Scary Mother by Ana Urushadze Wins at Locarno Film Festival

Georgian Filmmaker Ana Urushadze won the Golden Leopard award for her film debut Scary Mother, in the Best First Feature category at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland. It also received an independent jury prize. 

A Georgian-Estonian co-production, Scary Mother was featured at the Concorso Cineasti del Presente section of the festival. The award ceremony was held on August 12. 

One of the most prestigous film festivals in the world, Locarno International Film Festival has taken place every August since 1946. This year sees its 70th anniversary. 

Urushadze’s debut film tells the story of 50-year-old housewife Manana (played by Georgian actress Nato Murvanidze), "whose passion for writing transforms into an obsession" a review of the film claims. 

“In most cases, it takes time (and more than one film) for a filmmaker to find an aesthetic form that can tell the mental and emotional state of the characters through images. In her debut film, Sashishi Deda (Scary Mother), Georgian director Ana Urushadze is able to demonstrate that she possesses a surprisingly mature clarity of storytelling and a mastery of vision.” Adriano Ercolani, a freelance film critic, wrote.

By Nino Gugunishvili