Homepage November 2023

Photo: Cannes Film Festival

Fallen Leaves, directed by Aki Kaurismäki, has won the FIPRESCI Grand Prix – Best Film of 2023. 669 critics from all over the world participated in the poll. More


FIPRESCI at Berlinale
Our film critics jury (composed of 12 members) awarded the best films in four sections. Besides the international competition, the jurors followed the Encounters Competition, as well as the Panorama and Forum programs. The winners:
Competition: My Favourite Cake (Iran, see this page).
Encounters: Sleeping with Your Eyes Open by Nele Wohlatz (Brazil).
Panorama: Faruk biy Asli Özge (Turkey).
Forum: The Human Hibernation by Anna Cornudella Castro (Spain)
The jury was headed by the Hungarian critic György Báron. More
At Berlinale, we again co-arranged a workshop for young critics, the “Talent Press”. Have a look here.

Juliette Binoch, the French actress, is to be the new president of the European Film Academy. She’ll take over from Agnieszka Holland who steps down to dedicate time to new films.

My Favourite Cake

Berlinale 2024. Our jury awarded the Film Critics’ Prize in the international competition to the Iranian film My Favourite Cake by Maryam Moghaddam & Behtash Sanaeeha. The jury argued: “It’s a disarming love story between two lonely elderly people, set in a melancholic atmosphere in today’s Iranian society, told in a beautiful and touching way with humor and empathy.” A review will follow. (Photo: Mohammed Haddadi)

Michel Ciment passed away, aged 85. Our French colleagues Isabelle Danel (here) and Grégory Valens (here) write about the exceptional and renown critic, our former president in FIPRESCI.


The National Society of Film Critics (US) has chosen “Past Lives” (directed by Celine Song) as Best Picture of 2023. See all votes in Best Picture and other categories for outstanding film achievement. More


News

Otar Iosseliani. Photo Courtesy Wikipedia.
Otar Iosseliani, 1934 – 2023
(Photo Courtesy Wikipedia – link)

Otar Iosseliani, one of the most significant figures in contemporary cinema, passed away on December 17. Born in Georgia, he initially made several great and successful films in his homeland before emigrating to France in the 80s, where he continued his work far from the Soviet Union, in a more liberated creative environment. Through his acclaimed and award-winning films, he left an indelible mark on an entire generation of film directors, showcasing an effortless narrative style and a unique cinematographic language. His films, directed in both Georgia and France, gained recognition at numerous prestigious film festivals (and won several FIPRESCI prizes). Notable among his works are Falling Leaves, Once Upon a Time There Was a Singing Blackbird, Pastorale, Favourites of the Moon, Hunting Butterflies. Otar Iosseliani was 89 years old.
See Salome Kikaleishvili’s memory of Iosseliani, here.


Christoph Terhechte, our German colleague, has been confirmed as head of DOK Leipzig until 2028.