International Competition 2
As always, this year’s international competition offers a diverse range of films – twenty-seven entrants from around the world, divided into five blocks. Besides live-action and animated works, new this year is the inclusion of documentary films. As at past editions, audiences can expect a strong Czech contender.
The remarkable cinematic essay Les chenilles, which mixes a sense of longing with a forgotten past, a complicated present, and women’s themes, won the Golden Bear for Best Short Film at last year’s Berlinale. Also in 2023, the Short Film Palme d’Or at Cannes was awarded to the unusually open and provocative (self-)portrait of a generation, the Hungarian animated film 27. Bogotá Story, which was shown in Venice, is a delicate and highly personal snapshot of someone’s memory. By comparison, Spain’s Women Visiting a City, which tells the tale of three retired women who have decided to try something that they have heard people talk about all their lives – a package tour – is a wry take on the worldwide issue of mass tourism. And finally, the enchanting Swiss film Heart Fruit breaks down several relationships into smaller fragments to debunk the usual clichéd ways in which movies depict love and offer a fresh perspective on contemporary relationships.
The international jury will present one award for Best Film, which comes with a financial prize of 3,000 euros; it will also name two Special Mentions.
