The Results of the Marbella International Film Festival
The Marbella International Film Festival has just ended. The festival took place between October 10th and 14th in Marbella — the Beautiful Sea of Spain.. This year the international talent came from all corners of the world: from the Americas to the Middle East. Cinema, visual and performance art were all represented by the Egyptians, English, Lebanese, and Americans. The Marbella Festival also brings together the commercial world of entrepreneurs, financiers and sponsors including Red Rock Entertainment.
Since the festival lasted several days, there were many other events that entertained the guests. These were film premieres and special screenings, music and dance performances, art exhibitions, workshops and lectures from the industry experts (such as Steven Berkoff talking about acting and Garry Collins explaining the financial side of the film industry on the example of Red Rock Entertainment Ltd). Since 2006, the Marbella Film Festival is held annually and is a much-anticipated event at the Marbella social calendar.
The unofficial motto of the Marbella’s Festival is “no boundaries for the talented”, the winners this year also come from all corners of the world. They did not come as a surprise for the attendees since the impeccable work of actors, directors, and the crew was highly praised even during the pres-screenings held throughout the summer.
BEST DIRECTOR
Nominees:
- Stephen Cookson for Tell Tale Heart
- David LG Hughes for Of Gods & Warriors
- Tony Farjallah for Morine
Genre: Drama
Country: Lebanon
Language: Arabic
Year: 2018
Director: Tony Farjallah
Film length: 17 mins
Synopsis: North Lebanon, the year is 620 A.D. This is the man world. And only men have the right to living with God while for women it remains one of the most unreachable dreams. However, a stubborn 20-year-old revolutionary girl breaks the natural order of things. The film tells about the consequences she faced for her bravery.
BEST ACTRESS
Nominees
- Catia Ojeda for Closure
- Candela Gomez for Solo!
- Anna Demetriou for Of Gods & Warriors
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Language: English
Year: 2018
Director: Alex Goldberg
Film length: 90 mins
Synopsis: Closure is a story of a lonely woman — Nina. The black bar comes to Nina’s life. Her relationship ends. Her mother dies. Her sister is lost. In all that chaos and sorrow, she gets herself together and flies to Los Angeles to find the only person who is still her family — the sister.
BEST ACTOR
Nominees:
- Steven Berkoff for Tell Tale Heart
- Matt Godbey for It Followed Me Here
- Damian Chapa for Luz
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English
Year: 2018
Director: Stephen Cookson
Film length: 80 mins
Synopsis: There were many interpretations of Edgar Allan Poe’s original Tell Tale Heart, yet it’s only Stephen Cookson and Red Rock Entertainment script managed to twirl the story into something truly horrific. The film is based on the book completely but the ‘vulture’ eye of Steven Berkoff as a servant who plots to murder his master has opened the book from a completely new angle.
BEST SHORTER SHORT FILM
Nominees:
- College of Girls
- Trigger Finger
- Destiny’s Strings
Genre: Drama
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English
Year: 2018
Director: Nick Nevern
Film length: 16 mins
Synopsis: What could have happened to a 12-year-old Jordan who just went out to join the other kids for a football game? That moment the young boy had no idea about the upcoming devastating events that were only to happen. The film is an honest yet very brutal portrayal of bullying and kids abuse that happens on the inner streets of London.
BEST SHORT FILM
Nominees:
- Daniela
- Real Family
- Easy Way Out
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Language: English
Year: 2017
Director: Jeffery T. Schultz
Film length: 17 mins
Synopsis: There is no easy way out of the loft that is still played to be a re-imagined turn-of-the-century home for Martin and Kaitlin. They are hopelessly trying to reinvent their relationship. But the attempts are futile. However, Kaitlin leaves her husband after a 12-year marriage to join the boiling life of a younger lover. But don’t judge her right now. Watch the film to see the true reasons for such a story.
BEST FEATURE FILM
Nominees:
- Gloves Off
- Solo!
- Morine
Genre: Comedy
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English (Spanish Subtitles)
Year: 2018
Director: Nic Cornwall
Film length: 100 mins
Synopsis: A colourful band in a picturesque Spanish village and a young Englishman: what can they have in common? The latter comes to the villages to reform the band and sees only the devastation coupled with character. While everything seems to go fine, the band finds out that it was Englishman’s dad who ruined the village in the first place.
BEST NEWCOMER
Nominees:
- Buddy Skelton for Trigger Finger
- Andrea Martinez for Shadow
- Youssef Athache for Destiny’s Strings
Genre: Drama
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English (Spanish subtitles)
Year: 2017
Director: Paul Shammasian
Film length: 16 mins
Synopsis: A young girl is creating an abstract piece of art. A hard work and the process put her almost on the verge of a breakdown. And this is the moment when she reaches out to a young man who is concerned about her health.
