INTERNATIONAL JURY
Bruce Labey
Annette Le Bail
Terry O’Connor
Prix d’Honneur of the 13th Parish Festival
Mar Mama by Majdi El Omari (Palestine)
The jury were both moved and impressed by this simple, powerful and tragically prescient film from Palestine telling the story of a father and daughter dealing with the death of the family’s mother and wife by making a film. Shot almost entirely in one room, the central performances were compelling, heart-breaking and utterly credible.
L’Esprit de Fete
A joint award this year to Mast-del by Maryam Tafakory (UK, Iran) and to the Un-Chaotic Cabinet That Wishes For Me to Sleep by Cillian Green from Ireland.
Mast-del is a visually stunning and utterly engrossing film made up of clips of films that have been banned in Iran which tells the story of a young woman’s trip to the cinema and the appalling events that can be triggered in modern-day Iran by such a seemingly simple thing. The judges applaud the film’s courage and honesty in the face of the brutal repression of women.
The Un-Chaotic Cabinet That Wishes For Me To Sleep, is a magical film with a stunningly layered soundscape and exceptionally creative animation which chronicles a young man’s train of thought as he cycles round his home town. A beautiful and captivating film from a director whose artistry we wished to recognise.
Special mention to Neighbour Abdi by Douwe Djistra (The Netherlands) an accomplished, witty and thought provoking story of the complex and difficult life of Somali-born Abdi as he processes his often violent past.
Jersey and Channel Islands Award For Best Film
Jury: Mick Hannigan
Usurp The Destroyer by Patrick Swan and Edward Palmer (Jersey)
The quality of films considered in this category was immensely high this year. Across many genres such as art film, documentary and contemporary drama; one film in particular stood out. One of the delights of viewing new films by emerging and younger directors is the insight into the current zeitgeist they sometimes illustrate. The winning film does this without being dogmatic, and with an ‘open text’. The ambiguity inherent in the film is artful and the film is a very deserving winner of this year’s Best Jersey & CI Short Film.