
Toronto International Film Festival, alongside the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) and the Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema (FIPRESCI), announced the 2021 TIFF award winners.
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Toronto International Film Festival, alongside the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) and the Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema (FIPRESCI), announced the 2021 TIFF award winners.

The French drama Happening (L’Evenement) directed by Audrey Diwan is the winner of the Golden Lion for Best Film at the 78th Venice International Film Festival. The film, based on the Annie Ernaux’s novel of the same name, recounts the journey of a young woman’s physical and emotional battle to access illegal abortion in a desperate race against the clock.

Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash by Indonesian director Edwin was awarded the Pardo d’oro, Grand Prize of the Festival of the City of Locarno to the best film at the 74th edition of the Locarno Film Festival. Based on the novel by Indonesian writer Eka Kurniawan, the film starring Marthino Lio and Ladya Cheryl follows a fighter who fears nothing, but is driven by a secret: his impotence. When he crosses paths with a tough female fighter named Iteung, he falls head over heels in love.

Kili Big directed by Ida Joglar which world premiered at the 2021 Bentonville Film Festival was awarded Best Documentary at the festival. The film follows a group of plus-sized women from around the world as they attempt to climb the tallest peak in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro. Roshan Sethi’s 7 Days, about an Indian couple on an arranged marriage date forced to quarantine together, took home the jury award for Best Narrative Feature and Americanized, by Erica Eng, was selected for Best Short Film.

Magnet Releasing released the trailer for the indie coming-of-age comedy film First Date directed by Manuel Crosby and Darren Knapp that premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. The film starring Tyson Brown and Shelby Duclos, opens in theaters and on demand on July 2.

The clever French crime caper Mama Weed, directed by Jean-Paul Salomé and starring Isabelle Huppert will open in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and in many other US cities on July 16th. VOD release will follow on July 23rd.

The Brazilian film Nũhũ Yãg Mũ Yõg Hãm: This Land Is Our Land! (Nũhũ Yãg Mũ Yõg Hãm: Essa Terra É Nossa) won the Best Film in International Competition at the 28th edition of Sheffield DocFest. Filmed on their own land, This Land is our Land! is a unique and multilayered visual cartography made by Brazilian Indigenous filmmakers Isael and Sueli Maxakali and their collaborators Carolina Canguçu and Roberto Romero.

A24 released the official trailer for ZOLA, from writer-director Janicza Bravo and based on the #TheStory by A’Ziah “Zola” King. The film starring starring Taylour Paige, Riley Keough, Nicholas Braun, and Colman Domingo premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and will be released in theaters this Summer.

Nomadland snagged the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures at the virtual Producers Guild of America’s 32nd annual PGA Awards ceremony. Other films receiving awards included My Octopus Teacher for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures; and Soul for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures.

Ahead of the world premiere at 2021 Hot Docs film festival, the first look trailer debuted for the documentary film The Face of Anonymous, directed by Gary Lang.

The 45th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF45) will highlight the works of a new generation of filmmakers from Iran and Italy this year. HKIFF45 will feature eight films by talented and innovative filmmakers in a curated section entitled Iranian New Cinema.