Salli by Lien Chien Hung won the Feature Film Award – Best International Feature Film at the 23rd RIFF – Rome Independent Film Festival. The drama follows a 38-year-old Taiwanese chicken farmer who doesn’t speak English and develops a online romantic relationship with a French man. Despite everyone calling it a romance scam, she wants to prove that love indeed exists.
The Feature Film Award – Best Italian Feature Film went to Three Infallible Rules by Marco Gianfreda. In the film, 14-year-old Bruno is in love with Flavia, which becomes a huge problem when he realizes that she likes him back. Unsure what to do next, he turns to his archenemy: his mother’s boyfriend Luca, whom he blackmails into teaching him about matters of the heart.
The National Documentary Award – Best Italian Documentary goes to Don’t Shut That Door by Francesco Banesta & Matteo Vicentini Orgnani. The documentary film chronicles Porta Portese, Rome’s historic flea market, and its fate in the digital transition era. Through the testimonies of key figures, it offers a passionate and critical look at a popular reality resisting market pressures, striving to innovate and renew itself.
The Award for Best International Documentary goes to After the Odyssey by Helen Doyle (Italy/Canada). The documentary tells the story of young Nigerian women arriving in Italy searching for a better life, only to fall into the web of human trafficking.
A special mention went to the docu-fiction Memories of a Burning Body by Antonella Sudasassi Furniss (Costa Rica/Spain). “Winner of the Audience Award in Berlin, it is a film between documentary and fiction. An elegantly structured tale that distills the experiences of three women aged between 60 and 70 into a single life that speaks for a generation. The suffocating taboos around female sexuality, love and desire are remembered with admirable candor in a film that poignantly balances insight, humor and emotion.”
Two special LGBTQIA+ themed prizes went to the short film Made of Love by Clèmence Dirmeikis (France) and the feature film Underground Orange by Michael Taylor Jackson (USA/Argentina).
The Rai Cinema Channel Award for Best Italian Short went to “Sommersi” by Gian Marco Pezzoli; the National Short Award – Best Italian Short went to Easy in, Easy out by Giovanni Boscolo; and the International short Award – Best International Short goes to Transformation by Marcel Barsotti (Germany).
A Special Mention for international short films went to 6.21 by Sergei Ramz (Russian Federation/Israel).
Other short film prizes including the Animation short Award – Best Animated Short went to The Strange Case of the Human Cannonball by Roberto Valencia (Ecuador); and the Student Short Award – Best Student Short, went to Better So by Jaakko Ylitalo, a young Finnish debut director who is currently studying screenwriting at the Turku Academy of Arts.
The Award for Best Screenplay for a Feature Film went to Marco Minicangeli for “All’ombra del suo corpo”; the award for Best Short Film Screenplay goes to “Oh boi!” by Sara Mancini; and the Award for Best Subject for a Feature Film goes to “Il burattinaio” by Laura Nuti.
Complete list of winners of 2024 RIFF – Rome Independent Film Festival.
Feature Film Award – Best Italian Feature Film
Three Infallible Rules by Marco Gianfreda
Feature Film Award – Best International Feature Film
Salli by Lien Chien Hung (Taiwan/France)
National Documentary Award – Best Italian Documentary
Don’t Shut That Door by Francesco Banesta & Matteo Vicentini Orgnani.
Award for Best International Documentary
After the Odyssey by Helen Doyle (Italy/Canada).
Special mention to Memories of a Burning Body by Antonella Sudasassi Furniss (Costa Rica/Spain).
LGBTQIA+ themed prizes
short film: Made of Love by Clèmence Dirmeikis (France)
feature film: Underground Orange by Michael Taylor Jackson (USA/Argentina).
Rai Cinema Channel Award for Best Italian Short
“Sommersi” by Gian Marco Pezzoli
National Short Award – Best Italian Short
Easy in, Easy out by Giovanni Boscolo.
International short Award – Best International Short
Transformation by Marcel Barsotti (Germany).
Special Mention for international short films
6.21 by Sergei Ramz (Russian Federation/Israel).
Animation short Award – Best Animated Short
The Strange Case of the Human Cannonball by Roberto Valencia (Ecuador).
Student Short Award – Best Student Short
Better So by Jaakko Ylitalo
Award for Best Screenplay for a Feature Film
Marco Minicangeli for “All’ombra del suo corpo”.
Award for Best Short Film Screenplay
“Oh boi!” by Sara Mancini.
Award for Best Subject for a Feature Film
“Il burattinaio” by Laura Nuti.
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