The 21st International Film Festival Innsbruck (Austria) took place last week, from June 5 to 10. In this year's official programme we once again had some beautiful African films. I am very happy to inform you that two of them were awarded with our prizes:
Jean-Marie Teno was awarded the Documentary Film Award for his film LIEUX SAINTS - SACRED PLACES. As the jury states, Teno's film "recounts in a poetic and sensitive way a neighborhood in Ouagadougou and addresses the situation of today's cinema." This year's international jury consisted of Melanie Hollaus, film maker from Austria, Matthias Helwig, Director of the Fünf-Seen-Festival in Starnberg, Germany, and Dirk Steinkuehler, head of the Stranger Than Fiction Documentary Festival of Cologne, Germany. The prize is endowed with 1,500 EURO.
The Audience Award this year was awarded to S. Pierre Yaméogo for his film BAYIRI - LA PATRIE. Although the decision was very close to the end, BAYIRI could prevail as the winner. The Audiece Award is endowed with 1,000 EURO.