Independent World Cinema in Rotterdam

At the 45th International Film Festival Rotterdam (The Netherlands, January 27 – February 7, 2016), the FIPRESCI Prize went to a world premiere in the “Bright Future” section: “Bodkin Ras” by Kaweh Modiri (The Netherlands, 2016, 79 min). Motivation: “Bodkin Ras, by writer-director Kaweh Modiri, throws an actor – portraying a mysterious foreigner – into the real environment of a small Scottish town. This fascinating hybrid of documentary and fiction is filled with unforgettable characters, a strong sense of place, and an urgency that turns the experiment into a thrilling and humanistic film.”

Jury members were: Yael Shuv, Israel, president (“Time Out Tel Aviv”), Toni Junyent, Spain (“Miradas de Cine”), Dragan Jurak, Croatia (“HR 3 Radio”, “Novosti”), Kevin B. Lee, USA (“Fandor Keyframe”, “Sight & Sound”, “New York Times”), and Joost Broeren, The Netherlands (“De Filmkrant”). Four participants of the Rotterdam “Trainee Project” joined the jury and participated with one voice and vote: Martin Kudlac (Czech Republic), Archana Nathan (India), Taylor Hess (USS/Germany), Rowan El Shimi (Egypt).

Festival: https://iffr.com/