directed by Jesse Andrew Clark won special mention for promoting outstanding ecological heritage awareness. The Dune People directed by Nikos Dayandas was noted for its outstanding climate change awareness. Meeting Neanderthal directed by Rob Hope, Marie-Anne Sorba, Jean-Marc Cazenave, and Pascal Cuissot impressed the jury with its outstanding new insights. Twelve Decades of Discovery directed by Nikos Dayandas gained jury recognition for excellence in continuing legacy in archaeology.
The Festival audience picked We, the Voyagers: Our Moana directed by Mimi George and Heu’ionalani Wyeth as its favorite film. This film tells the story of Lata, the ancestral Polynesian culture-hero. The community learns how to sail in Lata’s embrace, finding their way in the open ocean by attending to winds, waves, stars, and other signs from their ancestors.
Winners of The Archaeology Channel International Film Festival 2021 Awards
Best Film (by Jury)
Riddle of the Bones: Gender Revolution (Produced by Tuan Lam; directed by Birgit Tanner and Carsten Gutschmidt; distributed by ZDF enterprises; Germany)
Honorable Mention for Best Film Category (in order):
Homo Sapiens: New Origins (Produced by Hind Saih, directed by Olivier Julien; distributed by Arte France; France)
Meeting Neanderthal (Produced by Arte France, France Televisions, Fred Hilgemann Films and INRAP; directed by Rob Hope, Marie-Anne Sorba, Jean-Marc Cazenave, and Pascal Cuissot; distributed by Beliane; France)
No Roses on a Sailor’s Grave (Produced by Daniel Oron and Natasha Ryan; directed by Daniel Oron; distributed by Go Button Media; Canada)
The Untold Story of the Vatican (Produced by Stephane Milliere; directed by Marc Jampolsky and Marie Thiry; distributed by Terranoa; France)
Best Narration (by Jury)
The Untold Story of the Vatican (Produced by Stephane Milliere; directed by Marc Jampolsky and Marie Thiry; distributed by Terranoa; France)
Honorable Mention for Narration (in order):
Riddle of the Bones: Gender Revolution (Produced by Tuan Lam; directed by Birgit Tanner and Carsten Gutschmidt; distributed by ZDF enterprises; Germany)
No Roses on a Sailor’s Grave (Produced by Daniel Oron and Natasha Ryan; directed by Daniel Oron; distributed by Go Button Media; Canada)
Meeting Neanderthal (Produced by Arte France, France Televisions, Fred Hilgemann Films and INRAP; directed by Rob Hope, Marie-Anne Sorba, Jean-Marc Cazenave, and Pascal Cuissot; distributed by Beliane; France)
Sarevo (Produced, directed and distributed by Mohammad Abdollahi; Iran)
Best Animation and Effects (by Jury)
Homo Sapiens: New Origins (Produced by Hind Saih, directed by Olivier Julien; distributed by Arte France; France)
Honorable Mention for Animation and Effects (in order):
The Untold Story of the Vatican (Produced by Stephane Milliere; directed by Marc Jampolsky and Marie Thiry; distributed by Terranoa; France)
Riding Through Time (Produced and directed by Gianmarco D’Agostino; distributed by Advaita Film Srl; Italy)
Meeting Neanderthal (Produced by Arte France, France Televisions, Fred Hilgemann Films
and INRAP; directed by Rob Hope, Marie-Anne Sorba, Jean-Marc Cazenave, and Pascal Cuissot; distributed by Beliane; France)
We, the Voyagers: Our Moana (Produced and directed by Mimi George and Heu’ionalani Wyeth; distributed by Pacific Traditions Society; USA)
Best Public Education Value (by Jury)
Sfumato (Producted, directed and distributed by Amirali Mirderikvand; Iran)
Honorable Mention for Public Education Value (in order):
Riddle of the Bones: Gender Revolution (Produced by Tuan Lam; directed by Birgit Tanner and Carsten Gutschmidt; distributed by ZDF enterprises; Germany)
Homo Sapiens: New Origins (Produced by Hind Saih, directed by Olivier Julien; distributed by Arte France; France)
Meeting Neanderthal (Produced by Arte France, France Televisions, Fred Hilgemann Films and INRAP; directed by Rob Hope, Marie-Anne Sorba, Jean-Marc Cazenave, and Pascal Cuissot; distributed by Beliane; France)
The Untold Story of the Vatican (Produced by Stephane Milliere; directed by Marc Jampolsky and Marie Thiry; distributed by Terranoa; France)
Best Script (by Jury)
No Roses on a Sailor’s Grave (Produced by Daniel Oron and Natasha Ryan; directed by Daniel Oron; distributed by Go Button Media; Canada)
Honorable Mention for Script (in order):
Riddle of the Bones: Gender Revolution (Produced by Tuan Lam; directed by Birgit Tanner and Carsten Gutschmidt; distributed by ZDF enterprises; Germany)
Homo Sapiens: New Origins (Produced by Hind Saih, directed by Olivier Julien; distributed by Arte France; France)
Meeting Neanderthal (Produced by Arte France, France Televisions, Fred Hilgemann Films and INRAP; directed by Rob Hope, Marie-Anne Sorba, Jean-Marc Cazenave, and Pascal Cuissot; distributed by Beliane; France)
The Untold Story of the Vatican (Produced by Stephane Milliere; directed by Marc Jampolsky and Marie Thiry; distributed by Terranoa; France)
Best Cinematography (by Jury)
Kaddish (Produced, directed and distributed by Razid Season; USA)
Honorable Mention for Cinematography (in order):
The Untold Story of the Vatican (Produced by Stephane Milliere; directed by Marc Jampolsky and Marie Thiry; distributed by Terranoa; France)
Homo Sapiens: New Origins (Produced by Hind Saih, directed by Olivier Julien; distributed by Arte France; France)
No Roses on a Sailor’s Grave (Produced by Daniel Oron and Natasha Ryan; directed by Daniel Oron; distributed by Go Button Media; Canada)
Dehsalm (Produced, directed and distributed by Mohammad Abdollahi; Iran)
Best Music (by Jury)
The Gallic Pact (Produced, directed and distributed by Sébastien Duhem; France)
Honorable Mention for Music (in order):
The Untold Story of the Vatican (Produced by Stephane Milliere; directed by Marc Jampolsky and Marie Thiry; distributed by Terranoa; France)Homo Sapiens: New Origins (Produced by Hind Saih, directed by Olivier Julien; distributed by Arte France; France)Sfumato (Producted, directed and distributed by Amirali Mirderikvand; Iran)Sarevo (Produced, directed and distributed by Mohammad Abdollahi; Iran)
Most Inspirational (by Jury)
Riddle of the Bones: Gender Revolution (Produced by Tuan Lam; directed by Birgit Tanner and Carsten Gutschmidt; distributed by ZDF enterprises; Germany)
Honorable Mention for Inspiration (in order):
No Roses on a Sailor’s Grave (Produced by Daniel Oron and Natasha Ryan; directed by Daniel Oron; distributed by Go Button Media; Canada)
Homo Sapiens: New Origins (Produced by Hind Saih, directed by Olivier Julien; distributed by Arte France; France)
Sfumato (Produced, directed and distributed by Amirali Mirderikvand; Iran)
Meeting Neanderthal (Produced by Arte France, France Televisions, Fred Hilgemann Films and INRAP; directed by Rob Hope, Marie-Anne Sorba, Jean-Marc Cazenave, and Pascal Cuissot; distributed by Beliane; France)
Special Mention (by Jury)
The Lost Redwood (Produced by Sam Gaty; directed by Jesse Andrew Clark; distributed by Northwest Documentary; USA); For outstanding Ecological Heritage Awareness
The Dune People (Produced by AMC2 Productions, Court-Jus Productions, France Televisions; directed by Nikos Dayandas; distributed by Court-Jus Productions; France); For outstanding Climate Change Awareness.
Meeting Neanderthal (Produced by Arte France, France Televisions, Fred Hilgemann Films and INRAP; directed by Rob Hope, Marie-Anne Sorba, Jean-Marc Cazenave and Pascal Cuissot; distributed by Beliane; France); For outstanding New Insights
Twelve Decades of Discovery (Produced and distributed by AORI Films; directed by Nikos Dayandas; Greece); For excellence in Continuing Legacy in Archaeology.
Audience Favorite (by Festival audience)
We, the Voyagers: Our Moana (Produced and directed by Mimi George and Heu’ionalani Wyeth; distributed by Pacific Traditions Society; USA)
Honorable Mention for Audience Favorite (in order):
The Untold Story of the Vatican (Produced by Stephane Milliere; directed by Marc Jampolsky and Marie Thiry; distributed by Terranoa; France)
Homo Sapiens: New Origins (Produced by Hind Saih, directed by Olivier Julien; distributed by Arte France; France)
Meeting Neanderthal (Produced by Arte France, France Televisions, Fred Hilgemann Films and INRAP; directed by Rob Hope, Marie-Anne Sorba, Jean-Marc Cazenave, and Pascal Cuissot; distributed by Beliane; France)
Riddle of the Bones: Gender Revolution (Produced by Tuan Lam; directed by Birgit Tanner and Carsten Gutschmidt; distributed by ZDF enterprises; Germany)