The 2017 Cape Town International Film Market & Festival announced its winners – with My Father’s Wings by Kivanç Sezer winning the Grand Prix Award, and Catching Feelings by Kagiso Lediga winning the award for Best South African Feature Film.
Over the ten days of the festival, energy of local young filmmakers combined with the enthusiasm from the many local and international experts, professionals and guest speakers, has proven that Cape Town’s film industry is thriving.
Pitching Competition
The winner of this year’s prize worth $20 000 is Nathan Theys, for Ronald.
The runner-up prize worth $10,000 awarded to Brett Michael Innes for Callus.
South African Short Film –Honorable Mentions
Jaap by Ian Morgan
Meticulously crafted, Jaap may start off with stereotypes, but the characters turn out well-rounded in the end. Director Ian Morgan has created a quirky, funny, poignant and endearing road trip movie.
Post by Jesse Brown
Post is an immersive sensory experience. A short, hand-held camera documentary it paints a portrait of filmmaker Jesse Brown’s grandfather, showing off an intimacy between the two that is both playful and real, yet sublime.
Best Short Film
Intergalactic Samurai by Hagar Ben-Asher
Well-rounded, polished, emotionally visceral and with an ending to make your hair stand on end, this story of two young Ethiopian girls in Israel will subtly teach you something you didn’t know. The story about identity is universal but will be of relevance to South Africans.
The superb performance Hagar Ben-Asher gets out of her two characters immediately grabbed us and left us gasping is Intergalactic Samurai.
Best Actor
Pankaj Tripathi as Salim in Mango Dreams
Best Actress
Antoinette Louw as Molly Fischer in An Act of Defiance
Best Script
Jean van der Velde for An Act of Defiance
Best Editing
Mustafa Presheva for Ayla: The Daughter of War
Best Cinematography
Massimo Moschin for The Last Prosecco
Best Documentary Film
Hana by Giuseppe Carrieri
Giuseppe Carrieri ‘s Hana was selected for its real documented incidents in 4 different countries concerning a human issue, connecting through the pain and the high Film language a well-made story telling documentary
Best LGBT Film
Special Mention Award
KA Bodyscapes by Jayan K. Cherian
In India homosexuality is criminalized in law, with high levels of persecution and harassment. In this context, KA Bodyscapes is a courageous film. It is a film about working class LGBT people struggling against both homophobia and sexism. Set in Kerala, the film weaves together several narratives that highlight the vulnerabilities of economic marginalization, violence, state harassment, and powerful queer resistance, in the daily realties of women and LGBT people.
Best LGBT Film
Heartstone by Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson
This is an extraordinarily crafted film, dealing with the crisis in contemporary masculinity and how a heteronormative structure damages all genders and sexualities. It is a coming of age story of young people that mirrors the harsh and isolated, yet breathtaking, Icelandic fishing village in which it is set. Heartstone is a stunning debut feature with raw, visceral performances, sensitive directing, truthful screenwriting and poetic cinematography.
Best South African Feature Film
Catching Feelings by Kagiso Lediga
The film is a refreshing film that not only showcases the talent of its writer and director but also introduces the audience to characters and conversations that they will recognize instantly from their own lives. Well executed and vibrant, it is a love letter to Johannesburg and a deserving addition to the canon of South African cinema.
Best New Director
Manouj Kadaamh for Horizon
Best Director
Visa Koiso-Kantilla- Star Boys
Grand Prix Award
Kivanç Sezer for My Father’s Wings