The 49th edition of the Laceno d’Oro International Film Festival in Avellino closed December 8 with the announcement of this year’s winners.
The Cats of Gokogu Shrine by Kazuhiro Soda won the Laceno d’Oro 49 Award, as decided by a jury composed of filmmakers Massimo D’Anolfi and Antonio Piazza, and producer and distributor Gaël Teicher. The film, which receives a €3,000 prize, received the following citation: “Sometimes a whisper can be louder than a shout: it invites you to lean in and listen more closely. If cinema is about giving form to feelings and moods—love, fear, joy, sorrow, exhaustion—then this film’s form is the whisper. Maybe all it takes is a man with a camera, a few stray cats, a staircase, and a storm to face the most universal and yet common questions. And it’s precisely because the film never tries to answer those questions that it becomes a discreetly present companion, as time goes by, carrying with it segments of life.”
A Special Mention was given to A Savanha e a Montana by Paulo Carneiro: “A militant movie, a kind of rebel community western,” read the jury’s statement. “This work features the elderly and youth of the village, tractors and horses, and the power of a community rich in imagination. Together with the director, they create a film that is both a collective and subversive adventure.”
The Best Film Award in the “Gli occhi sulla città” section was given to Quando a Terra Foge by Frederico Lobo, which receives a prize of €1,500. The jury was composed of director Luca Sorgato, producer Pedro Duarte, and director-producer Vanina Lappa. The citation reads: “For its amazing ability to convey, through an intensely cinematic language, the essence of the place where it was created and, above all, the deep relationship between humans and nature. While some dig into the mountain, a cow gives birth to a calf, because nature is always stronger. This film not only tells us a story, but successfully plunges the audience into a universe where time is at the heart of the narrative. It urges us to slow down, to live, to think, and, above all, to remain present with what is shown to us, making us forget about its very nature as a short film. Each frame, like a painting, and its evocative soundscape summon a sense of suspended time, allowing us to rediscover a deeper dimension of existence. Quando a terra foge is a poetic experience not measured in minutes but in emotions: a work that makes us feel the largeness of a breath transcending its format through its pictorial vision.”
A Special Mention went to Street Light by Romain Dumont “for its elaborate use of a narrative device balancing between documentary and fiction, supported by impeccable direction and a fresh, original vision. With a tragicomic style, the film plays with the viewer’s gaze, shifting from seemingly light moments to more complex undertones. By traveling between documentary and fiction, it keeps us guessing until the very end about the true nature of the film.”
Si dice di me by Isabella Mari won the Laceno d’Oro Spazio Campania “Chiara Rigione” Award, assigned by a jury composed of Alessandro Rak (director, illustrator, animator), Angela Fontana (actress), and Dario Toma (president of the Matera Film Festival). The film, which receives a €1,000 prize, was praised for being: “A film that, starting from the challenging reality of a neighbourhood, moves across theatre to reach the world cinema. It offers us an extraordinary testimony of female empowerment, solidarity, and redemption.”
The Spazio Campania Jury’s Special Mention for 2024 goes to Ciao Bambino by Edgardo Pistone: “A debut film of exceptional cinematic maturity. With skilful aesthetics it lead us into a black-and-white Naples that is both brutal and timeless”
The Red Couch Award for Distribution, presented by the independent distribution company Red Couch Pictures, went to Cianuro by Eleonora Mastropietro: “For its ability to authentically and inquisitively narrate the dream of a group of young people in 1970s Basilicata. Against the skepticism of their fellow villagers, and to the sound of progressive rock, they sought to push the limits of a rural Southern Italy. With archive materials and contemporary footage, the film gives voice to marginal stories, celebrating the beauty of those who, despite living on the fringes, left an indelible mark,” reads the jury’s statement.
The Supercinema Award, recognizing excellence in Cinema Design, goes to 3MWh by Marie-Magdalena Kochová. From the jury’s statement: “The art direction of 3MWh stands out for its ability to enrich the narrative, providing strength and coherence with director’s choices that find a fundamental support in the artistic direction. A return to nature, contrasted with the industrial world, is conveyed in a visually powerful message through the careful use of precious props, evocative costume choices, and an aesthetic refined in its very details. This work not only visually translates the director’s vision but also offers an extraordinary attention to detail, highlighting a level of care and sensitivity that lies at the very heart of high-level art direction.”
For the people’s choice award in the Laceno d’Oro 49 section, the Audience Award “Franca Troisi” went to We Are Inside by Farah Kassem. A Special Mention went to Rising up at Night by Nelson Makengo. For “Spazio Campania” section, the Audience Award was given to Oltre Ischia by Luca Ciriello, with a Special Mention for La Notte è un Giorno Dispari by Vincenzo Giordano.
Founded by Pier Paolo Pasolini in 1959 in collaboration with Irpinian intellectuals Camillo Marino and Giacomo D’Onofrio, the Laceno d’Oro was created to celebrate the Irpinia region with a neorealist-inspired film exhibition. Today, the festival is organized by Circolo ImmaginAzione in Avellino, chaired by Antonio Spagnuolo, with artistic direction by Maria Vittoria Pellecchia and Aldo Spiniello in charge of the programme.
In recent years, the Laceno d’Oro International Film Festival has hosted renowned filmmakers such as Paul Schrader, Abel Ferrara, Alexander Sokurov, Elia Suleiman, Jia Zhangke, Marco Bellocchio, Robert Guédiguian, Olivier Assayas, Amir Naderi, Pedro Costa, Aleksei German Jr., Julio Bressane, Carlos Reygadas, Laurent Cantet, Franco Maresco, Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, Mario Martone, Ken Loach, Miguel Gomes, Stéphane Brizé, and Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, among many others.
The eight-day film festival featured screenings, talks with filmmakers, concerts, exhibitions, masterclasses, and workshops. At the heart of its program were three competitions: Laceno d’Oro 49, dedicated to international feature-length fiction and documentary films. Gli occhi sulla città (“Eyes on the City”) is focused on short films exploring themes of urban spaces, the environment, and landscapes, with creative freedom in interpretation. The Spazio Campania competition features films realized in the Campania region or by local filmmakers.
