BIAFF 2018 Closing Ceremony and Awards
The BIAFF Film festival closing ceremony took place on 23 September at the Batumi State Musical Center. The International Jury awarded prizes in three-competition sections – International Feature Films, Doc Films and Short Films.
The BIAFF 2018 international competition section’s Jury consisted of five members – Sergei Rakhlin (USA) - Head of Jury, Chairman Golden Globe; Bence Fliegauf (Hungary ) – filmmaker; Oleg Negin (Russia )- scriptwriter; Alin Tasciyan (Turkey) – Film critic; Levan Tutberidze (Georgia) – Filmmaker. They awarded the following prizes:
Grand Prix – Ray and Liz, Richard Billingham, UK, 2018; 107 min.
Best Film Director – Alice Rohrwacher for film “Happy as Lazzaro”, Italy/Switzerland/ France/| Germany, 2018; 122 min.
Best Actress – Ella Smith in film “Ray and Liz”, Richard Billingham, UK, 2018; 107 min.
Best Actor – Adriano Tardiolo in film “Happy as Lazzaro”, Alice Rohrwacher, Italy/Switzerland/ France/ Germany, 2018; 122 min.
Jury Special Prize to:
- Horizon, Tinatin Kajrishvili, Georgia/Sweden, 2018; 105 min.
- Styx, Wolfgang Fischer, Germany / Austria, 2018; 90 min.
BIAFF 2018 Documentary Films international competition's Jury consisted of five members: Vitaly Mansky, (Latvia) – Head of Jury; filmmaker; Ina Rossow (Germany) – Film Distribution; Zaven Sargysian (Armenia) - Director of Farajanov Museum in Yerevan; Sergei Lavrentiev (Russia) - Film critic; Mariam Chachia (Georgia) – Filmmaker. Filmmaker. They awarded the following prizes:
The Best Doc film - Of Fathers and Sons, Talal Derki, Germany/Syria/Lebanon/Qatar, 2017; 99 min
Special Mentions - Bridges of Time, Audrius Stonys, Latvia , 2018. 80 min.
The BIAFF 2018 Short Film international competition section’s Jury consisting of - Nikoloz Khomeriki (Russia) – Head of Jury; Filmmaker; Jale Arikan (Germany) – Actress; Ketevan Devdariani (Georgia) – Scriptwriter
Best Short Film - Eraser, David Pirtskhalava, Georgia, 2018; 18 min.
Jury Special Mentions to:
- All these Creatures, Charles Williams, Australia, 2018; 13 min.
- Delivery, Yazan Al Ghazzawi, Jordan, 2018; 22 min.
The BIAFF 2018 Georgia Film Critics Jury consisted of - Gogi Gvakharia, Theo Khatiashvili, Lela Ochiauri, revealed the choice for best film as:
- Best film - Donbas, Sergei Loznitsa, Germany/Ukraine/France/ Netherlands/Romania, 2018; 110 min.
- Jury Special mention - Happy as lazzaro, Alice Rohrwacher, Italy/Switzerland/ France/| Germany, 2018; 122 min.
The BIAFF 2018 Life time Achievement awards for contribution to cinema were granted to:
- Lomer Akhvlediani (Georgia)
- Gela kandelaki (Georgia)
- Soso Bardanashvili (Georgia)
Festival Supporters– Ministry of Culture of Georgia, Georgian National Film Center, Ministry of Cultura of Ajara R, Tourism Department of Ajara AR, National Tourism Agency of Georgia, British Council, Goethe Institute Georgia, Embassy of Italy
Festival Sponsors – Hotel Wyndham Batumi, Cinema APOLLO, Hotel “Holland Hoek”, Hotel “Rcheuli”, Hotel “Mardi Plaza”, HQ propaganda, Tour Company “Wonderland”, Cafe “Gardens”, Restaurant ECLIPSE, Batumi Auto transport, “Legal Consulting Center” LLC
Festival Media Partners – Georgian Public Broadcaster, Radio Fortuna/Fortuna+, Adjara TV, Batumi TV, Publicity Group (www.publicity.ge), www.newswire.ge, Film New Europe (www.filmneweurope.com), TV program “KIMONO”, Cinemania, AT.GE, Newspaper BATUMELEBI, netgazeti.ge