In the world of European genre cinema the big awards that recognize the best of the region are the Méliès, awarded by the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation. More of a prestige award for the moment, winning any of the Méliès each year brings clout to the filmmaker and draws the attention of producers and financiers looking to back up exciting filmmakers and their projects in the years to come.
Perusing the list I myself would have a lot of catching up to do, seeing less than half of the eleven titles that make up this year's d'argent list. I could speak to the quality of films like Hagazussa, The Lodgers, November and Tiere. If the others are anywhere close to the quality of those films then it is a very good list of contenders for this year's d'argent.
Winners are announced on closing night of the Imagine Film Festival in Amsterdam, Netherlands this Friday, the 20th of April.
Imagine’s Méliès d’argent reflects the big diversity of fantastic cinema across Europe: from graduation films to arrived masters and from raw horror to psychological drama.Compulsion - Angel González (Spain)The Cured - David Feyne (Ireland, UK, France)Dhogs - Andres Goteira (Spain)Hagazussa: A Heathen’s Curse - Lukas Feigelfeld (Germany, Austria)The Lodgers - Brian O’Malley (Ireland)The Man With the Magic Box - Bodo Cox (Poland, Italy)November -Rainer Sarnet (Estonia, Netherlands, Poland)The Place - Paolo Genovese (Italy)Tiere (Animals) - Greg Zglinski (Austria, Switzerland, Poland)Tower. A Bright Day - Jagoda Szelc (Poland)Die Vierhändige (Four Hands) - Oliver Kienle (Germany)