The world premere of Irish director Ross Killeen’s Don’t Forget To Remember scooped the audience award as the 22nd Dublin International Film Festival (DIFF) drew to a close on Saturday (March 2).
The Irish documentary is a collaboration with artist Asbestos, and explores the lived experience of Alzheimer’s, and the fragility and fortitude of memory.
Scroll down for the full list of DIFF winners
“Although it’s a very personal film, Don’t Forget To Remember holds universal themes of love and loss, but most importantly, it’s about how we remember and shows how fragile those memories can be,” said producer Louise Byrne of Dublin-based Motherland.
”After showing it at DIFF we want to continue this conversation around Alzheimer’s, the brittleness of memory and what it means to care for someone whose memories are escaping them. We can’t wait to engage with festivals around the world to share our film with a wider audience.”
Recipients of key Dublin Film Critics’ Circle awards at the festival included best film for Radu Jude’s satire Do Not Expect Too Much From The End Of The World , Pat Collins’ adaptation of John McGahern’s novel That They May Face The Rising Sun as best Irish film and Victor Erice as best director for Cannes premiere Close Your Eyes.
Gráinne Humphreys, festival director, added: “It’s been a hugely successful festival on many fronts with sold-out screenings, industry events and a delightful buzzy atmosphere from the cinemas and other venues. We worked hard to connect our programme with audiences across the city and beyond and we succeeded. For many years the DIFF audience award has gone to an Irish documentary and this year was no exception – the highly competitive award has been won by an brilliantly made and incredibly moving film.”
Runners up for the audience award were Goodbye Julia, writer/director Mohamed Kordofani’s debut moral drama set in a fractured and politically tense Sudan and Birdsong, Kathleen Harris’ documentary, following Irish ornithologist Seán Ronayne on his mission to record the call of every bird species in Ireland.
The ICCL human rights film award went to Lina Soualem, daughter of Hiam Abbass, for Bye Bye Tiberias, that follows the lives of four generations of Palestinian women, and previously played at Venice, Toronto and BFI London Film Festival. “In this current moment, as so many of us empathise with the experiences of the men, women and children living in Gaza and Palestine, we found its message of hope and its beautiful portrayal of Palestine inspiring,” said the jury of its choice. The film also won the best documentary prize.
The discovery award, that aims to identify, champion, support and encourage new and emerging talent from both in front and behind the camera, was won by Pediment production designer Aoife Fealy and short film Two For The Road’s Lochlainn Mckenna and Joe Robbins, writer-director and composer respectively.
DIFF award winners
Audience award feature – Don’t Forget To Remember dir. Ross Killeen
Audience award short – Baby Steps dir. Hannah Mamalis
Discovery award – Aoife Fealy, Lochlainn Mckenna and Joe Robbins
Best documentary award – Bye Bye Tiberias dir. Lina Soualem
Sue Bruce Smith best Irish short award – Room Taken dir. Tj O’Grady-Peyton
ICCL human rights film award – Bye Bye Tiberias dir. Lina Soualem
Dublin Film Critics’ Circle Awards
Best film – Do Not Expect Too Much From The End Of The World dir. Radu Jude
Best director – Victor Erice, Close Your Eyes
Best screenplay – Ilker Çatak, The Teacher’s Lounge
Best actor – Ayoub Elaid and Abdelatif El Mansouri, Hounds
Best actress – Eka Chavleishvili, Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry
Best cinematography – Mami Wata
Best score – Monster
Best editing – Evil Does Not Exist
Best debut feature – Orlando, My Political Biography dir. Paul B. Preciado
Best ensemble – Green Border
Best Irish film – That They May Face The Rising Sun dir. Pat Collins
Best documentary – Made In England: The Films Of Powell And Pressburger dir. David Hinton
Special jury prize – Oink dir. Mascha Halberstad
George Byrne maverick award – Guy Maddin
Michael Dwyer discovery award – Pavia Sidhu and Yugam Sood, Dear Jassi
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