Tizian Büchi ’s Like An Island won the $22,000 grand jury prize of the international competition at Switzerland’s documentary film festival Visions du Réel on April 17. It is the first time a Swiss director has won the prize since 2013.
Chinese filmmaker Wenqian Zhang’s debut feature Long Journey Home was awarded the jury prize of the Burning Lights competition, winning a cash prize $11,000.
Additionally, Swiss-Japanese filmmaker Julie Sando secured a double win with the Zonta Prize for a film by a female filmmaker and the jury prize in the national competition for her school film Fuku Nashi.
Sara Dosa was named the winner of the audience award for her documentary Fire Of Love.
“This year’s list of winners includes seven first features,” said Emilie Bujès, artistic director of Visions du Réel. “New voices rub shoulders with the films of established filmmakers and engage in a dialogue with the works of our guests Marco Bellocchio, Kirsten Johnson and Hassen Ferhani. We are particularly pleased that the diversity of film genres, generations, approaches and geographies that guide us have been rewarded and welcomed by the public and the juries.”
New industry head
Sophie Bourdon, the former deputy diector of Locarno Pro, is joining Visions du Réel as head of industry from July 1. She will take over from Madeline Robert former role who will remain affiliated with the festival in other capacities.
At Locarno, Bourdon headed and developed the festival’s Open Doors programmes. She also serves as a freelance consultant to San Sebastian and Cannes . She previously ran the Ateliers du Cinéma Européen (ACE) for 10 years and worked as an international salesperson for MK2 as well as others where she represented the likes of Michael Haneke, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Abbas Kiarostami.
“The growing success of VdR-Industry is the fruit of the equally visionary and competent commitment of my predecessors Madeline Robert and Gudula Meinzolt,” said Bourdon. It is a great honor to step into their shoes and contribute to support independent filmmaking in all its diversity.”
Visions du Réel winners 2022
International competition
Grand jury prize
Like An Island
Dir: Tizian Büchi
Special jury award
Bitterbrush
Dir: Emelie Mahdavian
Special mention
How to Save a Dead Friend
Dir: Marusya Syroechkovskaya
Burning Lights
Grand jury prize
A Long Journey Home
Dir: Wenqian Zhang
Special jury award
Herbaria
Dir: Leandro Listorti
Special mention
Europe
Dir: Philip Scheffner
National competition
Jury prize
Fuku Nashi
Dir: Julie Sando
Special jury award
Le Film De Mon Pere
Dir: Jules Guarneri
Audience award
Fire Of Love
Dir: Sara Dosa
Fipresci award
Steel Life
Dir: Manuel Bauer
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