Berlin, Germany - February 24, 2024 -Today were announced the winners of the CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival. Recognizing exceptional artistry and storytelling in independent cinema, the CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award is given at major international festivals by an international jury of arthouse cinema exhibitors and programmers, which aims at bringing high-quality films to the arthouse cinemas. The Jury is composed of arthouse cinema exhibitors and members of the association, who apply through our website to become part of this initiative. In the case of Berlinale, the festival hosts yearly two CICAE juries, one in the Panorama Section, and the second one in the Forum Section.
CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award - Panorama
The Panorama Jury proudly awarded the CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award to the Norwegian film "Sex" directed by Dag Johan Haugerud. The film captivated the jury with its poignant exploration of relationships, and societal norms. In their statement, the jury highlighted “the film's ability to blend humor and introspection to challenge normative images of men and society in urban Norway”. They praised the film's “strong but gentle sense of humor and its depiction of characters unafraid to express their feelings”. The jury also commended the film's “formal intelligence, which combines cinematic movements with majestic musical interludes, offering audiences a window into the constant changes and questioning of modern society” (full statement below)
CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award - Forum
Meanwhile, the Forum Jury honored the German film "Shahid" directed by Narges Kalhor with the CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award. The jury applauded the film for “its bold and multi-layered approach, tearing down conventions and borders”. They lauded the director's ability to “balance reality and fiction, humor and tragedy, and various art forms and emotions, creating a powerful cinematic experience”. "Shahid" was celebrated for its honest and intimate portrayal of significant issues, coupled with self-irony and grace. (full statement below)
The jury panels, composed of distinguished arthouse cinema exhibitors and professionals from across Europe, including Italy, the Netherlands, France, and Romania, carefully deliberated to select the winners.
Panorama Jury members
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Victor Courgeon - Melies, Montreuil, France.
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Anna Kruse - Capitol, Marburg, Germany.
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Ilona Van Heeckeren - Natlab, Eindhoven, Netherlands.
Forum Jury members:
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Anca Caramelea - Cinema ARTA, Romania.
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Andrea Crozzoli - Cinemazero, Italy.
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Stefan Malešević - De Balie, Netherlands
The Arthouse Cinema Award helps the films towards distribution, by systematically informing the over 2,400 member cinemas and the numerous contacts in its network.
As part of the award, the members of the CICAE will receive a special newsletter with a "Film in Focus", which will include information on the awarded films: synopsis, cast and technical information, international sales and distributors contacts, promotional material and when possible a screener of the film.
The CICAE will also communicate about the Arthouse Cinema Award also in our monthly newsletter, which reaches over 4,000 contacts among which the CICAE members, film professionals, partners and supporters of the association. Likewise, the CICAE will promote the awarded films on all our social media channels, mainly Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin.
The CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award celebrates outstanding filmmaking that challenges, inspires, and resonates with audiences on a profound level. The winners, "Sex" and "Shahid," exemplify the power of cinema to provoke thought, evoke emotion, and foster understanding.
For more information about the CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award, please visit https://cicae.org/activities/awards
Contact: Dominga Ortuzar
dominga.ortuzar@cicae.org
