The Scars of Ali Boulala by Max Eriksson
Winners across nine competition categories at the 23rd Tempo Documentary Festival were announced March 12.
Tempo Documentary Award: one of Sweden’s largest documentary film competitions. The prize of SEK 75,000 (approx 7000 euros) goes to the film’s director. The competition is organised with the support of the Swedish Film Institute.
Winner: The Scars of Ali Boulala by Max Eriksson
Citation of the jury: Good documentaries can make us see well-known people and events with new eyes. But good documentaries can also give us access to places and contexts we barely knew existed. This year’s winner is one such film. It’s a film about friendship and madness. About life as literally one long party. About the great emptiness when the party abruptly ends. And about how short the distance can be between euphoria and total darkness.
Stefan Jarl International Documentary Award: given for the best international documentary. The prize is 2,000 euros and the competition is organised with the support of the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation.
Winner: Courage by Aliaksei Paluyan
Citation of the jury: A film about the importance and power of cultural expressions. In surprising ways, the director manages to convey the feeling of the whole movement against Alexander Lukashenko. Also giving voice to the everyday man, this documentary depicts a diverse movement for freedom and freedom of expression. A brave film in all aspects of the word.
Tempo Short Award: given for the best documentary made in short format, the prize of SEK 25,000 (approx. 2,350 euros) goes to the film’s director. The competition is organised with the support of the Swedish Film Institute.
Winner: Dansa min docka by Jasmijn Kooijman
Citation of the jury: A creative and warm film that touches us with its craftsmanship, sense of detail and tragi-comic grip. Beautiful image compositions, elaborate environments and skilful lighting elevate the film and leaves us wanting more. Despite a subject portrayed before, this well-made film surprises us with new gripping angles, nuanced characters and unexpected twists.
Honourable mention: Jag ville ha en familj by Irene Lopez
New Doc: the prize is SEK 40,000 and is awarded to a new promising director for an upcoming film project. The prize is awarded in collaboration with Film Stockholm, BoostHBG, Film i Öst, FilmCloud/ Förvaltningen för kulturutveckling, Film i Dalarna, Film i Sörmland, Kultur i Halland – Film and Filmregion Sydost.
Winner: Pink Rider by Daniel Aguirre Montoya
Citation of the jury: With music, capriciousness and uncompromising storytelling style, this year’s New Doc depicts the working conditions in the neoliberal society. Through a personal story, a thought-provoking film unfolds that makes the invisible visible without moralising.
Honourable mention: Powernapper’s paradise by Samir Arabzadeh
Tempo Sound Award: awarded to the short film, among the films competing for the Tempo Short Award, which has the most thoughtful and creative soundscape. The prize consists of SEK 60,000 (approx. 5640 euros) to be used in Momento Studio, corresponding to about two weeks in the studio with a sound designer.
Winner: Nadir by Amin Zouiten, Sound designer: Anne Gry Friis Kristensen
Citation of the jury: With the city as the main character and the sound as the narrative, this film takes us on a beautifully portrayed journey through the city’s different rooms and colours.
Short Dox Radio: 10 radio documentaries of a maximum three minutes’ duration compete for SEK 5,000 (approx 470 euros). The winning documentary will also take part in the Short Dox Nordic competition. The prize is a collaboration with the production company Munck, which offers studio time and a producer to help create the winner’s next audio documentary. The award was founded by Bengt Bok, professor of radio production at Stockholms Dramatiska Högskola.
Winner: Sailor by Petra Koppla Dahlberg
Honourable mention: Min sliding doors woman by Astrid Mohlin
Tempo Pitch: competition for new documentary film ideas. The prize consists of SEK 90,000 (approx 8,500 euros) in development funds. The competition is arranged in collaboration with SVT Dokumentär and The Swedish Film Institute’s documentary film consultants.
Winner: KATWE (working title) by Nima Shirali
Citation of the jury: The director approaches a tragic fate and a complex situation with a considerate treatment in strong visual scenes. The main characters get to say straight to the point about how they have become victims of circumstances they themselves do not control. The hope is placed on domestic politicians and foreign companies with new investment promises – what else can our main characters hope for?
Bettan’s Fund: SEK 30,000 from Bettan’s Fund that aims to support and encourage creative work in showing documentaries in cinemas.
Winner: Folkets Bio, Lund/Kino
Anna Prize: a scholarship awarded annually to a person with a film project on women’s rights.
Winner: Ett meddelande till Ernestina by Jonelle Twum
