Jacqueline Lentzou’s Moon, 66 Questions won the New Visions Award and the Golden Puffin at the Reykjavik International Film Festival (RIFF), which closed its 18^th edition on October 10^th. The Golden Puffin is the main prize at RIFF, given to the “Discovery of the Year”, as selected by an international jury. This year, after consideration of an eight-strong shortlist, the prize went to French-Greek filmmaker Jacqueline Lentzou’s for her film Moon, 66 Questions.

“It is a film that paints a multilayered and intriguing tapestry of love and reconciliation, of secrets and painful truths, of family bonds and a hard-earned freedom,” the international jury said motivating the prize. “It is a film that is not afraid to take risks, that is as subtle as it is heartfelt, directed with a distinct vision and brought to life by performances that are honest, brave and moving. “

The Jury was comprised of Danish actress Trine Dyrholm, Head of Programming at the Thessaloniki film festival Yorgos Krassakopoulos, Icelandic director Gagga Jóns, Icelandic actress and writer Anita Briem and Icelandic producer Gísli Örn Garðarsson. The focus of the New Visions Award is on young filmmakers.

 “I think it is very important to support first and second features and I am very curious to see the new voices of filmmaking: Where is tomorrow’s filmmaking at?” said jury member Dyrholm, who was also at RIFF presenting her new film Margrete – Queen of the North in which she plays the lead. “Often when I am in juries like at the festival in Venice, it is not the first or second features that are selected for the main prize and I like that this is the case at RIFF.”

There were eight titles in the competition for the Golden Puffin Award in the main New Visions section which is intended for the directors’ first or second films. Andreas Fontana’s Azor, Alexandre Koberidze’s What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?, Jacqueline Lentzou’s Moon, 66, Vincent Le Port’s Bruno Reidal, Confessions of a Murderer, Nathalie Alvarez Mesén Clara Sola, Thomas Daneskov Wild Men, Nana Mensah Queen of Glory and Dina Duma’s Sisterhood.

The jury decided to give special mention to Clara Sola and Wild Men.

“The level is very high,” said Trine Dyrholm of the eight filmmakers presented in competition for the main prize. “Every film has a strong director and visually they are very interesting. It was not an easy decision to choose one film but I think we picked the right one.”

RIFF was founded in 2004. So this year marked the 18^h edition. The festival prides itself on being a low-key and unpretentious affair that focuses on up-and-coming filmmakers.

“Reykjavik is a young trendy city and thus the focus on young, vibrant and progressive filmmakers is a perfect fit,” says director and founder Hrönn Marinósdóttir. “It fits the cultural strategy of the city and it is very relaxed.”

Among the previous winners of the festival’s main award, the Golden Puffin are Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012), Uberto Pasolini, Still Life (2013) and Chloé Zhao The Rider (2017).