After unspooling since 1 June in Lima (Peru), where it screened a rich array of independent films freshly shipped in from Eastern Europe, the Far East and Latin America, the 13^th Al Este International Film Festival wrapped on Saturday 11 June.

In the main section of the programme, the Al Este Competition, the jury, which this year was made up of Latin American professionals Yaela Gotlief, Gisella Ramirez, Magdyel Ugaz and Rodrigo Moreno, together with Spaniard Rubén Corral (programme coordinator at ZINEBI), opted to hand the top prize, the Al Este Jaguar for Best Film, to Wet Sand [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Elene Naveriani
scheda film]. The Swiss-Georgian co-production directed by Elene Naveriani, which we described in our review as “a cathartic cry which lends a voice to those who have had to stifle their identity in the name of a cruel and merciless conformism”, has not ceased to turn heads ever since it was first presented in the Cineasti del Presente Competition at last year’s Locarno Film Festival. In the same section, the jury handed a Special Mention to Wood and Water [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
scheda film], the feature debut by Germany’s Jonas Bak.

Among the other films from this section singled out with awards, we should mention Mutzenbacher [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Ruth Beckermann
scheda film], a documentary by Austrian helmer Ruth Beckermann that explores masculinity and which previously emerged triumphant in the Encounters section of the most recent Berlinale. The movie went home with the Press Award for Best Film and the Award for Best Film handed out by APRECI (Peruvian Film Press Association). Another two European flicks scooped the Special Mentions from both juries: The Line [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Ursula Meier
scheda film] by Switzerland’s Ursula Meier and Gentle [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: László Csuja e Anna Nemes
scheda film] by Hungary’s Anna Eszter Nemes and László Csuja, respectively.

In the Al Este Travelling Competition, which selects films from countries in which the organisation responsible for running the festival has a presence (Argentina, Colombia, France, Peru and Uruguay), the Award for Best Film went to A Night of Knowing Nothing [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Payal Kapadia
scheda film], the French production by Indian director Payal Kapadia, one of last year’s most highly acclaimed documentaries.

The festival, which was this year able to return to an in-person, physical format, boasting 31 screenings in various different Lima movie theatres, and also maintaining virtual screenings (racking up more than 50 of them), also organised master classes with European filmmakers, such as one on directing and audiovisual language in animation with Anca Damian, one on film direction with Michelangelo Frammartino, and one on documentary film direction with the aforementioned Beckermann.

As usual, the winning films, as well as a selection of the best movies from this edition, can be seen in Peru on the elekran.com website until 24 July.

Here is the full list of award winners:

Al Este Official Competition

Best Film
Wet Sand [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Elene Naveriani
scheda film] - Elene Naveriani (Switzerland/Georgia)

Special Mention
Wood and Water [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
scheda film] - Jonas Bak (Germany)

Al Este Travelling Competition

Best Film
A Night of Knowing Nothing [+leggi anche:
recensione
intervista: Payal Kapadia
scheda film] - Payal Kapadia (France/India)

Special Mentions
Vida férrea - Manuel Bauer (Peru)
El film justifica los medios - Juan Jacobo del Castillo (Colombia)

Emerging Peru Competition

Best Film
Piano - Mariana Osores (Peru)

Special Mentions
El último semestre - Roberto Flores (Peru)
Hacedores de memorias - Luis Ramos (Peru)

ExperimentAlEste Competition

Best Film
Terxilio - María Pía Ramirez Ortiz (Peru)

Special Mention
La última pieza - Silvana Alarcón (Peru)

Other awards

Press Award for Best Film
Mutzenbacher [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Ruth Beckermann
scheda film] - Ruth Beckermann (Austria)
Special Mention
The Line [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Ursula Meier
scheda film] - Ursula Meier (Switzerland/France/Belgium)

APRECI Award for Best Film
Mutzenbacher - Ruth Beckermann
Special Mention
Gentle [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: László Csuja e Anna Nemes
scheda film] - Anna Eszter Nemes, László Csuja (Hungary/Germany)