The International Juries of the Adelaide Film Festival (ADL Film Fest) today announced I Am Not A Witch (France, United Kingdom) and documentary Taste of Cement (Germany, Syria Qatar, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates), as major competition prize winners for 2017, joining the previously announced winner of the inaugural AFTRS International VR Award, Michelle and Uri Kranot’s Nothing Happens (Denmark, France).
I Am Not A Witch, the exciting feature debut of Zambia-born Welsh director Rungano Nyoni, has taken out the prestigious 2017 ADL Film Fest International Feature Award. Taste of Cement, Ziad Kalthoum’s dreamlike documentary about the Syrian construction workers virtually imprisoned on the site of the Beirut skyscrapers they build, had its Australian Premiere at the festival and has won the Flinders University International Best Documentary Award.
The Jury said of the selection ‘As an International Jury we faced a surprising and compelling selection of films and filmmakers from around the world. The Jury found a unique and bold quality with I Am Not A Witch. Based on its originality it was surprising, funny and compelling. It is a bold debut feature from a director with her singular vision. We are excited to celebrate the work of a bright new talent.’
The 2017 ADL Film Festival Flinders University International Best Documentary Award was determined by the internationally renowned and acclaimed documentary practitioners Molly Reynolds (Australia) and Eva Orner (Australia) and film curator and programmer Hania Mroué (Lebanon)
The jury said of their decision ‘Over the past week the documentary jury had the pleasure of viewing an array of diverse and fascinating documentaries. We deliberated long and hard before deciding upon Taste of Cement. The film is a poetic unfolding of war refugees rebuilding for other countries while their own is being destroyed. We admire the filmmaker’s audacity, ambition and heart. Ziad is a director of talent and is to be encouraged.’
Now in its second edition, the Flinders University International Best Documentary Award recognises the authenticity, curiosity and fearlessness of truth on screen and in 2017 was marked by two world premieres and four Australian premieres amongst the ten films in competition.
Virtual Reality work by Michelle and Uri Kranot, Nothing Happens (Denmark, France) won the ADL Film Fest’s inaugural AFTRS International VR Award with a Special Mention going to Selly Raby Kane’s homage to Senegalese mythology, The Other Dakar (Senegal). ADL Film Fest is proud to partner with the Australian Film, Television & Radio School (AFTRS) in launching this new International Award.
The AFTRS International VR Award Jury was comprised of Head of Documentary at AFTRS Rachel Landers, Google Creative Technologist Mathew Tizard and ADL Film Fest Artistic Director Amanda Duthie.
In 2017 ADL Film Fest introduced the AFTRS ADL Film Fest International VR Award, the first competition of its kind in Australia, adding to the festival’s reputation as a leader in screen culture, having been the first Australian festival to introduce an international competition, and the first to invest directly in film production with the ADL Film Fest Fund.
Documentary winner Taste of Cement screens again
Saturday 14 Oct, 2pm at Mercury Cinema
https://adelaidefilmfestival.org/titles/106229/taste-of-cement
VR winner Nothing Happens screens every day until Sunday 15 Oct in the VR Lounge
https://adelaidefilmfestival.org/titles/106224/nothing-happens
