Provocative Brazilian Film ‘Rule 34’ Wins the Top Prize at Locarno Film Festival
variety.comGuy Lodge Film Critic“Rule 34,” a challenging and sexually explicit film from Brazilian director Julia Murat, has emerged as the surprise winner of the Golden Leopard award at this year’s Locarno Film Festival — an edition where typically audacious and formally ambitious work dominated the program.
Marking a strong ceremony for female filmmakers, the main competition jury at the Swiss festival also handed an impressive three awards — best director and a brace of acting prizes — to gritty coming-of-age drama “I Have Electric Dreams,” an auspicious debut feature from Costa Rican writer-director Valentina Maurel.Full story to come; full list of winners below.INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONGolden Leopard for Best Film: “Rule 34,” Julia Murat Special Jury Prize: “Gigi La Legge,” Alessandro ComedinBest Director: “I Have Electric Dreams,” Valentina MaurelBest Actress: “I Have Electric Dreams,” Daniela Marín NavarroBest Actor: “I Have Electric Dreams,” Reinaldo Amien Gutiérrez CINEASTI DEL PRESENTE COMPETITIONBest Film: “Nightsiren,” Tereza NvotováBest Emerging Director: “Safe Place,” Juraj LerotićSpecial Jury Prize: “How is Katia?,” Christina TynkevichBest Actress: “How is Katia?,” Anastasia KarpenkoBest Actor: “Safe Place,” Goran MarkovićSpecial Mention: “Sister, What Grows Where Land is Sick?,” Franciska Eliassen FIRST FEATURE COMPETITIONSwatch First Feature Award: “Safe Place,” Juraj LerotićSpecial Mentions: “Love Dog,” Bianca Lucas; “De Noche Los Gatos Son Pardos,” Valentin Merz PARDI DI DOMANI SHORT FILM COMPETITIONBest Auteur Short Film: “Big Bang,” Carlos SegundoBest International Short Film: “Sovereign,” WaraRunner-up: “Neighbor Abdi,” Douwe DijkstraBest Director: “Hardly Working,” Total RefusalMedien Patent Verwaltung AG.
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