The competition winners of the tenth annual Glasgow Short Film Festival have been announced.
At a packed ceremony at the city’s newest venue, Joytown Grand Electric Theatre, it was revealed that Jasper Coppes’s Flow Country was named winner of the Scottish Short Film Award, sponsored by Blazing Griffin. The Dutch-born filmmaker, a former student at Glasgow School of Art, uses 16mm film as a visual fieldwork notebook to survey the layers of past and present in the stark landscape of the far north of Scotland.
In a good year for filmmakers from the Netherlands, the prestigious Bill Douglas Award For International Short Film was won by Douwe Dijkstra’s Green Screen Gringo, a mixtape-portrait of modern day Brazil seen through the eyes of a foreign visitor.
Both awards were chosen by a jury of industry professionals including last year’s Bill Douglas Award and International Audience Award winner Anwar Boulifa, Nita Deda, Director of Kosovo’s largest cultural event, the International Documentary and Short Film Festival Dokufest, and the Australian critic, broadcaster and programer Tara Judah.
Of Coppe’s film, the jury said: The unique mix of unworldly sounds and the stark imagery, beautifully captured by an observing, probing camera inspires a sense of wonder and a new vision of the Scottish Highlands. They gave a Special Mention to Tuesday by Charlotte Wells. Of Dijkstra’s film, the jury said: The filmmaker’s position as tourist in a complicated political landscape shows great honesty as it highlights themes of displacement, resistance, inequality and echoes of colonialism. The innovative use of the green screen playfully and astutely communicates the grand narrative of Brazil’s turbulent recent events whilst highlighting the persistence of its complex history. A Special Mention went to Maria by Jamie Habac Jr (Philippines).
2017 saw inaugural sponsorships of the Scottish Competition by digital entertainment group Blazing Griffin, whilst MUBI and The Criterion Collection supported the International and Scottish Audience Awards respectively.
The GSFF audience cast their votes for Axel Danielson and Maximilien Van Aertryck’s dissection of fear and courage Ten Metre Tower as winner of the International Audience Award. The Scottish Audience Award went to Robin Haig’s hip-shaking comedy of liberation Hula, starring Blyth Duff.
The winner of the inaugural GSFF Production Attic Short Film Pitch was John McFarlane for Tony and the Bull.
Glasgow Short Film Festival Director Matt Lloyd said: “Every year one or two nationalities seem to shine out in our selection – this year it’s undoubtedly the Netherlands, with five productions in international competition and one co-production in the Scottish competition. And our jury has confirmed that by awarding our top prizes to two of those films. We’re delighted for Douwe and Jasper and send them heartfelt congratulations!”
Glasgow Short Film Festival will return in March 2018.