TORMENTS OF LOVE Win Top Prizes at 21st Cine Las Americas International Film Festival

The 21st Cine Las Americas International Film Festival (CLAIFF21) concluded on Sunday, May 6th with announcements of the winners, presented by festival director Jean Anne Lauer. The evening’s ceremony was followed by a screening of the closing night film Kayak to Klemtu (Canada), with writer and director Zoe Hopkins in attendance.

“This year’s closing night celebrated 21 years of Cine Las Americas in the company of many returning fans and supporters, as well as with attendees who were joining us for the first time – which is everything any festival team hopes for” stated Lauer. “We opened the festival with a life-affirming journey from South America to Europe, and ended it with a kayak adventure along the west coast of Canada, and throughout the week we enjoyed hearing audience responses to those films and every one they viewed in between.”

21st CINE LAS AMERICAS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS

Narrative Feature Competition (for a 1st or 2nd Feature)

Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature
TOURMENTS D’AMOUR (TORMENTS OF LOVE)
Dir. Caroline Jules, France/Guadeloupe/French West Indies

Statement from the Jury:
“Caroline Jules’ poetic use of camera evokes all your senses, and in an instant makes you feel the lingering pain of your inner child. It explores the complexity of father-child relationships and invites the audience to be empathetic with those who struggle with connecting with their family. It shows the pain and reality of unresolved family problems.”

Audience Award for Narrative Feature
TOURMENTS D’AMOUR (TORMENTS OF LOVE)
Dir. Caroline Jules, France/Guadeloupe/French West Indies

InkTip Award
As part of the narrative feature prize package, Caroline Jules, director of TOURMENTS D’AMOUR (TORMENTS OF LOVE) will be offered an InkTip Script Listing. InkTip Script Listings provide writers/filmmakers with the opportunity to get their scripts read by InkTip’s extensive network of producers, reps, managers, agents, and other qualified industry professionals.

Documentary Feature Competition

Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature
NADA QUEDA SINO NUESTRA TERNURA (NOTHING IS LEFT BUT OUR TENDERNESS)
Dir. Sébastien Jallade, Peru

Statement from the Jury:
“NADA QUEDA SINO NUESTRA TERNURA (NOTHING IS LEFT BUT OUR TENDERNESS) opens the doors to the lives of families who suffer the horrors of war and who sing songs of forgetting. Just as we see a bridge being built out of clay, director Sébastien Jallade crafts the story so that we walk next to the souls of these people. Through gorgeous composition of shots the viewer experiences the literal and lyrical bridge as a catharsis, opening our eyes to the global issue of displacement.”

Audience Award for Documentary Feature
MY BOLIVIA, REMEMBERING WHAT I NEVER KNEW
Dir. Rick Tejada-Flores, USA

Narrative Short Film Competition

Jury Award for Best Narrative Short
LA HORA DE LA MERIENDA (TEATIME)
Dir. Alba González de Molina, Spain

Documentary Short Competition

Jury Award for Best Documentary Short
SIGO ACÁ (I’M STILL HERE)
Dir. Tana Gilbert, Chile

Hecho en Tejas Competition

Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) Award
HAKLA (STAMMER)
Dir. Tania Romero, USA

Statement from the Jury:
“The films of the Hecho en Tejas Showcase were absolutely brilliant, beautiful and left me wanting to see more. It was incredibly difficult to select only one winner but I am happy to announce that HAKLA (STAMMER) ultimately won my heart. I enjoyed the relationships between Ish, his father and late mother, Ish’s determination to pursue and continue dancing through heartbreak, and most especially the salsa-bollywood fusion dance that I felt was so unique and super cool. It looked like it was a fun film to make. Congratulations!”

Hecho en Tejas Audience Award
A STRIKE AND AN UPRISING (IN TEXAS)
Dir. Anne Lewis, USA