By Variety
November 24, 2021
Bettina Perut and Iván Osnovikoff’s project “La Casa” won the IDFA Forum Award for Best Pitch on Wednesday at the 34th edition of the Amsterdam-based documentary festival.
A co-production between Chile and Germany – and currently in production – the film will focus on a time when a social revolt in Chile is unleashed and a global pandemic forces people into confinement. As the attention shifts toward the inside of a house, an unexpected multidimensional universe is revealed.
“The award goes to a project that presents a unique perspective of an isolated space in a multifaceted form with nuanced sensory perception, though diverse visual and sound elements,” jurors Jorge Caballero Ramos and Zane Balčus said.
“The seclusion becomes a background for exploration of the many layers of relationships: with one another, the nature, the neighborhood and the current social and political context of the contemporary world.”
“La Casa” is produced by the directors for Perut + Osnovikoff Ltd., and financed by CORFO, Fondo Fomento Audiovisual and Market Chile.
Anna Shishova-Bogolubova’s “The New Greatness” was also noticed, picking up the IDFA Forum Award for Best Rough Cut. A co-production between Russia’s Ethnofund, Finland’s IV Films, Norway’s Piraya Film AS and Croatia’s Nukleus Film, it was described by the jury as a project that represents the personal struggle of individuals against repressive power. In this case, Putin’s regime, “doing everything” to crush the young, the free-thinking and the honest.
“Through closely observing the characters, the film becomes not just a testimony of events, but turns into an important tool to speak up and disclose the injustice and violation of human rights,” it was argued.
Finally, the DocLab Forum Award went to “Continuum VR” by Daniela Maldonado, Tomas Espinosa and Paula Gempeler, an invitation to immerse oneself in the lives and territories of six transgender women sex workers.
“The project we would like to commend is one that centers on creative collaboration and celebrates lives that continue to be marginalized and denied. Through the presence and communion of VR, the project shows much potential to change perspectives and we hope this support can elevate their performative ambitions in future creative exhibition,” said jurors Anna Desponds, Luke W. Moody and Monique Simard about this co-production between Colombia’s Aroa Studio and France’s CANVAR.
Each award includes a cash prize of €1,500. IDFA will conclude its 34th in person edition on Nov. 28.
IDFA Forum Awards
IDFA Forum Award for Best Pitch: “La Casa” by Bettina Perut and Iván Osnovikoff
IDFA Forum Award for Best Rough Cut: “The New Greatness” by Anna Shishova-Bogolubova
DocLab Forum Award: “Continuum VR” by Daniela Maldonado, Tomas Espinosa and Paula Gempeler
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