The winners of the 2022 Berlin International Film Festival were announced at the Сlosing Gala Awards Ceremony last night. A total of 256 features, shorts and documentary films were screened during this year’s festival which ran from January 10^th to February 16th. Apart from the main competition, the festival program included many films of diverse genres and various formats, representing an extraordinary selection of cinematic styles.

Films in competition consisted of 18 films from 15 countries, including works from France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the US, Indonesia, South Korea, China and Canada. Most of the directors whose films were included in the main competition had participated at Berlinale in previous years. The screenings themselves will continue for another four days, reaching out to a wider audience in the German capital’s cinemas.

The competition jury, led by president M. Night Shyamalan, included filmmakers Karim Aïnouz, Anne Zohra Berrached and Tsitsi Dangarembga, director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (Golden Globe winner of Drive My Car), producer Saïd Ben Saïd, and actor Connie Nielsen, who announced the festival winners at the Closing Ceremony.

Berlinale’s top prize, the Golden Bear for Best Film, was awarded to Spanish drama Alcarràs, directed by Carla Simon. The winning film tells the story of a family of farmers who have grown peaches for 80 years in the small village of Alcaraz in Catalonia. Their lives change dramatically when the owner of their estate dies and his heir decides to sell everything at auction and cut down the peach trees to install solar panels in their place. The large family gathers together to harvest the peaches for the last time and say goodbye to the land that has been theirs for generations.

 

The Jury Grand Prix was presented by director Ryusuke Hamaguchi to The Novelist’s Film (So-seol-ga-ui Yeong-hwa, South Korea) directed by Hong Sang-soo. The film’s main character is a writer who is going through a creative crisis, and after meeting with a famous actress who has also fallen upon hard times, decides to make a film.

The Silver Bear for Best Screenplay was awarded to Laila Stieler for Rabye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush directed by Andreas Dresen. Actress Meltem Kaptan, who stars in the film, was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance, and gave a touching speech “for all the mothers whose love is stronger than any boundaries.”

French screenwriter and film director Claire Denis won the Best Director award for Both Sides of the Blade, and the Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance went to actress Laura Basuki for her role in Nana (Before, Now, & Then) directed by Camila Andini. A Special Mention by the jury went to the film Piece of the Sky directed by Michael Koch.

The full list of winners:

 

Golden Bear for Best Film: Alcarràs, Carla Simón

Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize: The Novelist’s Film, Hong Sang-soo 

Silver Bear Jury Prize: Robe of Gems, Natalia Lopez Gallardo

Silver Bear for Best Director: Claire Denis, Both Sides of the Blade

Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance: Meltem Kaptan, Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush

Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance: Laura Basuki, Nana (Before, Now & Then)

Silver Bear for Best Screenplay: Laila Stieler, Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush

Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution: Everything Will Be OK, Rithy Panh

Special Mention: A Piece of Sky, Michael Koch

 

ENCOUNTERS JURY AWARDS

Best Film: “Mutzenbacher,” Ruth Beckermann

Best Director: Cyril Schäublin, Unrest

Special Jury Award: See You Friday, Robinson, Mitra Farahani

 

DOCUMENTARY JURY AWARDS

Berlinale Documentary Award: Myanmar Diaries, The Myanmar Film Collective

Special Mention: No U-Turn, Ike Nnaebue

 

GWFF JURY AWARD

Best Debut Feature: Sonne, Kurdwin Ayub

 

SHORT FILM AWARDS

Golden Bear for Best Short Film: Trap, Anastasia Veber

Silver Bear (Jury Prize): Sunday Morning, Bruno Ribeiro

Special Mention: Bird in the Peninsula, Atsushi Wada

 

Awards in other sections of the festival include:

 

GENERATION KPLUS AWARDS

Crystal Bear (Children’s Jury Award) for Best Film: Comedy Queen, Sanna Lenken

Special Mention: The Quiet Child, Colm Bairéad

Crystal Bear (Children’s Jury Award) for Best Short Film: Spotless, Emma Branderhorst

Special Mention: Luce and the Rock, Britt Raes

International Jury Award for Best Film: The Quiet Child, Colm Bairéad

Special Mention: Shabu, Shamira Raphaëla

International Jury Award for Best Short Film: Deer, Hadi Babaeifar

Special Mention: Vancouver, Artemis Anastasiadou

 

GENERATION 14PLUS AWARDS

Crystal Bear (Youth Jury Award) for Best Film: Alis, Clare Weiskopf, Nicolas van Hemelryck

Special Mention: Stay Awake, Jamie Sisley

Crystal Bear (Youth Jury Award) for Best Short Film: Born in Damascus, Laura Wadha

Special Mention: Nothing to See Here, Nicolas Bouchez

International Jury Award for Best Film: (tied) Kind Hearts, Olivia Rochette, Gerard-Jan Claes; Skhema, Farkhat Sharipov

International Jury Award for Best Short Film: Goodbye Jérôme!, Adam Sillard, Gabrielle Selnet, Chloé Farr

Special Mentions: Blue Noise, Simon Maria Kubiena; Tinashé, Tig Terara