The 19th edition of Venice Days has its winner: it’s Lobo e Cão by Cláudia Varejão, which gets the GdA Director’s Award 2022 (worth 20,000 euros-half destined for the director, half for the film’s international seller, to help its circulation), awarded by the jury composed of the European youth of the 27 Times Cinema project, (organized by the GdA), the LUX Audience Award of the European Parliament and Europa Cinemas, in collaboration also with Cineuropa, and chaired by director and screenwriter Céline Sciamma.
“This film” the Jury stated in its motivations, “immersed us in its world and thus allowed us to address an important theme, presenting queer characters as they are within a safe space. We found that the documentary-like elements contributed to the effectiveness and authenticity of the narrative. The Jury also appreciated that the film does not pander to the viewer, offering a frank, honest and impactful portrayal of a close-knit queer community. The Jury believes that the message of this story is extremely important and is pleased to award this prize to Claudia Varejao’s commendable film.”
On the other hand, Georgia Oakley’s Blue Jean is the film, among the ten in competition, that won the Audience Award with 65 percent of the vote. Also on the virtual podium were Wissam Charaf’s Dirty Difficult Dangerous, just behind the winner, and Fyzal Boulifa’s The Damned Don’t Cry.
Dirty, Difficult, Dangerous also takes home the Label Europa Cinemas in Venice, according to the jury verdict composed of Michèle Creemers, Marco Fortunato, Hristo Hristozov and Zacharias Ioannidis. Wissam Charaf’s film will thus benefit from Europa Cinemas’ promotional support and improved distribution thanks to a financial incentive for network cinemas that include it in their programming.
The BNL x Cinema of the Future Award went to Graham Foy’s The Maiden instead. The award, consisting of a check for 3,000 euros, was given by a jury of five students from the CSC – Scuola Nazionale di Cinema and rewards the author or auteur of a first or second work identified among the fiction films in the Competition and distinguished for courage and innovation.
