29/03/2016 - The film by Austria’s Ruth Beckermann has snagged an Honourable Mention in the international competition, while the feature by Alice Diop came out on top in the French section

European film production was very well represented on the winners’ list of the 38th Cinéma du Réel festival in Paris, which presented a fascinating overview of the current trends in the documentary film industry. Indeed, while the Grand Prix in the international competition crowned the US feature Long Story Short by Nathalie Bookchi, the Scam International Award went to The Dreamed Ones [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Austrian director Ruth Beckermann (revealed in the Berlinale Forum, recently also winning the Grand Diagonale Prize in Graz), and a Special Mention was handed to Oleg and the Rare Arts [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Spaniard Andres Duque (which also took home the Best Original Score Award).

The French competition section saw Alice Diop’s On Call [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] claim victory, with a Special Mention singling out Sfumato by Christophe Bisson, while the competition for debut films was won by [Pewen]Araucaria by Carlos Vásquez Méndez (a co-production between Chile and Spain), and the short-film category saw Há terra! by Ana Vaz (Brazil/France) come out on top.

We should also point out that the Youth Award was bestowed upon Constitution [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Italy’s Marco Santarelli, which was chosen from among the films in the three feature competitions; the Libraries’ Award went to the Chinese-Canadian co-production Of Shadows by Yi Cui, with a Special Mention for Vivere by French director Judith Abitbol; and the Intangible Heritage Award was given to The Heirs by her fellow countryman Maxence Voiseux, with a Special Mention for La balada del Oppenheimer Park by Mexican filmmaker Juan Manuel Sepúlveda. 

Here is the complete list of winners:

Cinéma du Réel Grand Prix
Long Story Short – Natalie Bookchin

Scam International Award
The Dreamed Ones [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Ruth Beckermann
Special Mention: Oleg and the Rare Arts [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Andrés Duque

Joris Ivens/Cnap Award
[Pewen]Araucaria – Carlos Vásquez Méndez

Short Film Award
Há terra! – Ana Vaz

Institut français-Louis Marcorelles Award
On Call [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Alice Diop
Special Mention: Sfumato – Christophe Bisson

Youth Award
Constitution [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Marco Santarelli
Special Mention: The Dreamed Ones – Ruth Beckermann

Libraries’ Award 
Of Shadows – Yi Cui
Special Mention: Vivere – Judith Abitbol

Intangible Heritage Award 
The Heirs – Maxence Voiseux
Special Mention: La balada del Oppenheimer Park – Juan Manuel Sepúlveda

Best Original Score
Oleg and the Rare Arts – Andrés Duque

(Translated from French)