The new Director of the Sarajevo Film Festival and producer Jovan Marjanović (Bosnia and Herzegovina), US director and winner of last year’s Grand Prix Jessica Beshir (Faya Dayi) and Beatrice Fiorentino, General Delegate of the Venice Film Festival’s Critics’ Week, will assess the International Feature Film Competition of 16 films (15 world premieres) and hand out the Grand Jury Prize and Special Jury Award, worth €20,000 and €10,000 respectively.
The 53rd Visions du Réel runs April 7-17 2022.
The Burning Lights Competition will be judged by Chiara Marañón (Director of Content at MUBI), Swiss director Cyril Schäublin (winner of the best director prize for his film Unrueh (Unrest) in the Encounters Competition at Berlinale 2022) and Argentinian producer Gema Juraz Allen (Lina from Lima, 2019, TIFF). They will deliberate on 15 medium and feature-length films, including 12 world premieres and 3 international premieres.
The jury of the National Competition is composed of the Czech film critic Martin Horyna, programmer for the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the Franco-Senegalese director Katy Lena Ndiaye (Time is on Our Side, 2019) and the Swiss producer Olivier Zobrist (Das neue Evangelium, 2020, by Milo Rau). They will award the prizes to a selection from 13 films, 12 of which will be presented as world premieres.
The Congolese director Nelson Makengo (Up at Night), Ivana Kvesić, the new Director of the Fantoche International Animation Film Festival, and the French producer and distributor Justin Pechberty (My Quarantine Bear, 2020, by Weijia Ma) make up the jury of the International Medium Length & Short Film Competition. The three jury members will choose among 33 films, including 28 world premieres and 5 international premieres.
The public will get the chance to judge the Grand Angle Competition. The best film will be given the Audience Award, with a cash prize of CHF 10,000 from the City of Nyon.
While the new Prix Istituto Svizzero will be awarded to a Swiss director whose film features in the Official Selection and consists of a one-month residence at the Istituto Svizzero in Rome, the new Perception Change Project Award (CHF 5,000) will be given to a film that casts light on contemporary issues that will define the world of tomorrow, in collaboration with the UN Geneva and with the support of the Diplomatic Club.
As already announced, the VDR-Industry jury will be composed of Berlinale artistic director Carlo Chatrian, Dutch producer Ilse Hughan (Lisandro Alonso’s Jauja, 2014) and Israeli director/producer Avi Mograbi (The First 54 Years. An Abbreviated Manual for Military Occupation, 2021). Together, they will award some of the prizes to the selected projects of VdR-Pitching and VdR-Work in Progress, including new awards such as the Unifrance Doc Award, the TËNK Post-production Award and the Docs Up Prize for a filmmaker in the Opening Scenes section.
The visions sud est Award jury is composed of Swiss film critic Pamela Biénzobas (Locarno Film Festival), Swiss distributor Stefanie Rusterholz and Swiss curator and programmer Delphine Jeanneret (HEAD, Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur).
International Feature Film Competition
- Grand Jury Prize, offered by la Mobilière, CHF 20,000.
- Special Jury Award, offered by Région de Nyon, CHF 10,000
Burning Lights Competition
- Jury Prize in the Burning Lights Competition, offered by the Canton of Vaud, CHF 10,000.
- Special Jury Award, offered by la Société des Hôteliers de la Côte, CHF 5,000
National Competition
- Jury Prize in the National Competition, offered by SRG SSR, CHF 15, 000.
- Special Jury Award in the National Competition, offered by SSA/Suissimage, CHF 10,000
International Medium Length & Short Film Competition Awards
- Jury Prize for the best medium length film, offered by Clinique de Genolier, CHF 6,000.
- Special Youth Jury Award for a medium length film, CHF 4,000.
- Jury Prize for the best short film, offered by Fondation Gobelet, CHF 5,000.
- Special Youth Jury Award for a short film, offered by Mémoire Vive, CHF 2,500
Audience Award
- Audience Award in the Grand Angle Competition, offered by the City of Nyon, CHF 10,000
Guest of Honour
- Honorary Award given to Marco Bellocchio
Interreligious Award
- Feature Film of the International Competition that sheds lights on issues dealing with the meaning of life, CHF 5,000
Opening Scenes Awards
- Prix Tënk: purchase of distribution rights for a short film and an editing residency at the Village documentaire de Lussas (Ardèche-France) for the director of the awarded film.
- Prix Docs Up: a grant of €1,000 and an individual consultation offered for the next feature length film of a director of the Opening Scenes section.
International Critic’s Award – FIPRESCI
- First Feature Film presented in the International Feature Film Competition or the Burning Lights Competition.
ZONTA Award
- Prize for a female filmmaker whose work reveals mastery and talent and calls for support for future creations, CHF 5,000
Istituto Svizzero Award
- Invitation for a Swiss filmmaker from the official selection for a one-month residency in Rome at the Istituto Svizzero.
Perception Change Project Award
- Prize awarded to a film that sheds light on the current issues that will define the world of tomorrow. Offered by the Director-General of the Geneva UN with the support of the Diplomatic Club, CHF 5,000
VdR-Industry Awards 2022
- visions sud est Award: CHF 10,000 in cash for the best project from the South (Africa, Latin America and Asia) or from Eastern Europe (excluding EU members)
- VdR-Pitching Award: CHF 5, 000 in cash for the most promising project
- The Party Film Sales Award: €5,000 in cash for the project with highest international potential
- RTS Award: Pre-buy of one film
- TËNK Post-production Award: Sound post-production facilities at Tënk studios (France) Mixing Studio (2 weeks) and Auditorium (1 week)
- HEAD-Genève Postproduction Award: Colour grading and creation of the files for diffusion (including accommodation in Geneva)
- Unifrance Doc Award: Subtitles creation and one Unifrance’s membership for the French producer attached to the project
- Cannes Docs Award: Two accreditations for the filmmaker and producer to attend the Marché du Film – Festival de Cannes and participate in Cannes Docs
- DOK Leipzig Award: Accreditation and accommodation at DOK Leipzig & observer access to the DOK Co-Pro Market for the filmmaker and producer
- EFM Award: Two Market Badges for the EFM and a consultations session
- DAE Encouragement Award: 2 x memberships for the network plus 4 free consultations with network members, tailored to the needs of the project
Awards for VdR–Work in Progress projects
- VdR–Work in Progress Award: CHF 3,000 in cash for the most promising project
- Lightdox Award: CHF 3,000 in cash for the project with highest international potential
- Raggioverde Subtitling Award: Subtitle creation incl. translation in one language
- Freestudios Award: Creation of a DCP package
