The President
Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Mahkmalbaf’s “The President” received the Gold Hugo for Best Film, the Festival’s highest honor, in the 50th Chicago International Film Festival Competitions. In this dark satire of power, dispossession and revenge from Iranian New Wave master Mohsen Makmalbaf (Kandahar), a dictator comes face to face with the people he previously subjugated. When a coup d’état overthrows a leader’s brutal rule and the rest of his family flees the country by plane, The President becomes a fugitive, along with his young grandson, and confronts, first-hand, the hardships and anger experienced by his own people. The Silver Hugo, Special Jury Prize went to “Refugiado” directed by Diego Lerman.
International Feature Film Competition
Gold Hugo, Best Film: “The President” (Georgia, France, UK, Germany) Director: Mohsen Mahkmalbaf
Silver Hugo, Special Jury Prize: “Refugiado” (Argentina, Colombia, France, Poland, Germany) Director: Diego Lerman
Silver Hugo, Best Director: “Timbuktu” (France, Mauritania) Director: Abderrahmane Sissako
A beautifully crafted and devastating account of the takeover of Northern Mali by Islamic militants two years ago, Timbuktu tells a deeply humanist tale about a diverse group of citizens’ struggles in the face of adversity and intolerance. Like his previous cinematic gem Bamako, veteran filmmaker Sissako focuses on the inner fortitude of his characters, particularly the steadfast women, who, despite abuse and oppression, still sing in defiance.
Silver Hugo, Best Actor: Anton Yelchin, “Rudderless” (USA)
After a tragic shooting takes the life of his teenage son, a grieving father (Billy Crudup) discovers the boy’s demo tapes. When he musters the will to perform one, he forms a tight bond with a young musician (Anton Yelchin) and together, they form a rock band that revitalizes their lives—until a hidden secret is revealed. Actor William H. Macy (Fargo) delivers a poignant and inspirational drama about the power of love, forgiveness and redemption
Silver Hugo, Best Actress: Geraldine Chaplin, “Sand Dollars” (Dominican Republic, Mexico)
In a Dominican resort town, Noeli, a dark-skinned local, hooks up with international tourists in exchange for money, sharing the proceeds with her boyfriend. But Noeli’s longstanding romantic relationship with Anne, a wealthy lesbian woman (the extraordinary Chaplin) threatens to upend their lives. This deftly directed multi-character portrait, both tender and cynical, paints a sensitive and sophisticated picture of the collision between haves and have-nots.
Silver Hugo, Best Cinematography: John Christian Rosenlund, “1001 Grams” (Norway)
Anna, a scientist who specializes in weights and measures, lives a life of precision, rigidity and solitude. But when her father, a fellow scientist, suffers a heart attack, Anna’s world falls out of perfect alignment. Wry and winsome, this beautifully told and thoughtful human story—and Norway’s official submission for the Academy Awards—follows Anna on a journey from Norway to France and back, as she attempts to find the right balance in her life.
Silver Hugo for Best Screenplay: Ronit Elkabetz and Shlomi Elkabetz (co-writer and co-directors), “Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem” (Israel, France, Germany)
Viviane wants a divorce from her ultra-orthodox spouse, Elisha, but Israeli law dictates only the husband may end a marriage—something Elisha is unwilling to grant. Undergoing a grueling, five-year legal process, Viviane is forced to contend with a religious court system that refuses to acknowledge her autonomy. Driven by Ronit Elkabetz’s extraordinary performance, this award-winning Israeli drama powerfully documents the injustices of a culture stubbornly committed to the oppression of women.
Gold Plaque for Best Art Direction: Mauro Radaelli, “Human Capital” (Italy)
Amores Perros, Italian-style: This slick tripartite drama recounts the same story from three different character’s perspectives, each one disclosing new revelations about the tragic incident at its core. Winner of Italy’s best film, writing, and acting awards, Human Capital combines excellent performances (from Italian luminaries Valeria Golino and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi), with an incisive critique of the country’s culture of greed and the resulting low value put on human life.
Gold Plaque for Best Costume Design: Pia Myrdal and Anne-Dorthe Eskildsen, “Speed Walking” (Denmark)
Ava is desperate to find the man of her dreams.
Gold Plaque Special Mention for Originality: “The Owners” (Kazakhstan) Director: Adilkhan Yerzhanov
In this bizarre, darkly comic adventure set in the Wild Wild East of rural Kazakhstan, three orphaned siblings from the city try to reclaim their mother’s home in a far-flung village, only to encounter corruption, indifference, and cruelty at every turn. With outbursts of singing, dancing, violence and visually arresting tableaus, The Owners presents a lurid and shocking vision of injustice that is as idiosyncratic as it is alarming.
The International Feature Film Competition Jury includes Kathleen Turner (USA), Margarethe von Trotta (Germany); Ferzan Ozpetek (Italy); Giora Bejach (Israel); and Parviz Shahbazi (Iran).
New Directors Competition
The Gold Hugo goes to “Underdog” (Sweden), a modern take on class conflict that keeps its focus on its believable characters instead of highlighting the melodrama inherent in its narrative. When a young Swedish woman named Dino begins working for a successful Norwegian man named Steffen, the consistently genuine performances and Ronnie Sandahl’s mature handling of difficult themes allow the film to resonate. It is a film that both addresses specific cultural issues and yet feels simultaneously universal through its honesty. Director: Ronnie Sandahl.
The Silver Hugo goes to “Next to Her” (Israel), an accomplished portrait of sisterhood with striking performances conveying a difficult subject matter. Liron Ben-Shlush anchors the film with her stunning turn as Chelli, intimately capturing how responsibility can turn into codependency. Asaf Korman subtly portrays that the victims are not always who we think they are. Director: Asaf Korman.
The New Directors Competition Jury includes Anna Croneman (Sweden); Izza Génini (Morocco); Wieland Speck (Germany); and Brian Tallerico (USA). The New Directors Competition is sponsored by Columbia College Chicago.
The Roger Ebert Award
The Roger Ebert Award will be presented annually to an emerging filmmaker whose film presents a fresh and uncompromising vision. Films competing in the Festival’s New Directors Competition are eligible for this award.
The Roger Ebert Award goes to “La Tirisia” (Mexico), which instills empathy through its director’s strong sense of visual composition and handling of difficult themes. Setting his film in a surreal, sensual landscape in Oaxaca, Mexico, this subtle drama of two pregnant women transports viewers to a unique part of the world, but deals with universal human emotion at the same time. It’s the kind of unforgettable journey that only film can replicate. Director: Jorge Pérez Solano.
Docufest Competition
The Gold Hugo goes to “Echo of the Mountain” (Mexico). Through extremely intricate artistic works, a Huichol artist conveys the symbols and meanings of his own native culture—a traditional culture kept alive for thousands of years in the deep mountains of Mexico. Director Nicolás Echevarría follows artist Santos de la Torre for one year, as he elaborates his next mural. Rich aural and visual textures provide an intimate view of Santos and his world. Echevarría’s documentary conveys the hybrid complexity of the exchange between modern and traditional cultures still coexisting in our globalized present. Director: Nicolás Echevarría.
The Docufest Competition Jury includes Luisela Alvaray (USA), Peter Berggren (USA) and Clayton Brown (USA). The Docufest Competition is sponsored by Columbia College Chicago
OUT-Look Program/Q Hugo Award
Chosen from the Festival’s OUT-Look program, the winners of this award exhibit new artistic perspectives on sexuality and identity.
The Gold Q Hugo Film Award goes to “Xenia” (Greece) for confronting an unfriendly world with defiant gaiety. Director: Panos H. Koutras.
The Silver Q Hugo Film Award goes to “Something Must Break” (Sweden), for telling a brave, modern story about characters whose relations to gender and sexuality are hard to categorize but are lived with passion and guts. The jury looks forward to the unfolding career of this exciting filmmaker who presented this tale in such an uncompromising way. Director: Ester Martin Bergsmark.
The Q Hugo Film Award jury includes Mihai Chirilov (Romania), Nick Davis (USA), David Robinson (UK), and Brenda Webb (USA).
The Founder’s Award
The Founder’s Award is given to that one film or performance across all categories that captures the spirit of the Chicago International Film Festival for its unique and innovative approach to the art of the moving image. The 50th Chicago International Film Festival presented actor Michael Keaton with the Founder’s Award for his electrifying performance as an actor who hopes to revive his moribund career in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s daring comedy “Birdman.” “To pick a single film or performance from this year’s incredibly strong lineup of more than 150 films was difficult, but an eagerly anticipated challenge – they all exemplify the Festival’s spirit of innovation and discovery. And yet, Michael Keaton’s performance in ‘Birdman’ moved me deeply; it confirmed that Keaton is not only one of our greatest American actors, but one whose work will soon be reevaluated and further appreciated,” said Festival Founder and Artistic Director Michael Kutza.
Chicago Award
The Chicago Award, presented to a Chicago or Illinois artist for the best feature or short film, goes to “The Alley Cat,” directed by Marie Ullrich, an exceptionally innovative and refreshing first feature representing the auspicious and exciting start of a promising filmmaking career. Bold, gritty, and full of energy, Ullrich’s film is a prime example of first-rate low-budget filmmaking, serving as an intriguing announcement of a new voice.
The Chicago Award jury includes Monica Long Ross (USA), Julian Antos (USA), and Malik Bader (USA).
Short Film Competition: Live Action
The Gold Hugo for Best Short Film goes to “Amazon” (Norway). Marianne O. Ulrichsen’s “Amazon” finds its power in contrasting the small heartbreaks of childhood against the vast beauty of the Norwegian landscape. This coming of age story, involving shifting vulnerabilities and eventual connection between two young girls, pulses with life, buoyed by the human performances of its two young actors and the breathtaking cinematography of Annika Summerson. The lyrical short film captures and celebrates the undefined possibilities inherent in liminal spaces: those unscheduled afternoons, new meetings and open landscapes that lead to self-discovery. Director: Marianne O. Ulrichsen.
The Silver Hugo for Live Action Short is awarded to “In August” (USA). Through its beautiful cinematography and sincere performances, “In August” exquisitely captures the moment between a little girl realizing her world is changing forever and the change itself—the sublime before the storm. Director: Jenna Hasse.
The Gold Plaque for Best Student Short is awarded to “Skunk” (USA). Demonstrating instincts similar to early David Gordon Green or Debra Granik, “Skunk” masterfully teases the audience with the promise of a lazy summer day and the nightmare that other teens induce upon each other. The young actors’ nuanced performances wonderfully illustrate youthful humiliations via the conflicts of puberty—the bravado of boys who can’t yet control their bodies, and the retribution of a girl not interested in taking things lightly. Director: Annie Silverstein.
The Gold Plaque for Narrative/Live Action Short goes to “Artun” (Iceland/Denmark), a pale yellow, Black Metal ode to that age when you feel like the dirtiest thing in the world because you’re still so clean. Director: Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson
The Silver Plaque for Narrative/Live Action Short goes to “The Immaculates” (France). In this affecting document of tragedy, director Ronny Trocker weaves a quilt of 3D imagery, leading viewers through a disorienting landscape of retelling and remembrance. Director: Ronny Trocker.
The Gold Plaque for Best Experimental Short goes to “Prehistoric Cabaret” (France). In this colonoscopic reverie, courtesy of the world’s most dangerous camera, we penetrate the cosmic mystery shrouded in secrets within the enigma at the very center of being (or at least through the center of our lovely hostess). Life IS a cabaret. Director: Bertrand Mandico.
A Special Mention goes to “Washingtonia” (Greece). With humor and heart, “Washingtonia” exists in the space between narrative and free association, offering an absurdist urban myth that is somehow recognizable, even as it eludes definition. Director: Konstantina Kotzamani.
The Live Action Short Film Competition Jury includes Lindsay Bosch (USA), Susan Kerns (USA), and Spencer Parsons (USA).
Short Film Competition: Documentary
The Silver Hugo is awarded to “Love.Love.Love.” (Russia). Sandhya Daisy Sundaram’s “Love.Love.Love.” is a rotating treatise on the forms love takes in the lives of Russian women. In a beguiling series of deceptively compact tableaus, it evokes a universal hunt for romance and companionship from the dawn of birth to the twilight of old age. We award “Love.Love.Love.” Best Documentary Short because, in rare form, it lives up to its title, and reflects invisible truths found in the combination of everyday moments. Director: Sandhya Daisy Sundaram.
A Gold Plaque – Special Jury Prize goes to “Ghost Train” (Australia). “Ghost Train” paints a vivid portrait of a man who is drawn to a cabaret dancer at a local haunted house. As he deals with his wife with Alzheimer’s and faces his own death, he finds solace in her vivacity and energy in a house dedicated to death. Through found footage, stunning black and white cinematography and borrowing the style of bygone horror films, “Ghost Train” leads the audience on an exploration of life, death and legacy. Directors: James Fleming and Kelly Hucker.
Special Mention to “A Paradise” (Cuba), a brief but compelling observation of a poor family in rural Cuba, and a discreet look into complex issues surrounding children living in poverty. Director: Jayisha Patel.
The Documentary Short Film Competition Jury includes Jack C. Newell (USA), Brian Ashby (USA), Mehrnaz Saeed-Vafa (USA).
Short Film Competition: Animation
The Silver Hugo for Best Animated Short Film goes to “Coda” (Ireland). “Coda”’s elegantly simple visuals, minimal lines and solid patches of color, describe an urban nighttime world of disconnection and insularity. Here, the moment of dying is seen as a chance for re-evaluating the individual’s relationship to humanity and life itself. The jury recognizes this film for the challenging depth of its themes, and for the spare but powerful aesthetic which presents those themes with lyrical complexity. Director: Alan Holly.
The Gold Plaque-Special Jury Prize goes to “Symphony No. 42” (Hungary). The jury was hypnotized by the associative links between the domestic and the natural, and by the portrayal of animal exploitation as a farce. These nihilistic allegories functioned both as a dystopia and as an indictment of contemporary human activity. Director: Réka Bucsi.
The Silver Plaque is awarded to “Drifting” (USA), for its strange manipulation of time, and the notion of capturing the uncapturable, for no witness. A documented life critique. Director: Joel Benjamin.
A Special Mention goes to “Man on the Chair” (South Korea), for its poetic pastel beauty and its willingness to be calm and powerful at the same time. Director: Jeong Dahee.
The Animation Short Film Competition Jury includes Eric Patrick (USA), Timothy Brayton (USA), Chris Sullivan (USA).
INTERCOM Competition
One of the longest-running international competitions of its kind, INTERCOM honors a wide range of corporate-sponsored, educational and branded films.
The Gold Hugo goes to “The Art of the Pit Stop” (Germany) from Kemper Kommunikation GmbH. Truly living up to the spirit of INTERCOM and appropriately titled, “The Art of the Pit Stop” is a simple, poetic film that addresses the branded video with the highest level of cinematic achievement.
The INTERCOM Competition jury includes Dan Sutherland (USA), Susan Kerns (USA), and Ron Falzone (USA)
Special Awards
The 50th Chicago International Film Festival honored director Gina Prince-Bythewood with an Artistic Achievement Award and actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw with an Emerging Artist Award during the Festival’s 18th Annual Black Perspectives Tribute on October 10.