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The 34th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) today announced this year's winning films for the Asian Digital Competition, Humanitarian Awards for Documentaries, FIPRESCI Prize, SIGNIS Awards and the inaugural Short Film Competition. The announcement took place at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre with Jury members of the Asian Digital Competition - acclaimed directors, Brillante Mendoza (Lola) and Yonfan (Prince of Tears) in attendance.
The Asian Digital Competition encourages young filmmakers in Asia to explore the potential of the digital media. The Golden Digital Award at the Asian Digital Competition went to Sun Spots by previous FIPRESCI Prize winner at the 31st HKIFF, Yang Heng (Betelnut). The film features the intensity of human relationships expressed in an original cinematic language of powerful visuals that leads to a new art form of film. The Silver Digital Award went to the director, Zhao Dayong for his feature debut, The High Life.
Zhao Dayong also received the FIPRESCI Prize for The High Life, for its poetic, profound and modern style of fragmented beauty with an aesthetic critique of society. The FIPRESCI Special Mention went to Tangle, the directorial debut by the award-winning cinematographer of Blind Shaft, Liu Yonghong. Presented by the International Federation of Film Critics since the 23rd HKIFF, the FIPRESCI Prize aims to promote film-art and encourages new and young cinema.
The Humanitarian Award for Documentaries went to director Zhao Liang for his film Petition, which offers an epic-scale analysis of some key social and psychological issues in present-day China. The Outstanding Documentary Award went to Enemies of the People by Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath. The film offers a frank (and still shocking) account of what happened on Cambodia's "killing fields".
The first recipient of the Short Film Competition Grand Prize was Hanasaari A, an experimental Finnish documentary jointly directed by Hannes Vartiainen and Pekka Veikkolainen, for its recognition of a disappearing environment and the transience of time. The Jury Prize went to The Berlin Wall directed by Brighton-born filmmaker, Paul Cotter. The film successfully shows how emotions towards the Berlin Wall still run high 20 years after it was torn down.
Co-organised with SIGNIS Hong Kong since 2004, the SIGNIS Awards is a salute to quality films with significant artistic, human, social, and spiritual values. The SIGNIS Award this year went to A Brand New Life, a semi-autobiographical tale by French- Korean Ounie Lecomte who, with her artistic talent, can point out those almost insignificant details that actually really matter. The SIGNIS Commendation was presented to the Finish director Klaus Haro (Mother of Mine) for his latest film, Letters to Father Jacob.
List of Awards
Asian Digital Competition
Golden Digital Award: Sun Spots
Silver Digital Award: The High Life
Humanitarian Awards for Documentaries
Best Documentary Award: Petition
Outstanding Documentary Award: Enemies of the People
Short Film Competition
Grand Prize: Hanasaari A
Jury Prize: The Berlin Wall
FIPRESCI Prize
FIPRESCI Prize: The High Life
Special Mention: Tangle
SIGNIS Award
SIGNIS Award: A Brand New Life
Commendation: Letters to Father Jacob
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