This year's winners at the Stockholm Film Festival

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Today, the winners from the Stockholm International Film Festival 2022 are presented. This year's big winner is the film »Holy Spider« by the Iranian-Danish-Swedish director Ali Abbasi, which takes home the Bronze Horse for Best Film and whose central figure, Mehdi Bajestani, receives the award for Best male actor for his role as the serial killer Saeed.

The award for best documentary goes to Laura Poitras for her »All the Beauty and the Bloodshed«, a portrait of star photographer Nan Goldin's tireless fight against the billionaire Sackler family, responsible for the opioid crisis in the United States. The award for Best Director is awarded to the British-Australian actor Frances O'Connor, whose directorial debut »Emily« – about Emily Brontë's life before she became known as the mysterious, and for her time, provocative author behind the classic novel »Wuthering Heights«.

Among the festival's many debutants, the young Indonesian screenwriter and director Makbul Mubarak (born 1990) also caught the jury's attention. His drama »Autobiography«, which deals with the open wounds of his homeland's violent 60s, received the award for Best Debut. The screenplay award went to the Icelandic filmmaker Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson for the coming-of-age documentary »Beautiful Beings«, which was part of this year's Spotlight: Coming of Age.

Martinique-born actor Annabelle Lengronne is awarded the Best Actress award for her role as the Ivorian Rose, in the film »Mother and Son«, who emigrates with her two sons to Paris where they have to endure racism and an increasingly absent mother. Photographer Balthazar Lab is praised for his poetic work with the photo in the film »La Jauría«, which portrays the struggles of kids in a Colombian internment camp.

The jury also chose to highlight Spanish director Pilar Palomero's film »La Maternal«, which depicts life in a foster home for teenage parents, with an Honorable mention. This year's competition jury, which consisted of actor Alexej Manvelov, film producer Erika Wasserman and director Nathalie Álvarez Mesén, as well as last year's Bronze Horse recipient - Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, as honorary chairman. This year's International critics' jury, led by the distinguished The Daily Mirror film critic and FIPRESCI vice-president Rita Di Santo, chose to award the critics' prize of the year to the Iranian drama »World War III« by Houman Seyyedi, about a poor man who is offered a chance for a better life through a position on a film shoot but then is faced with a terrible descision.

Among the short films and future film stars, director SaraKlara Hellström shined brightest in the Swedish short film competition 1 km film, where director Andé Vaara also received an Honorable mention. The actor Sara Shirpey (recently in »Spelskandalen« and soon to be in theaters with »UFO Sweden«) is named this year's Zalando Rising Star. The award for best short film goes to the film »File« by the Iranian director Sonia K. Hadad.

 

The winners at the Stockholm International Film Festival 2022

STOCKHOLM XXXIII COMPETITION
Best film: »Holy Spider« by Ali Abbasi.

Best Director: Frances O'Connor for »Emily«.

Best Debut: Makbul Mubarak for »Autobiography«.

Best Script: Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson for »Beautiful Beings«.

Best Actress: Annabelle Lengronne for »Mor och son«.

Best Actor: Mehdi Bajestani for »Holy Spider«.

Best Cinematography: Balthazar Lab for »La Jauría«.

Honorable mention: Pilar Palomero for »La Maternal«.

STOCKHOLM XXXIII DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Bästa dokumentär: »
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed« by Laura Poitras.

STOCKHOLM XXXIII SHORT FILM COMPETITION
Best Short Film: 
»File« by Sonia K. Hadad.

The International Film Critics Award, FIPRESCI
Best Film (Open Zone):
 »World War III« by Houman Seyyedi.

ZALANDO RISING STAR AWARD 2022
Sara Shirpey

1KM FILM
1KM FILM Award:
 SaraKlara Hellström.

1KM FILM Honorable mention.: André Vaara.

NIKON SHORT FILM AWARD
Mira Hilfon Liungman with her 1-minute short film »Trust«.

AUDIENCE AWARD: (TBA)
 

Read more about all the jury members here. 1 KM FILM is a short film investment aimed at promising filmmakers active in Sweden. The winner gets to make a short film that will be shown at next year's festival. 1 KM FILM is a collaboration between the Stockholm Film Festival, the Swedish Film Institute, Filmtech, Edisen, Dagsljus, Terrassen Post and Scen & Film.

The winning film »Holy Spider«, whose previous screenings during the festival have all been sold out, will have an extra screening on Sunday 20/11 at 18:00 on Sture 1.

Photo: Isa Olsson

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