SKIP CITY INTERNATIONAL D-Cinema FESTIVAL had been held from September 25 to October 3 virtually, and wrapped at the Closing Ceremony (YouTube Live) yesterday, Sunday October 3. Jury and Audience award winners were announced at the Ceremony.

Luzzu (Malta) directed by Alex Camilleri, received the Grand Prize in the International Competition. It’s a drama about a man who is in agony to make his decision if he will choose the family fishery business or a better life to his family. Naoto Takenaka, the President of the Jury, commented, “The director’s perspective is not icky, but cool and hot. I think it is irresistible. Luzzu is a great film”. This is the film to be nominated and received an award for the first time from Malta.

In addition, Rival (Germany, Ukraine) directed by Marcus Lenz, won the Best Director. The film is about a lonely battle of 9-year-old boy who travels from Ukraine to Germany where he does not know the language of.

Special Jury Prize is shared by two films. Cinema of Sleep (Canada), directed by Jeffrey St. Jules, is a thriller with full of twists and depicts an immigrant man who came from Africa to America and hit by an unexpected accident. Mitra (Netherlands, Germany, Denmark), directed by Kaweh Modiri, is a political suspense that the flames of vengeance flares in the mother’s heart when she learns of the woman whose betrayal led to her daughter’s death under the chaos in Iran in 1980s, 37 later in the Netherlands. Daisuke Shimura, a juror and the managing director of ZAZIE FILMS, said, “this year’s Special Jury Prize was divided into two films because the judges’ opinions were splitted. By all means, one of them should be selected, but since the two films have completely different approaches, so the two films receive the award at the same time”. Audience Award went to Kiss Me Before It Blows Up (Germany) directed by Shirel Peleg, which is a romantic comedy about the wedding turmoil of a Jewish and German same-sex couple.

Psychology Counselor (Japan), directed by Zenzo Sakai, received the SKIP CITY AWARD, which is given to a director whose next feature project is highly anticipated from all Japanese nominated films through international and domestic competitions. The film is a disturbing psychological horror about the interaction between a counselor and a mysterious patient. This is the first time for a short film to receive the SKIP CITY AWARD.
 
In the Japanese Film Competition, Journey Beyond the Night (Japan), directed by Takayuki Kayano, for the feature film category and A Little Circus (Japan, Cambodia), directed by Yoshiro Osaka, for the short film category, received both Best Picture by Jury and Audience Award by voting, respectively. This is also the first time in history of the film festival that both films in the feature and short categories won the Best Picture and Audience Award at the same time.

Please check the press release for more details.