“Nothing will be the same anymore”. Anyone who has ever been a juror at the Giffoni Film Festival have certainly thought this at least once. It’s been the wish for discovery, confrontation, growth, challenge of any pre-existing certainties the driving force behind 5600 jurors gathering in a theatre to choose the films worthy of greatest praise, the ones able to make their mark.
The 48th edition of the Giffoni Film Festival is over – eyes already turned to 2019 – but is not over the desire to stay together and award, after several days crowded with screenings ad debates, the 6 winning features of the Gryphon Award 2018. It’s been a zealous selection which compared over 100 films in competition (including features, shorts and documentaries) picked up out of a shortlist of 4600 works.
ANT (Julia Ocker, Germany, 2017) was the choice of Elements+3 kids. It’s the story of a little ant who’d rather twist the rules with her creativity than follow them. Italian pride triumphed in Element+6 section with ÖTZI AND THE MYSTERY OF TIME (Italy, 2018) by Gabriele Pignotta. It revolves around Kip, an intelligent and sensitive boy whose childhood is about to come to an end. When he goes to the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology to say goodbye to his beloved glacier mummy Ötzi, something magical happens and Ötzi awakens. The film, featuring a distinguished cast, which also include Alessandra Mastronardi and Vinicio Marchioni, will be distributed in Italy by Rai Cinema.
As for Elements +10, the preference went to ZOO (Ireland/Canada, 2017) by Colin Mclvor. During 1941’s German air raids on Belfast, Tom fights for saving baby elephant Buster. The protagonist of the film is Art Parkinson, who played Rickon Stark in “Game of Thrones”.
Generator +13 jurors crowned with glory THE CRAZY HEART (Germany, 2017) by Marc Rothemund who presented “The Girl with Nine Wigs” in the same category in 2013. Lenny, 30-year-old son of a reputed cardiologist, lives life the way he wants until his father, tired of his bad behaving, decides to block access to his credit card. In order to have his life back, he will have to take care of 15-year-old David who has been suffering since birth. After the initial reluctance, his heart will be conquered by the teen and he will learn what sense of responsibility is.
SADIE (USA, 2018) by Megan Griffiths was chosen by Generator +16. The cast features Sophia Mitri Schloss, who starred in “Lane 1974”, presented to the Festival in 2017, and actress Danielle Brooks, acknowledged for TV series “Orange is the New Black”. 13-year-old Sadie lives with her mother while her father serves in the army. As a matter of fact, he has left the family for a long time now. Despite this, Sadie still feels very attached to him and can’t accept her mother’s new relationship with another man. In order to undermine it, she chooses the one and only way she knows: war. Human relationships’ complexity in contemporary contexts lays at the heart of the film chosen by Generator +18, BROTHERS (Holland, 2017) by Hanro Smitsman. The work revolves around Hassan and Mourad’s tragic search for their little brother Yasin, a presumed extremist in war-torn Syria.
As for Gex Doc, jurors were conquered by LIYANA (Qatar, Switzerlad, USA, 2017) by Aaron and Amanda Koop. This animated African fairy tale was born from the imagination of five kids living in Swaziland.
In the meantime, the scrutiny of the competing shorts is being carried out. Winners will be announced in the next hours.