CHEVAL NOIR AWARD FOR FEATURE FILMS
The jury, presided over by Joko Anwar, the acclaimed Indonesian director of SATAN’S SLAVES and the 2020 Sundance breakout IMPETIGORE, featured Mattie Do (DEAREST SISTER, THE LONG WALK), Steve Moore (of the band Zombi, soundtrack composer for BLISS, MAYHEM), Jongsuk Thomas Nam (Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival programmer, Managing Director of the Network of Asian Fantastic Films), and Karen Walton (writer of GINGER SNAPS, Orphan Black) awarding the following prizes:
BEST FILM: MARYGOROUND (Poland, d. Daria Wosjek)
“For this visually arresting aria of a uniquely female experience, from its superb performances to its diabolical psychological landscape, the jury salutes the unflinching vision and precise execution of every single element of Daria Wosjek’s MARYGOROUND”
BEST DIRECTOR: Daria Wosjek (MARYGOROUND, Poland)
“From her unflinching and delightfully irreverent intentionality, to her flawless execution, this singular hand on the creative helm grabs you from the first frame and never lets go. The jury declares MARYGOROUND’s Daria Wosjek The Total Package!”
BEST SCREENPLAY: Brea Grant (12 HOUR SHIFT, USA)
“This wild ride delivers all the hair-raising chaos of a bent but light-hearted thriller, with a star-turn on deliciously deviant dialogue for a no-punches-pulled, timely heroine you can’t stop cheering for. The jury celebrates the ruthless screenwriting of Brea Grant for 12 HOUR SHIFT.”
SANDRO FORTE AWARD FOR BEST MOTION PICTURE SCORE: Shiro Sagisu (WOTAKOI: LOVE IS HARD FOR OTAKU, Japan)
“A buoyant pairing of music and the characters’ emotional experience, this score exemplifies the craft of elevating a cinematic vision by acing the score’s elemental role in its story. The jury is delighted to award Shiro Sagisu the Sandro Forte Award for Best Motion Picture Score for WOTAKOI: LOVE IS HARD FOR OTAKU”
BEST ACTOR: Jacky Heung (CHASING DREAM, Hong Kong)
“This knock-out performance is recognized for its exceptionally demanding physicality, heart-pounding special skills, dynamic and compelling emotion and the absolutely beautiful embodiment of a flawed but timeless hero. The jury is cheering on our new favourite fighter, Jacky Heung as Tiger in CHASING DREAM!”
BEST ACTRESS: Grazyna Misiorowska (MARYGOROUND, Poland)
“We cannot rave enough. This tour de force performance is a masterclass in spellbinding stunning nuance, heart-stopping vulnerability, emotional authenticity and true comic genius. The jury is thrilled to recognize this powerhouse performance by Grazyna Misiorowska as Mary in MARYGOROUND“
JURY SPECIAL MENTION: Cho Jin-woong (ME AND ME, South Korea)
“The sophisticated and truly heart-wrenching work of one performer deserves a Special Mention: for his gripping ode to a man experiencing everything from the unnerving absurdity to existential agony of an uninvited “New Normal” with stunning grace and undeniable emotional honesty, Cho Jin-woong lifts the bar of the classic noir detective to a whole new level in his portrayal of ME AND ME’s Hyeong-goo.”