By Travis Johnson
Zambia-born Welsh director Rungano Nyoni’s I Am Not A Witch has won the 2017 ADL Film Fest International Feature Award, while Ziad Kalthoum’s Taste of Cement has won the Flinders University International Best Documentary Award at the Adelaide Film Festival.
Best international Feature was bestowed by a jury comprised of UN Peace Ambassador Leena Alam (Afghanistan), multi-award winning producer Catherine Fitzgerald (New Zealand), Head of EYE International for the promotion of Dutch cinema Martin Rabarts (Netherlands), Locarno 2016 Best Director winner for The Ornotholgist João Pedro Rodrigues (Portugal), and acclaimed Australian producer Miranda Dear (Blackfella Films), who said in a statement, “As an International Jury we faced a surprising and compelling selection of films and filmmakers from around the world. The Jury found a unique and bold quality with I Am Not A Witch. Based on its originality it was surprising, funny and compelling. It is a bold debut feature from a director with her singular vision. We are excited to celebrate the work of a bright new talent.”
Taste of Concrete, which deals with Syrian construction workers labouring in Beirut was selected by documentary practitioners Molly Reynolds (Australia) and Eva Orner (Australia), and film curator and programmer Hania Mroué (Lebanon), who noted “Over the past week the documentary jury had the pleasure of viewing an array of diverse and fascinating documentaries. We deliberated long and hard before deciding upon Taste of Cement. The film is a poetic unfolding of war refugees rebuilding for other countries while their own is being destroyed. We admire the filmmaker’s audacity, ambition and heart. Ziad is a director of talent and is to be encouraged.”
The Adelaide Film Festival is on until October 15. For more, get over to the official site.
