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| Cotton Queen Photo: Courtesy of Thessaloniki Film Festival |
Sudanese-Russian director Suzannah Mirghani’s debut feature Cotton Queen has been crowned the winner of the Golden Alexander-Theo Angelopoulos prize for best film at the 66th Thessaloniki International Film Festival
Her film, which premiered in Venice's Critics' Week earlier this year, follows teenager Nafisa, who faces tensions around her future. The prize comes with a €10,000 (£8,7800) purse.
Accepting the award, Mirghani said: “I’d like to thank the Festival and the jury. This award means much more than you think, especially in these troubled times of war and genocide, for a film featuring actors displaced from their homes in Egypt, and seeking refuge.
“It is encouraging that you can still make art in such dark times and receive recognition. I’d like to thank the film’s co-producer and my mentor, Annemarie Jacir, who knows the significance and the importance of this film better than anyone. I’d also like to thank the cast and crew of Sudanese origin, who are in a state of war and seeking a way out,”
The Silver Alexander for best director went to Greece’s Aristotelis Maragkos for Beachcomber. The film, centring on a young man who dreams of building a boat from scrap, also won the artistic achievement award for best cinematography for Giorgos Karvelas.
The screenplay accolade went to Yvonne Görlach for Karla, a German film, directed by Christina Tournatzes, based on the true story of a 12-year-old girl seeking justice over the abuse she has suffered from her father. The film also won the Fipresci and the Audience-Fischer awards at the festival.
The acting awards went to Harry Melling for Harry Lighton's Pillion and Sabrina Amali for Nancy Bianadaki’s s Maysoon.
The jury comprised Match Factory head of sales Thania Dimitrakopoulou, US cinematographer Frederick Elmer and filmmaker Elegance Bratton (The Inspection).
In the Meet The Neighbours+ section, Italian road trip dramedy One For The Road, directed by Francesco Sossai won the Golden Alexander, with Roqia by Yanis Koussim picking up the best director accolade. The winner of the Film Forward top prize was 1001 Frames by Mehrnoush Alia.
In the Works in Progress section of the festival's industry platform Agora, Spanish director Fernando Souza's Tonight Is Forever was announced the winner.
Honorary Golden Alexanders were presented to French star Isabelle Huppert and Greek filmmaker Giorgos Tsemberopoulos. Both were the subject of retrospectives of their films and offered master classes.
The full list of winners is below:
International Competition
- The Best Feature Film Award Golden Alexander – Theo Angelopoulos: Cotton Queen by Suzannah Mirghani
- Silver Alexander for Best Director: Beachcomber by Aristotelis Maragkos
- The Best Actor Award: Harry Melling for Pillion by Harry Lighton
- The Best Actress Award: Sabrina Amali for Maysoon by Nancy Biniadaki
- The Best Artistic Achievement-Direction of Photography Award: DoP Giorgos Karvelas for his work in Beachcomber
- The Best Screenplay Award: Yvonne Görlach for her work in Karla by Christina Tournatzès
Meet The Neighbours+ Awards
- Golden Alexander – Michel Demopoulos: The Last One for The Road by Francesco Sossai
- The Best Director Award Silver Alexander – City of Thessaloniki Award: Roqia by Yanis Koussim
- The Best Actor Award: Pierpaolo Capovilla and Sergio Romano for The Last One For The Road by Francesco Sossai
- The Best Actress Award: Manuela Martelli for God Will Not Help by Hana Jušić
- The Best Artistic Achievement: God Will Not Help by Hana Jušić
>>Film Forward Awards
- Golden Alexander: 1001 Frames by Mehrnoush Alia
- The Best Director Award Silver Alexander: Before/After by Manoël Dupont
- The Best Artistic Achievement Award: The Chronology of Water by Kristen Stewart
- A Special Mention for actors Jeremy Lamblot and Baptiste Leclère for Before/After by Manoël Dupont
Additional Awards
- Mermaid award for best LGBTQ+ film: Plainclothes by Carmen Emmi
- Special mentions: Fantasy by Kukla and Bearcave by Krysianna B Papadakis & Stergios Dinopoulos
- Smart7 Award: Hanami by Denise Fernandes
- The FOS Award for an actor making his debut in a lead or secondary role, in a Greek full-length film: Alexandros Ntavris for his Endless Land by Vassilis Mazomenos
- The “FOS” Award for an actress making his debut in a lead or secondary role, in a Greek full-length film: Chara Kyriazi for Bearcave by Krysianna B Papadakis and Stergios Dinopoulos
- The Alpha Bank Accessibility Award: Everybody Loves Touda by Nabil Ayouch
- Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra (TSSO) Award: Amine Bouhafa for Cotton Queen
- TSSO Special Mention: Felix Rösch for On The Sea
- Hellenic Broadcasting Best Original Music Award: Marilena Orfanou and Stavros Mitropoulos for the film Patty Is Such a Girly Name
- ERT Award given to the Greek film that wins the award from FIPRESCI: Bearcave by Krysianna B Papadakis and Stergios Dinopoulos
- Human Values Award: Milk Teeth by Mihai Mincan
- The Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center – Creative Greece Award to a debutant director, in a Greek production having its premiere in the official selection: Bearcave by Krysianna B Papadakis and Stergios Dinopoulos
- The Best Location Award of the Hellenic Film Commission: Petros Chytiris for Gorgonà by Evi Kalogiropoulou
- The JF Costopoulos Foundation Award: Patty Is Such A Girly Name by Giorgos Georgopoulos
- The Finos Film Award: Patty Is Such A Girly Name by Giorgos Georgopoulos
- FIPRESCI International Competition Award: Karla
- FIPRESCI Best Greek Film: Bearcave by Krysianna B Papadakis and Stergios Dinopoulos
- Greek Association of Film Critics Award: Patty Is Such A Girly Name by Giorgos Georgopoulos
- Women in Film & Television GR Award: Bearcave by Krysianna BPapadakis and Stergios Dinopoulos
- Crew United Award: Amerissa Basta for the film Life In A Beat
- Youth Jury Best Film Award: Patty Is Such A Girly Name by Giorgos Georgopoulos
- Special Youth Jury Award: Bearcave by Krysianna B Papadakis and Stergios Dinopoulos
- Audience Award for International Competition: Karla by Christina Tournatzès
- Audience Award for Meet The Neighbours+: Life In A Beat by Amerissa Basta
- Audience Award for Film Forward: 1001 Frames by Mehrnoush Alia
- Audience Award for Official Selection: All That's Left of You by Cherien Dabis
- Audience Award “Michael Cacoyannis” - Greek Film Festival: Life In A Beat by Amerissa Basta
