Jurors from across the global film community took part in judging at this year’s Calgary International Film Festival, and on Sept. 23 revealed their selections for the best films at CIFF.
The selection was said by the festival to have been difficult this year, given the number of high-quality, feature-length, and short films presented this year.
“This year’s selections reflect the strength and innovation of cinematic voices from around the world,” said Brian Owens, CIFF’s Executive Director.
“We are deeply grateful to our jurors for their insight and care in recognizing these remarkable films, and we extend a huge thanks to our partners at Vancouver Film School, Sunbelt Rentals, and Saturation IO. CIFF is proud to give out over $60,000 in cash and prizes.”
The Grand Jury Prize for Canadian narrative features was awarded to director Eric K. Boulianne’s Follies.
In a jury statement provided by jurors Nick Johnson, Maziyar Khatam, and Jessie Posthumus, they said they were swept away by the raw Canadian talent on display in the category.
“While this made it a real challenge to make our final selections, it is our great pleasure to present this award to a film that is distinctive and fresh, an honest examination of modern relationships that felt like an ongoing conversation full of laughs and insight,” they said.
“Watching the main characters navigate the complex waters of an open relationship was both surprising and relatable, heartwarming and hilarious, without ever poking fun at the characters or their situation. Director Eric K. Boulianne’s debut film is unique and self-assured with an incredible ensemble cast, and for these reasons, we are happy to present the Canadian Narrative Feature award to Follies.”
For international feature films shown at CIFF, the Grand Jury Prize was awarded to The Plague, which was the directorial debut of Charlie Polinger.
“The film doesn’t shy away from the ickiness of adolescence, whether bodily or socially—it festers in those spaces, leading to a fidgety, discomfiting but utterly convincing watching experience,” said jurors Adrián G. de la Peña, Immanuela Lawrence, and Travis Weedon.
“Stylish, vibrant 35mm cinematography from Steven Breckon elevates the film’s visual language, but it is the alchemy of the young cast that creates the film’s atmospheric sincerity.”
Other Grand Jury Prize winners included Saints and Warriors for Canadian Documentary Feature, Comparsa for International Documentary Feature, and A Sparrow’s Song for Short Film.
For full details, see ciffcalgary.ca.
