28/03/2024 - The awarded titles were An Example, A Kind of Testament, My Name Is Edgar and I Have a Cow, Ever Since, I Have Been Flying, The Miracle and Dildotectonics

It’s a wrap for this year’s edition of Saguenay-based Festival Regard, one of North America’s largest gatherings dedicated to short films, which ran from 20-24 March. After screening nearly 200 titles on the big screen and welcoming more than 500 guests to Quebec, the five juries handed out awards to 15 filmmakers and granted nine Special Mentions.

The awards included over CAD $120,000 (approximately €81,840) in money and services, presented to several directors from around the world. The films are still available on the festival’s online platform until 7 April.

The Grand Prize, presented by Festival Regard and CineGround, went to Cross My Heart and Hope to Die, directed by Sam Manacsa (Philippines). The Official Selection jury was made up of actress Anne-Marie Cadieux (Canada); producer, publicist and programmer Kathleen McInnis (USA); multidisciplinary Tyendinaga Mohawk artist and programmer Nishina Loft (Canada); director Pier-Philippe Chevigny (Canada); and Bulgarian-born animation filmmaker Theodore Ushev (Canada).

Meanwhile, six European shorts also received awards. The first one snagged the Jury Prize, presented by the Directors’ Guild of Canada and Post-Moderne. Said winning title was An Example by Selma Sunniva (Denmark).

In the Best Animation Short Film category, presented by the Regard Festival, A Kind of Testament by Stephen Vuillemin (France) claimed the crown. The Official Competition jury also honoured Aylin Gökmen, helmer of the Swiss effort Ever Since, I Have Been Flying, with the Award for Best Documentary Short Film, presented by Doc Quebec.

Next, the Quebec Critics’ jury (AQCC), made up of Jules Couturier, Mathieu Bédard and Sarah-Louise Pelletier-Morin, announced the winner of the AQCC Quebec Critics’ Award, which went to Nienke Deutz, director of The Miracle (Belgium/Netherlands/France).

The Short & Queer Award, presented by Montréal Pride, went to Dildotectonics by Tomás Paula Marques (Portugal). The jury was made up of Maxime Robin (Canada), Julie Groleau (Canada), Alisi Telengut (Canada), Miguel Dias (Portugal) and Sheenah Ko (Canada).

The Award for Best Youth Short Film, presented by Hydro-Québec, was bestowed upon director Filip Diviak, the helmer of My Name Is Edgar and I Have a Cow (Czech Republic/Slovakia). Three youth cinema enthusiasts were tasked with choosing the winner: youth author and cultural mediator Chloé Varin (Canada), filmmaker Lucie Lambert (Canada) and Manon Musset (France), editorial director of Benshi.

Finally, the FIPRESCI International Critics’ Prize, presented by the Bureau du cinéma de Saguenay and SLA location, which honours a Canadian film in the Official Competition, went to Extras by Marc-Antoine Lemire (Canada). The jury was made up of Cineuropa journalist Davide Abbatescianni, Uruguay’s Diego Faraone and Canada’s Rachel Ho. A Special Mention went to the film Mothers & Monsters by Edith Jorish (Canada). Extras also scooped the Audience Award.

Here is the full list of this year’s winners:

Grand Prize
Cross My Heart and Hope to Die - Sam Manacsa (Philippines)
Special Mention
Audio y el Caimán - Andres I Estrada (Canada/Venezuela)

Canadian Grand Prize
Earthworm - Phillip Barker (Canada)
Special Mention
Juste un toît - Emmanuel Rioux (Canada)

Jury Prize
An Example - Selma Sunniva (Denmark)
Special Mention
Des rêves en bateaux papiers - Samuel Suffren (Haiti)

Best Animation Short Film
A Kind of Testament - Stephen Vuillemin (France)
Special Mention
Circle - Yumi Joung (South Korea)

Best Documentary Short Film
Ever Since, I Have Been Flying – Aylin Gökmen (Switzerland)
Special Mention
Our Grandmother the Inlet – Kayah George, Jaime Leigh Gianopoulos (Canada)

FIPRESCI International Critics’ Prize
Extras - Marc-Antoine Lemire (Canada)
Special Mention
Mothers & Monsters - Edith Jorish (Canada)

Quebec Critics’ Jury Award
The Miracle - Nienke Deutz (Belgium/Netherlands/France)

Audience Award for the Official Competition
Extras - Marc-Antoine Lemire

Indigenous Perspectives Award
Bay of Herons - Jared James Lank (USA)
Special Mention
A Bear Named Jesus - Terril Calder (Canada)

Shoot No Matter What Award
Unclean - Simon Chouinard (Canada)

Americana Award
AliEN0089 - Valeria Hofmann (Chile/Argentina)

Philippe Belley Award
Marée noire – Chantal Caron (Canada)

Short & Queer Award
Dildotectonics - Tomás Paula Marques (Portugal)

Audience Award - Focus Competition
Audio y el Caimán - Andres I Estrada

Best Youth Short Film
My Name Is Edgar and I Have a Cow - Filip Diviak (Czech Republic/Slovakia)
Special Mention
Gaby les collines - Zoé Pelchat (Canada)