Golden anniversary of courageous journey in cinema
IFFR Director VANJA KALUDJERCIC
- 50th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR)
- South Indian ‘Pebbles’ wins Tiger Award
The first part of the 50th edition of International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) in Netherlands, closed giving away the Tiger Award to South Indian film ‘Pebbles’recently. A live-streamed event from the festival’s yearly home ‘de Doelen’ announced this edition’s award winners.
The jury granted IFFR’s Tiger Award and 40,000 Euros to the “seemingly simple and humble” ‘Pebbles’ directed by Indian filmmaker Vinothraj P.S, which was described as “a lesson in pure cinema”. Although it deals with gruelling poverty in the searing drought-ridden landscapes of southern India, it succeeded nonetheless in captivating the jury with its “beauty and humour”.
The inhabitants of the village Arittapatti in southern India depend entirely on agriculture, which has suffered terribly due to a long drought. The fields have become deserts and the skinny livestock eat the last leaves. The women catch and roast rats or wait for hours until it is their turn to pull muddy water from the well. The men hang around, play cards and sleep.
One of the latter is Ganapathy, a chain-smoking drunk with a permanent frown. His wife has fled the home and his domestic violence, but he is determined to fetch her back from her village. He forces his young son to join him. At his in-laws, Ganapathy causes a terrible scene and in revenge, his son tears up the money for the return bus journey. This is the start of a 13 km walk on one of the hottest days of the year.
A scene from Pebbles
The first part of the festival with six festival days dedicated to IFFR’s main competitions – the Tiger Competition, Big Screen Competition and Ammodo Tiger Short Competition –Limelight lineup of avant premieres, and a fully online edition of IFFR Pro Days for industry professionals.
Among the other awards, the Special Jury Award went to I Comete – A Corsican Summer – a “true love letter of humanity” – by French filmmaker Pascal Tagnati for his humble take on daily life on the island of Corsica, alongside ‘Looking for Venera’ by Norika Sefa.
‘El perro que no calla’ by Ana Katz from Argentina won the VPRO Big Screen Award after a jury of five dedicated audience members decided what they called a “hopeful and optimistic story” deserved the guaranteed Dutch theatrical release and 30,000 Euros prize.
IFFR audiences voted to give the BankGiro Loterij Audience Award to ‘Quo vadis, Aida?’ by Jasmila Žbanić for her portrayal of the Srebrenica massacre.
A jury of international film journalists from the Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique awarded the FIPRESCI Award to ‘The Edge of Daybreak’, their standout Tiger Competition title. Thai filmmaker Taiki Sakpisit used a “mysterious atmosphere and rich imagery” to depict the “trauma and violence” of decades of political turmoil in this despairing family chronicle. IFFR’s Youth Jury selected La nuit des rois by Philippe Lacôte for the Youth Jury Award.
The Ammodo Tiger Short Awards were given to the “daring”, “sensitive”, “emotional journey” ‘Sunsets, everyday’ by Pakistani filmmaker Basir Mahmood, the Havana-set reimagined city-symphony Terranova by Cubans Alejandro Pérez Serrano and Alejandro Alonso Estrella and the “savvy collage” Maat Means Land by California-based Native American artist and filmmaker Fox Maxy – described by the jury as “an empowering tool to join forces, speak up and reach unexpected audiences.”
IFFR began its 50th anniversary edition with a first part which took place from February 1 to 7 and it included 65 film titles (43 features and 22 shorts), city-wide Tiger on the Loose interactive installations, a striking festival campaign and the exclusively online IFFR Pro Days came together to make a hybrid event adapted to the harsh reality of the situation in the Netherlands and worldwide.
With an online film programme that reached out further into provinces across the Netherlands, an increased number of accreditations for international press, and impressive engagement in Pro events, the festival maintained and exceeded its commitment to emerging filmmaking talent – and can now look excitedly towards the opportunities of its June celebration and the events in between.
“The first chapter of this remarkable 50th festival edition was not only marked by great challenges but also by great opportunities. I am incredibly proud how through a great deal of flexibility and hard work we were able to connect outstanding emerging talent – including Tiger Award winner Vinothraj P.S. with Pebbles – with audiences and industry alike. Festival director Vanja Kaludjercic announced.
The second part of this prestigious film festival will continue from June 2 to 6 – connected by a series of events in between.
Taking place on a special spring date that honours the festival’s very first edition in 1972, the second part of the festival will be held from June 2 – 6.
IFFR will also to present Harbour in June, the newest and largest programme representing the multidimensional nature of Rotterdam, and Bright Future programme dedicated to emerging film talent.