On 31 January, the Austrian film scene gathered at the Auditorium in Grafenegg, Lower Austria, for the handing out of the tenth Austrian Film Awards in 17 categories. The big winner of the evening was the sophomore picture by Austrian director Sudabeh Mortezai, snagging, amongst others, Best Feature Film and Best Director for herself. Her Joy [+lee también:
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entrevista: Sudabeh Mortezai
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Mortezai had previously presented the movie at the 75^th Venice International Film Festival, and it was chosen as the Austrian candidate for the Oscars. She couldn’t, however, compete due to the regulations, as her film is predominantly in English. Mortezai didn’t attend the awards ceremony owing to poor health, but her award was accepted by producers Oliver Neumann and Sabine Moser. The movie was further honoured with the Awards for Best Leading Actress, for Joy Anwulika Aphonsus, and Best Screenplay.

Following close behind was Jessica Hausner’s heavily favoured Little Joe [+lee también:
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entrevista: Jessica Hausner
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entrevista: Marie Kreutzer
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Further gongs went to Tobias Moretti as Best Leading Actor for Gipsy Queen [+lee también:
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entrevista: Hüseyin Tabak y Alina Serban
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ficha de la película]. The Award for Best Documentary resulted in a tie between Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s Earth [+lee también:
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entrevista: Nikolaus Geyrhalter
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Finally, Josef Aichholzer, film producer and co-founder of the Film Academy in Vienna, received an Honorary Award for his accomplishments for the academy.

Here is the full list of award winners:

Best Feature Film
Joy [+lee también:
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entrevista: Sudabeh Mortezai
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Best Documentary (ex aequo)
Earth [+lee también:
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entrevista: Nikolaus Geyrhalter
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Inland – Ulli Gladik

Best Short Film
Freigang - Martin Winter (Austria/Germany)

Best Director
Sudabeh Mortezai - Joy

Best Leading Actress
Joy Anwulika Alphonsus - Joy

Best Leading Actor
Tobias Moretti - Gipsy Queen [+lee también:
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entrevista: Hüseyin Tabak y Alina Serban
ficha de la película] (Germany/Austria)

Best Supporting Actress
Pia Hierzegger – The Ground Beneath My Feet [+lee también:
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entrevista: Marie Kreutzer
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Best Supporting Actor
Josef Hader - Nevrland [+lee también:
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ficha de la película]

Best Screenplay
Sudabeh Mortezai - Joy

Best Cinematography
Jo Molitoris - Nevrland

Best Costume Design
Christine Ludwig – How I Taught Myself to Be a Child [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] (Austria/Germany)

Best Make-up
Heiko Schmidt - Little Joe [+lee también:
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entrevista: Jessica Hausner
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Best Score
Wolfgang Mitterer – The Children of the Dead [+lee también:
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entrevista: Kelly Copper y Pavol Liška
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Best Film Editing
Karina Ressler - Little Joe

Best Production Design
Katharina Wöppermann - Little Joe

Best Sound Editing
Gregor Kienel (original sound), Thomas Pötz, Rudolf Gottsberger (sound design) and Thomas Pötz (mixing) - Nevrland

Viewers’ Choice
Love Machine [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] - Andreas Schmied (Austria)

Honorary Award
Josef Aichholzer - Chairman of the Austrian Film Academy, 2009-2019