At the 57th Chicago International Film Festival, the Gold Hugo in the International Competition went to Memoria, Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s beguiling, beautiful film following a Scotswoman (Tilda Swinton) living in Bogotá haunted by a noise that only she seems to hear. Along with a young sound engineer, her search for the origin of the mysterious sound takes her to the interior of the lush Colombian jungle where past, present, and future blur.
Picking up the Silver Hugo Jury Prize is Drive My Car, Ryuske Hamaguchi’s sprawling yet intimate, playful, and elegant meditation on the beauty of human connection and the transformative power of the journey.
“This year, as audiences come back together after more than a year apart, it’s fitting that the Chicago International Film Festival jury has chosen to honor films that celebrate human connection,” said Chicago International Film Festival Artistic Director Mimi Plauché. “Gold Hugo winner Memoria will only be shown in theaters, on the big screen where audiences can experience it together. Our Silver Hugo winner, Drive My Car is about that core, necessary search for human connection. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our film community, here in Chicago, across the Midwest, and around the world.”
New Directors Competition Gold Hugo-winning film Brother’s Keeper, telling the story of a day when a child feels all alone in the world even though he is surrounded by hundreds of people, continues the exploration of themes the 57th Jury was drawn to, while the International Documentary Competition Gold Hugo went to Skál, exploring a young couple’s sense of place and belonging.
This year’s Chicago Award, presented to the director of an outstanding film in the Festival’s City & State program, went to Margaret Byrne for her documentary Any Given Day. Through an intimate and compassionate lens, the film observes three people as they participate in the Cook County mental health court probation program. Crafted with love, respect, bravery, and deep empathy, the film de-stigmatizes mental illness and contemplates a better way to support those in need of treatment.
The Audience Choice Award for Feature Film went to the Festival’s Closing Night selection King Richard by director Reinaldo Marcus Green! Based on the true story that will inspire the world, the film tells the inspiring story of an undeterred father who raised two of the most extraordinarily gifted athletes of all time. The profoundly moving film shows the power of family, perseverance and unwavering belief as a means to achieve the impossible and impact the world.
The Audience Choice Award for International Feature went to the Festival’s Silver Hugo Jury Prize winner Drive My Car by director Ryusuke Hamaguchi from Japan! Sprawling yet intimate, playful and elegant, Drive My Car is a moving meditation on the beauty of human connection and the transformative power of the journey.
The Audience Choice Award for Documentary went to Punch 9 for Harold Washington. Director Joe Winston’s film held its World Premiere at this year’s Festival and chronicles the captivating rise, surprising reign, and enduring legacy of Chicago’s first African American Mayor, Harold Washington.
The Audience Choice for Short Film is shared by Black Perspectives entry Artistic by director Nina Lee, and Death and the Lady from directors Geoff Bailey and Lucy Struever, which played in the Family-Friendly Animation program.
57th Chicago International Film Festival Award Winners
International Feature Film Competition
Gold Hugo
Memoria
Dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul | Colombia
Silver Hugo: Jury Prize
Drive My Car
Dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi | Japan
Silver Hugo: Best Director
107 Mothers
Dir. Peter Kerekes | Slovakia, Czech Republic, Ukraine
Silver Hugo: Best Male Performance
Bouli Lanners
Nobody Has To Know
Dir. Bouli Lanners | France, Belgium, U.K.
Silver Hugo: Best Female Performance
Michelle Fairley
Nobody Has To Know
Dir. Bouli Lanners | France, Belgium, U.K.
Silver Hugo: Best Cinematography
Kasper Tuxen
The Worst Person in the World
Dir. Joachim Trier | Norway
Silver Hugo: Best Screenplay
Aleksandre Koberidze
What Do We See When We Look At the Sky? (Ras vkhedavt, rodesac cas vukurebt?)
Dir. Alexandre Koberidze | Germany, Georgia
Silver Hugo: Best Art Direction
Sergey Fevralev
Captain Volkonogov Escaped (Kapitan Volkonogov Bezhal)
Dir. Natasha Merkulova, Aleksey Chupov | Russia, France, Estonia
Honorable Mention
Prayers for the Stolen (Noche de fuego)
Dir. Tatiana Huezo | Mexico, Germany, Brazil, Qatar
New Directors Competition
Gold Hugo
Ferit Karahan
Brother’s Keeper (Okul Tirasi)
Turkey, Romania
Silver Hugo
Simón Mesa Soto
Amparo
Colombia, Sweden, Qatar
International Documentary Competition
Gold Hugo
Skál
Dir. Cecilie Debell and Maria Tórgarõ | Faroe Islands, Denmark
Silver Hugo
Babi Yar. Context
Dir. Sergei Loznitsa | The Netherlands, Ukraine
Out-Look Competition
Gold Q-Hugo
Great Freedom
Dir. Sebastien Miese |Austria, Germany
Silver Q-Hugo
Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (偶然と想像)
Dir. Hamaguchi Ryusuke | Japan
Special Mention
Paris, 13th District (Les olympiades)
Dir. Jacques Audiard | France
City & State Competition
Chicago Award
Any Given Day
Dir. Margaret Byrne | United States
Honorable Mention
Close Ties to Home Country
Dir. Akanksha Cruzynski | United States
Live Action Short Film Competition
Gold Hugo
Sideral
Dir. Carlos Segundo | Brazil
Silver Hugo
Filipiñana
Dir. Rafael Manuel | Philippines
Documentary Short Film Competition
Gold Hugo
Greetings From Myanmar
Dirs. Sunniva Sundby and Andreas J. Riiser | Norway
Silver Hugo
Listen to the Beat of Our Images
Dirs. Audrey Jean Baptiste and Maxime Jean Baptiste | France
Animated Short Film Competition
Gold Hugo
Affairs of the Art
Dir. Joanna Quinn | United Kingdom
Silver Hugo
Nuevo Rico
Dir. Kristian Mercado | United States
Audience Choice Awards
Feature Film
King Richard
Reinaldo Marcus Green | United States
International Film
Drive My Car
Ryusuke Hamaguchi | Japan
Documentary Film
Punch 9 for Harold Washington
Joe Winston | United States
Short Film
Artistic
Nina Lee | United States
Death and the Lady
Geoff Bailey and Lucy Struever | United States
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