Sound Of Falling

Source: Mubi/mk2 Films

‘Sound Of Falling’

Mascha Schilinski’s Sound Of Falling, Germany’s submission for the Oscars, won the Golden Athena award for best film at the 31st Athens International Film Festival, which ran from October 1-12.

Sound Of Falling premiered in Cannes’ competition earlier this year, winning the jury prize. Local theatrical distributor and platform Cinobo picked up Greek rights.

US director Mary Bronstein’s black comedy If I Had Legs I’d Kick You won the best director award. The film world premiered in Berlin earlier this year, winning the best leading performance award for Rose Byrne. Local distribution outlet Spentos Film will release the title in Greece.

Ukrainian Vladlena Sandu received the best screenplay award for Memory, a French-Dutch coproduction she also directed, fresh from its Venice Giornate degli Autori premiere.

A special mention went to Urchin by UK director and actor Harris Dickinson which premiered at Cannes and was awarded the Fipresci prize and the best actor prize for Frank Dillane in the Un Certain Regard section. Cinobo picked up Greek rights.

Athens’ four-strong international jury comprised UK producer Stephen Woolley as president, Berlin-based film critic Jessica Kiang, programmer of Finland’s Midnight Film Festival Milja Mikkola, and Greek editor Ioanna Spiliopoulou.

The audience award went to another Cannes premiere, Hasan Hadi’s The President’s Cake. Cinobo picked up Greek rights.

In the documentary competition, Sepideh Farsi’s Put Your Soul In Your Hand And Walk won the Golden Athena best film prize. One From the Heart has distribution rights in Greece.

In the festival’s Greek competition, Giorgos Angelopoulos’ Or How to Disappear and Yannis Karpouzis’ Magdalena Hausen: Frozen Time won respectively the Golden Athena for best film and the jury special prize.

In spite of challenged finances, the festival managed to host talent such as Daniel Day-Lewis for the premiere of Anemone directed by his son Ronan Day-Lewis, Neil Jordan for a career award, as well as Belgian film choreographer Damien Jalet and Oscar-nominated Greek editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis (Poor Things, The Favorite) for masterclasses.

The unexpected decision by the culture ministry to cancel the festival’s regular annual subsidy was a major blow to the organisation as it was announced just a month before the start when its full programme was already in place.

General director Tatiana Pappa and artistic director Loukas Katsikas told Screen that the budget was slashed to €250,000, forcing them to reduce the number of films from 100 to 60 and cancel two major homages. They expressed their deep concern about the future of next year’s festival if the ministry does not re-establish its contribution.

Topics