Ayşe Polat’s documentary-style conspiracy thriller, ‘In The Blind Spot’, has taken home the German Independence Award for Best Film at the 30th Oldenburg International Film Festival. The film, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year, follows a German film team shooting a documentary in a remote Kurdish village and becoming entangled in a sinister conspiracy.
The Oldenburg Festival also honored Jon Jacobs with the Best Actor award for his role as Cassian Elwes in ‘Passenger C’, which marks Elwes’ directorial debut. Additionally, Alexandrea Meyer received the Best Actress award for Truman Kewley’s horror thriller ‘Beautiful Friend’, in which she portrays the object of obsession for a violent incel played by Adam Jones.
Another notable award went to Jérôme Vandewattyne’s psychedelic drama ‘The Belgian Wave’, which won the Audacity Award for pushing the boundaries of modern cinema. The film transports viewers to the early 1990s, a time when Belgium experienced a wave of UFO sightings and was diagnosed with a collective psychosis.
Takayuki Hayashi’s ‘From Dawn Till Noon on the Sea’ received the prize for Best First Film. The drama explores the kidnapping of a young schoolgirl and its aftermath.
The winners were announced at the closing ceremony of the Oldenburg Film Festival, which was followed by the world premiere of Torsten Ruether’s boxing drama ‘Uppercut’, featuring Ving Rhames and Luise Großmann.
For the full list of winners at the 2023 Oldenburg Film Festival, see below:
– German Independence Award for Best Film: ‘In The Blind Spot’ by Ayşe Polat
– German Independence Award – Audacity Award: ‘The Belgian Wave’ by Jérôme Vandewattyne
– German Independence Award – Best Short Film: ‘When Grass Grows’ by María Monreal
– Special Mention: ‘Our Males and Females’ by Ahmad Alyaseer
– Seymour Cassel Acting Awards:
– Best Actress: Alexandrea Meyer for ‘Beautiful Friend’
– Best Actor: Jon Jacobs for ‘Passenger C’
– Hans Ohlms Prize for Best First Film: ‘From Dawn Till Noon on the Sea’ by Takayuki Hayashi
It was an exciting night for independent cinema, celebrating the creativity and talent showcased at the Oldenburg Film Festival.
