We present the winners of the Macao International Film Festival & Award that took place from December 8rd – 13th, in Macao.
Best Film Award
The Winter (El Invierno) de Emiliano Torres – Argentina, France | 2016 – 98 min.
After working his whole life on an isolated ranch in Patagonia, the old foreman Evans is forced to retire, replaced by Jara, a younger man who plans to set up there with his wife and kids. But when winter comes, the region is cut off by snow. It’s no longer a matter of working, but of surviving the harsh conditions. With nowhere else to go, in desperation Evans tries to scare Jara away. Confrontation is inevitable, as one tries to return, the other tries to remain…
Best Director
Marco Martins for Saint George (Sao Jorge) – Portugal, France | 2016 – 112 min.
Drowning in debt, unemployed boxer Jorge is on the verge of losing his young son and his Brazilian wife. He is one of shocking amounts of Portuguese families and companies unable to repay their loans in the time of European troika bailout measures. Due to his intimidating physique, Jorge must reluctantly accept a job with a collection agency which drags him into a world of violence and crime.
Jury Prize
Trespass Against Us by Adam Smith – UK | 2016 – 99 min.
Three generations of the notorious Cutler family live as outlaws in the green and pleasant Gloucestershire countryside. They spend their time hunting, thieving and tormenting the police in the heart of Britain’s richest neighbourhood. Chad (Michael Fassbender) finds himself torn between respect for his father, Colby (Brendan Gleeson), and a desire to forge a better life for his wife, Kelly (Lyndsey Marshal) and their children. When Colby sets up a burglary that targets a stately home teeming with treasures, Chad is faced with a choice that could change his life forever. Should he follow tradition and do his father’s bidding as his rightful son and heir, or should he break the chain and set out on a new path? With the law cracking down on the clan, his father tightening his grip on the family, and prejudices among the local populace becoming ever more entrenched, Chad discovers that his destiny may no longer lie in his own hands…
Best Actress Award
Lyndsey Marshal for her role in Trespass Against Us – UK | 2016 – 99 min.
Best Actor Award
Nuno Lopes for his role in Saint George (Sao Jorge | Marco Martins)
Portugal, France | 2016 – 112 min.
Award for Best New Young Actress
Jennifer Yu for her role in Sisterhood (Tracy Choi) – Macao | 2016 – 97 min.
Seiya (Fish Liew) and Kay (Jennifer Yu) worked together as masseuses in Macau during the 90s when the small city was not yet a conglomerate of casinos. Kay mentors newcomer Seiya at work, the two grow exceptionally close and they raise Kay’s baby together like a family. On the eve of Macau’s handover, the girls have a fight, and the best friends part ways. Seiya moved to Taiwan with a man while Kay remained in Macau. Years later, memories strike 40-year-old Seiya (Gigi Leung) as she reads a missing person appeal in a newspaper. Upon her return to Macau she finds the quiet place she once called home a bustling neon metropolis. Kay’s child is now 18-year-old, the age Seiya was when she met Kay. From him, Seiya learns about Kay’s life in Macau, and a promise that she never knew. Homegrown director Tracy Choi’s take on the old times of her hometown, allows her to reminisce about a period when casinos were few, and sentiments were rich.
Best Screenplay
Amy Jump and Ben Wheatley for Free Fire (Ben Wheatley)
UK | 2016 – 90 min.
Set in the late 1970s, Justine (Brie Larson) has brokered a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two Irishmen (Cillian Murphy, Michael Smiley) and a gang led by Vernon (Sharlto Copley) and Ord (Armie Hammer) who are selling them a stash of guns. But when shots are fired in the handover, a heart stopping game of survival ensues.
Award for Best Technical Contribution
Pablo Lamar (Sound) and Daniel Saavedra (Original Soudtrack) for their work in Elon Doesn’t believe in death
(Elon Não Acredita na Morte – Ricardo Alves Jr.) – Brazil | 2016 – 75 min.
Madalena hasn’t come home from work. Worried about his wife, Elon delves into a restless journey in search of her whereabouts. His quest began following her daily routines, work, family and her friends. In desperation, Elon reports to the police station. Fearing the worst he trudges to one hospital after another, even morgues. No one has a clue about the sudden and baffling disappearance of his wife. Insomnia sets in. Loneliness takes hold of Elon’s life. Driven to the edge of desperation, life becomes a maze of misunderstandings, strange encounters and journeys through endless corridors in the darkest parts of town. The watchful eye of Elon seems void as he gazes at obscure figures, at shadows, at faces in the crowd hoping for the comeback of his beloved wife. Elon is losing his mind. His life is falling apart, with his job lost, he vents out his pain and desperation in a violent manner. Reality deceives Elon and he decides to deny it. But can he deceive reality, too?
Eye of the Audience Award
Sisterhood by Tracy Choi – Macao | 2016 – 97 min
Career Achievement Award
Feng Xiaongang (Chinese Director, Screenwriter and Actor)
MFTPA Special Award for Contribution to Chinese Film
Yu Dong (Chinese Film Producer)
To know more about this festival please visit the FESTIVAL PROFILE or go to the official webpage HERE.
Categories: News
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