The postponed Febiofest Prague 2020 (see the news) has announced the winners of its 27^th edition. The Main Competition jury, comprising Czech filmmakers Beata Parkanová and Slávek Horák, and Czech actress Anna Polívková, stated: “Each of the films made an impact on us, affecting different parts of our personalities. That’s why we also decided to hand out a Special Mention. And it was precisely that award that represented the toughest choice, as it was hard to decide between these well-matched films. In the end, it went to Maria Sødahl’s Hope [+lee también:
crítica
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entrevista: Maria Sødahl
ficha de la película], which won us over with its sensitive telling of a story, with excellent acting performances.”

The top prize went to the Slovak-Czech-Romanian-Irish drama Servants [+lee también:
crítica
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entrevista: Ivan Ostrochovský
ficha de la película] by Slovakian director-producer Ivan Ostrochovský, which premiered at this year’s Berlinale. “An extremely powerful story told by purely cinematic means, a genuine celebration of film language that at the same time delivers a clear message comprehensible to viewers. All elements of this film are of the highest standards in terms of filmmaking, combining to create a highly compelling, brave and original whole,” said the jury of its unanimous decision to pick Ostrochovský’s film, following young seminarians as they face pressure from the secret police during the early 1980s in Czechoslovakia, when the clergy, grouped together in the association Pacem in Terris, collaborated with the communist regime. “I have to admit that I never expected an award,” noted Ostrochovský. “More than anything, I’m happy that my film was screened at a festival and that viewers had a chance to see it before it enters cinemas. The fact that Servants also won has made me very happy indeed!”

Lisa Aschan’s comedy Call Mom! [+lee también:
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entrevista: Evin Ahmad
ficha de la película] came out on top in the Comedy Competition, as the jury was most impressed by how the film “handles the difficult subject of fruitless interpersonal communication with elegance and humour”. Iranian filmmaker and women’s right activist Mahnaz Mohammadi received the Amnesty International Febiofest Award for her directorial debut, Son-Mother [+lee también:
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ficha de la película], penned by this year’s Golden Bear winner, Mohammad Rasoulof. The jury praised the feature for “its unusual formal handling of two parallel storylines, the naturalness of the acting performances, and the unvarnished, powerful story”.

Here is the complete list of winners at the 27^th edition of Febiofest Prague:

Main Competition
Servants [+lee también:
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entrevista: Ivan Ostrochovský
ficha de la película] – Ivan Ostrochovský (Slovakia/Czech Republic/Romania/Ireland)
Special Mention
Hope [+lee también:
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entrevista: Maria Sødahl
ficha de la película] - Maria Sødahl (Norway/Sweden)

Comedy Competition
Call Mom! [+lee también:
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entrevista: Evin Ahmad
ficha de la película] – Lisa Aschan (Sweden)

Amnesty International Febiofest Award
Son-Mother [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] - Mahnaz Mohammadi (Iran/Czech Republic)

You’re the Filmmaker Competition (amateur shorts)

Solo category
Robinson Crusoe – Vít Rosenkranc (Czech Republic)
The Tribe – Šimon Černík (Czech Republic)
Why Actually? – Tina Tran (Czech Republic)

Team category
Absolute Environmentalist – Prague Secondary School for EU Administration (Czech Republic)
Up to Our Neck in Garbage – Animation studio of fourth- and fifth-grade pupils at the Kolín V Elementary School (Czech Republic)
How You Help Nature Be Clean – Vráž Primary School (Czech Republic)