Short film awards: August 2020

03 SEPTEMBER 2020

In a highly unusual global context, the month of August saw French short films reaping a rich crop of awards at international film festivals.

Rhode Island International Film Festival – USA (August 4–9, 2020)
A veritable showcase for independent filmmaking, the RIIFF has established itself over the years as a key event in the USA and features among the ten most important international film festivals dedicated to short films and emerging filmmakers. For its 24th edition, 265 films from 51 countries were presented in competition. They included 30 French productions and co-productions, with 9 titles in the festival's awards list:

Matriochkas by Bérangère McNeese: Grand Prize for Best Direction
Martin Fell from a Roof by Matías Ganz: Grand Prize for Best Comedy (photo)
Crazy Tiger by Kanamé Onoyama: Grand Prize for Best Editing
Summer Fasting by Abdenoure Ziane: International Vision 1st Prize – Youth Jury 1st Prize for Best Fiction
Purpleboy by Alexandre Siqueira: Youth Jury 1st Prize for Best Animation – 1st Prize LGBT Film
Killing Time by Camille Guillot, Fanny Hagdahl Sörebo, Aleksandra Krechman, Sarah Naciri, Morgane Ravelonary & Valentine Zhang: 1st Prize for Best Animation for Young Audiences
The Saverini Widow by Loïc Gaillard: 1st Prize for Best Actress for Christiane Conil
Freed by Josza Anjembe: 1st Prize Discovery Section
Fairyocious by Fabien Ara: 1st Prize for an LGBT Film

Melbourne International Film Festival – Australia (August 6–23, 2020)

MIFF is Australia's leading film festival. A fervent and longstanding supporter of short films, the festival places an important focus on shorts, with its only competitive section dedicated to short films. Despite a reduced online program at this year's 68th edition, France was represented by 3 productions, including a French-Australian coproduction. The awards list features Inès by Élodie Dermange (produced by the La Poudrière Film School), which was crowned Best Animation.

Hiroshima International Animation Festival – Japan (August 20–24, 2020)
Considered as one of the world's most highly respected animated film festivals, this year's 18th edition of the event was held online. Given the highly unusual circumstances at this time, only 59 films (from 32 countries) were presented in competition. They included 8 French works, including 2 coproductions, which both picked up a Special Prize from the International Jury:

Per tutta la vita by Roberto Catani (France – Italy)
Traces by Sophie Tavert Macian and Hugo Frassetto (France – Belgium)

Kiev Molodist International Film Festival – Ukraine (August 22–30, 2020)
10 short films spread across the festival's main competitive sections and special programs were presented at the 49th Kiev Molodist International Film Festival. One of the titles, Among the Almond Trees (France–Belgium) by Marie Le Floc’h, was honored with a Special Diploma from the Jury. This award adds to a long list of prizes that the film has garnered since its release.