Sergei Loznitsa’s Imperium has won Best Film at the 70th BFI London Film Festival, the British Film Institute announced on Sunday 18 October.
The film is a 175-minute documentary assembled from footage of everyday Soviet life shot by Italian cameramen in the early 1970s. It premiered in the Open section of the Venice Film Festival earlier this year. It was produced by Philippe Bober and Anne-Claire Martin of Coproduction Office, with Uljana Kim and Giovanni Pompili of Kino Produzioni.
The Official Competition jury was led by the American documentary director Sam Pollard, with the Argentine filmmaker Mariano Llinás and Julie La Bassiere. In a statement published by the BFI, the jury said: “Imperium is an extraordinary film.”
The other winners
The Sutherland Award, for a first feature, went to 9 Temples to Heaven by the Thai director Sompot Chidgasornpongse. The film had its premiere in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes and was produced by Kissada Kamyoung and Apichatpong Weerasethakul. The jury, led by the actor Amir El-Masry, called it “an accomplished first feature”. It gave a special mention to Masc by Bertil Nilsson, which it described as “a strikingly original new voice in British cinema”.
The Grierson Award for documentary went to Concrete Land by Asmahan Bkerat, a portrait of a mixed-race family fighting displacement in Jordan. The jury was led by the director Sandhya Suri. Its special mention went to Queer Edward II by Theo Rollason, a film about Derek Jarman’s 1991 adaptation of Marlowe’s play.
The Short Film Award went to Aman by Rahul Roye. The BFI said the film is free to watch on BFI Player until 25 October. The short film jury, led by Helen Simmons, gave a special mention to Daughters of the Late Colonel by Elizabeth Hobbs.
Audience Award still to come
Voting for the Audience Award, which is chosen by festival-goers, closes on Wednesday 21 October. Last year’s audience winners were Hamnet and Black Is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story.
The festival closed on Sunday night with the UK premiere of Jesse Eisenberg’s The Debut. The 70th edition ran across BFI Southbank on the South Bank and partner cinemas around London.
Winners at a glance
- Best Film: Imperium, Sergei Loznitsa
- Sutherland Award (first feature): 9 Temples to Heaven, Sompot Chidgasornpongse. Special mention: Masc, Bertil Nilsson
- Grierson Award (documentary): Concrete Land, Asmahan Bkerat. Special mention: Queer Edward II, Theo Rollason
- Short Film Award: Aman, Rahul Roye. Special mention: Daughters of the Late Colonel, Elizabeth Hobbs
- Audience Award: voting closes 21 October
Sources: BFI, Screen Daily.