Tangerine won the prize for best feature film, Gradam Spiorad na Féile / Spirit of the Festival Award at the 60th edition of the Cork Film Festival. Sean Baker’s feature is a twisted, high-energy Christmas tale, which casts an unflinching and comical eye on LA’s sex industry and trans community.
UK / Ukranian documentary The Russian Woodpecker was selected as the winner of the inaugural Gradam na Féile do Scannáin Faisnéise / Award for Cinematic Documentary. Described as an original and terrifying look at the legacy of the Soviet Union, it was directed by Chad Gracia. This new award, which carries a €1,000 prize, was chosen by a jury chaired by Claire Aguilar, Sheffield DocFest’s Director of Programming and Industry Engagement.
Irish short film Love is a Sting is in with a chance of Oscars® glory, after being selected as the Grand Prix Irish short film winner. Vincent Gallagher’s film will go forward to the Academy Awards® longlist in the Live Action Short Film / Animated Short Film category. The Cork Film Festival achieved the status of Academy Award® Qualifying Festival last year.
The film follows struggling writer Harold Finch, played by Séan T. Ó Meallaigh, who has an unexpected house guest in the form of Anabel – a hyper-intelligent mosquito who has literally been the fly on the wall throughout history. She is determined to communicate to Harold even if it kills her.
The Finland/Denmark-made short film Listen, was chosen as the winner of the Grand Prix International and will also go forward to the Oscars ®longlist. Listen takes place in a Copenhagen police station where a woman wearing a burqa is filing a complaint for domestic violence but her translator is unwilling to report her story.
Jonas Carpignano’s acclaimed Mediterranea – a gripping and humanizing film about the refugee crisis – was chosen as the Cork nomination to the European Parliament’s LUX Film Prize.
Romanian feature film Aferim! – Radu Jude’s Berlin Film Festival’s Silver Bear winner – won the Youth Jury Award. Naomi Kawase’s drama An – about a 75 year old Japanese woman who starts work as an assistant in a pastry kiosk – was selected as the winner of the Audience Award.
Complete list of 2015 Cork Film Festival Award Winners
Grand Prix Irish
Love is a Sting (Ireland)
Grand Prix International
Listen (Finland/Denmark)
Cork Short Award
The Great Wide Open (Cork)
Gradam Spiorad na Féile/Spirit of the Festival Award
Tangerine (US)
Gradam na Féile do Scannáin Faisnéise/Award for Cinematic Documentary
The Russian Woodpecker (UK/Ukraine)
European Parliament LUX Film Prize
Mediterranea (US)
Youth Jury Award
Aferim! ( Romania)
Cork Film Festival Nomination for the 2016 European Film Academy
90 Degrees North (Germany)
Audience Award
An – Red Bean Paste (Japan/France/Germany)
Irish Music Video Award
Bob Gallagher for Girl Band’s Paul
International Music Video Award
Eric Teidt for Simon Fagan’s Lost to the Deep