Danish-Spanish co-production “Only On Earth,” by award-winning Danish filmmaker Robin Petré (“Pulse,” “From the Wild Sea”), has picked up the highest IEFTA Docs-in-Progress Award at Cannes Docs, the Cannes Film Market sidebar devoted to documentary movie.
The movie types a part of the Five Nordics Showcase, one among eight showcases presenting a complete of 34 docs-in-progress this yr. The others embrace Chile, Scotland, Palestine Circle Women Accelerator, Docs By The Sea, the East Doc Platform, and newcomer Switzerland.
“Only On Earth” is described as a journey deep into southern Galicia in Spain, one among Europe’s most weak wildfire zones, through the hottest summer season ever measured, the place people and animals alike battle to manage as inextinguishable fires draw nearer.
Composed of POV senior producer Opal H. Bennet, head of documentary at IMS in Copenhagen, Rasmus Steen, and RIDM creative co-director Ana Alice de Morais, handing out the award the jury said:
“The project stood out with its exceptional combination of craft, character and topic. We won’t soon forget feeling immersed in the story of Spain’s fire zones. For its excellent showing of craft and impact potential, the IEFTA Docs-In-Progress Award goes to ‘Only On Earth.’”
At the Showcase presentation, producer Joaquín Echeverría of Brisa Films mentioned they’re aiming for a launch within the first semester of 2025. The award comes with a €10,000 ($10,800) money prize and a challenge follow-up by IEFTA (the International Emerging Film Talent Association).
The Docs-in-Progress Al Jazeera Documentary Award went to Rafael Guendelman’s debut function “Aliyá, Yeridá,” a part of the Chilean Showcase.
Inspired by the Hebrew phrases “Aliyah,” which accurately means ascent or immigration to Israel, and “Yeridah,” which suggests descent or emigration from Israel, the director attracts on household archives to attempt to perceive the motivations of his household to to migrate to Israel within the Nineteen Seventies, and the disappointments that introduced them again to Chile a decade later. That rise and fall is contrasted together with his personal expertise in Chile, Israel and Palestine.
Aliyá, Yeridá”
“A deeply personal quest is at the core of this project,” mentioned the jury. “It addresses a journey story that led a family to abandon everything they knew for good, later pulled back by the experience and their strong connections with their motherland. Through interviews, personal archival footage, and compelling storytelling, the film seeks to uncover the truths of identity, occupation and the meaning of home that resonate with us all and in particular for the Palestinian people.”
The prize comes with a minimal co-production contribution of $15,000 (€13.800 ) from Al Jazeera Documentary.
Dubai-based Palestinian filmmaker Mahdi Fleifel (“A World Not Ours”), whose debut function “To A Land Unknown” is taking part in in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight sidebar this yr, picked up the Hiventy Post-Production Award for his doc-in-progress “My Father’s House.”
Part of the Palestine Showcase, it follows Fleifel’s journey as he returns from years of exile to the small Danish city of Elsinore the place he grew up 9 years after his father’s loss of life, and begins a private journey of reconciliation.
The jury rewarded the movie “for its creative juxtaposition of displacement and the unique power of parental love,” describing it as “a mother-son story that looks at the space of memories and seeks to interrogate how we fill the void when we lose a parent and the connection they provided to home.”
The prize comes with a €5,000 ($5,400) grant in post-production companies.
A second Chilean showcase contender scooped the Rise and Shine Award: “The Stationary Traveler,” by Fernando Lavanderos and Sebastián Pereira (“Los Illuminados”), a darkly comedian movie that includes cult Chilean filmmaker Cristián Sánchez, who’s requested to resurrect the characters of his traditional works within the type of zombies.
““The Stationary Traveler” opens up a spread of deeper reflections on authorship and illustration in documentary cinema, whereas additionally difficult the conventions of movie style,” mentioned the jury, handing out the award.
The award consists of a €3,000 ($3.250) money prize awarded to the producer of the challenge.
Docs By The Sea contender “Always” by Chinese director Demin Chen, which tells the story of an exceptionally proficient baby, monitoring his profound psychological evolution by means of poetry as he transitions from childhood to adolescence, picked up the Alphapanda Award.
It comes with two periods of selling consultancy with the European digital advertising company Alphapanda and the creation of an paintings for the movie.
The Think-Film Impact Award went to “Dreamers” by Imam Hasanov, about an ex-footballer and his spouse who determine to arrange their village’s first ever women’ soccer group, difficult deep-seated traditions in rural Azerbaijan. It was a part of the Circle Women Doc Accelerator, a coaching initiative designed for girls and non-binary writers, administrators, and producers from around the globe.
The award comes with a strategic affect workshop and an affect pitching teaching session offered by the Think-Film Impact Production group.
The DAE Award went to a different Circle Showcase challenge, “Portrait of a Friendship” by Iranian director Faezeh Nikoozad, exiled in Germany, who reconnects along with her homeland by means of her two finest associates, each additionally filmmakers. Featuring archival footage of their last moments collectively, the movie reunites them by means of cinematic dialogue, exploring the notion of residence by means of the lenses of their cameras.
The award comes with a free one-year membership for every group member to the Documentary Association of Europe (DAE), and a tough lower session with one among DAE’s senior advisors.
Cannes Docs ran as a part of the Cannes Film Market from May 16 by means of May 21.