International Festival Signs of the Night - Paris
Festival internatinal Signes de nuit - Paris
 

22e Festival international Signes de Nuit - Paris / 4-13 Octobre 2024
9

HOME CONCEPT SUBMISSION ARCHIVE CONTACT LAURELS



MAIN AWARD



Nightfaces

Nachtgesichter

Martin Winter, Stefan Langthaler
Austria / 2024 / 0:23:00


Mahan is a taxi driver in Vienna, but his job frustrates him. He longs for his family and a normal life. One rainy night, a homeless woman gets into his taxi. She urgently wants to see her son, whose birthday it is. Mahan tries to get rid of her and accidentally breaks her present. To make up for the damage, he takes the strange woman on one last trip through the dark city. NIGHTFACES takes place at night, when people open the door to themselves and let us look into the depths of the soul that remain hidden during the day. A psychological drama that, in all its heaviness, is intended to give a spark of hope.

 

Jury Declaration:

The Main Award goes to Nightfaces by Martin Winter and Stefan Langthaler for its compelling story, the complex characters thrown into conflict and dilemma. And of course for its brilliant acting capturing very niche and unique characters.





SIGNS AWARD


The Signs Award honors films, which treat an important subject in an original and convincing way




Cuarto de hora

 

Sebastian Arancibia
Chile / 2022 / 0:15:00


Alex (25), is a young Haitian man living in Chile who is undocumented and does not speak Spanish. After a car accident he is helped and translated by Daniela (50), a passerby with whom he is going to live what could be his last 15 minutes of life.


 

 

Jury Declaration:

The Signes Award goes to Cuarto de hora by Sebastian Arancibia as it tackles an important subject told through a setting and characters who are often overlooked in mass media concerning this topic. Tender, touching, captivating.

 



NIGHT AWARD


The Night Award honors films, which are able to balance ambiguity and complexity characterized by enigmatic mysteriousness and subtleness, which keeps mind and consideration moving



Rickshaw

 

Raphaël Hernandez
United Kingdom / 2023 / 0:08:30


Paul and his family are going for a fun rickshaw ride when a sudden surprising encounter stops them on their journey home.

FRENCH PREMIERE



 

.
Jury Declaration:

The Night Award goes to Rickshaw by Raphaël Hernandez as it is surreal. Furthermore it gave a lot of room for interpretation and left the student jury debating over and analysing this unique story for a very long time.




EDWARD SNOWDEN AWARD


The Edward Snowden Award honors films, which offer sensitive (mostly) unknown information, facts and phenomena of eminent importance, for which the festival wishes a wide proliferation in the future

.


The Night Inside

La Noche Dentro

Antonio Cuesta
Spain / 2023 / 0:23:54


Belén, a young nurse, wakes up after being attacked. She is accused of ending the life of a child after giving him medicine. But she claims she injected the right medication and that she can prove it.

PARIS PREMIERE


 

Jury Declaration:

The Edward Snowden Award goes to The Night Inside by Antonio Cuesta : A very real yet often overlooked subject of overworked healthcare workers and the dilemmas they face in their workplace is encapsulated in a gripping story. Intriguing, full of suspense, strong concept, intense, brilliantly acted and cinematography had us in the story with the characters.



JURY AWARD FOR EMONIONAL IMPACT



Patres

 

Saverio Tavano
Italy / 2023 / 0:14:20


Gianluca, blind since birth, has to face the hard fact that his devoted father, a poor fisherman, crossed to the dark side of the law in order to support him and has since fled to Santo Domingo. Devastated by his desertion, the boy dutifully waits by the sea, hands extended to the horizon, sensing for a sign of his return.

PARIS PREMIERE

 

Jury Declaration:

The Jury Special Award for Emotions is granted to Patres by Saverio Tavano. A portrayal of a relationship imbued with profound complexity. Striking in its raw simplicity as the storyline is brought to life by deeply endearing characters. The seamless weaving of music into the story further enhances the film’s emotional depth without overstating its pathos.



SPECIAL MENTION



The Shore

 

Eron Sheean
Netherlands / 2023 / 0:20:15


Inexplicably abandoned by his parents on a windswept, empty beach, a young boy embarks on a surreal journey through time – and a contemplation of ageing and his own mortality.

PARIS PREMIERE


 


Jury Declaration:

The Jury Special Award for cinematography is granted to The Shore by Eron Sheean. The black and white cinematography underlines the striking duality of life and death, capturing the essence of cinematic metaphysics and giving a thrilling experience to the audience.