Claire Denis, Rithy Panh, and Bertrand Bonello were honored with awards at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Berlin International Film Festival, which showcased a particularly rich selection of French films.
The jury, led by filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan, announced this year's awards at the festival's closing ceremony held February 16, 2022. The awards list, dominated by women, included the Silver Bear for Best Director for Claire Denis for her film Both Sides of the Blade.
The Franco-Cambodian director Rithy Panh received the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution, for his documentary Everything Will Be OK, an award that was shared with the artist Mang Sarith, who sculpted the clay figures used in the film.
We can add that the Golden Bear winner, the Spanish film Alcarràs by Carla Simón, is sold internationally by mk2 films.
French cinema in the awards list of the 72nd Berlinale
- Silver Bear for Best Director: Claire Denis for Both Sides of the Blade
- Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution: Rithy Panh and Mang Sarith for Everything Will Be OK
- Silver Bear for Best Screenplay: Leila Stieler for Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush by Andreas Dresen (minority-French coproduction)
- Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance: Meltem Kaptan for Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush by Andreas Dresen
- FIPRESCI Prize (Encounters): Coma by Bertrand Bonello
- Special Jury Prize (Encounters) for See You Friday, Robinson by Mitra Farahani
Short films
- Special Jury Prize in the Generation 14+ Competition: Goodbye Jerome! by Adam Sillard, Gabrielle Selnet, Chloé Farr
- Special Mention from the International Competition Jury: Bird in the Peninsula by Atsushi Wada
The complete awards list can be found here.
