25/05/2017 - CANNES 2017: The documentary by Emmanuel Gras has emerged triumphant in the Critics’ Week, while the Visionary Award went to Brazil’s Gabriel and the Mountain

Emmanuel Gras (centre) with his Grand Prize for Makala (© Alice Khol / Semaine de la Critique)

Chaired by Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho, the jury of the 56^th Critics' Week of the 70^th Cannes Film Festival has awarded the 2017 Grand Prize to Makala [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Emmanuel Gras
film profile] by French director Emmanuel Gras, the only documentary in the running. This captivating film set in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that follows a heroic charcoal seller was produced by Nicolas Anthomé and Carmen Leroi for Bathysphère. Its French distribution will be handled by Les Films du Losange, which is also in charge of the international sales.

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The Visionary Award went to the remarkable fiction film Gabriel and the Mountain [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by highly talented Brazilian director Fellipe Gamarano Barbosa, which also unfolds in Africa and portrays the long existentialist voyage of a young Brazilian researcher. Co-produced by France via Yohann Cornu for Damned Films, the feature added the Gan Foundation Award to its stash, which consists of distribution support that will certainly come in handy for the movie’s French distributor, Version Originale Condor, which will release it in French theatres on 16 August. The international sales have been entrusted to Films Boutique.

Interestingly, these trophies went to two second features following an edition of the Critics’ Week that boasted a very high level of quality on the whole, and which also saw Ava [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Léa Mysius
film profile] by French filmmaker Léa Mysisus receive the SACD Award.

Lastly, in terms of the short films, the Discovery Prize crowned the Spanish title Los Desheredados by Laura Ferrés, while the Canal+ Award was bestowed upon The Best Fireworks Ever by Poland’s Aleksandra Terpinska.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Nespresso Grand Prize
Makala [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Emmanuel Gras
film profile] - Emmanuel Gras (France)

France 4 Visionary Award
Gabriel and the Mountain [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Fellipe Gamarano Barbosa (Brazil/France)

Leica Cine Discovery Prize for short films
Los Desheredados - Laura Ferrés (Spain)

Gan Foundation Award for Distribution
Gabriel and the Mountain - Fellipe Gamarano Barbosa

SACD Award
Ava [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Léa Mysius
film profile] - Léa Mysius (France)

Canal+ Award for short films
The Best Fireworks Ever - Aleksandra Terpinska (Poland)

(Translated from French)