Monos by Alejandro Landes wins Transilvania Trophy at TIFF gala

The Colombian movie "Monos" by Alejandro Landes won the Transilvania Trophy at the TIFF gala on Saturday night at the National Theatre of Cluj-Napoca. 

The prize worth of EUR 15,000 awards a story of eight teenagers members of a guerilla ring with their hostage hiding in the mountains. The accidental killing of their precious cow dubbed Shakira unleashes a bloody fight for survival. 

The artistic director of the festival Mihai Chirilov spoke about the fact that currently too much politics is brought about. In context, he asserted that the competition's selection was about movies making cinema, and not politics. 
"I believe it is important, they talk about relationships, they talk about us," Chirilov stressed. 

The excellence prize went to actor Marcel Iures. 

The gala first prize was handed by the French Ambassador to Romania Michele Ramis. 

"Thank you, TIFF, for placing France in the spotlight through sections dedicated to Michel Gondry and Agnes Varda, along concerts and masterclasses," the French diplomat emphasised. 

Here are the TIFF 2019 prizes as they were awarded: 

The Francophone Youth Jury Award: "Trecut prin foc / Passed through the fire", by Frederic Tellier 

Special mentions "Alex. Leo Serban": Alex Bogdan and Iosif Prodan 

"Alex. Leo Serban" scholarship: "Il Bel Canto" documentary project by Lina Vdovii and Radu Ciorniciuc 

Transilvania Pitch Stop prizes : the projects "Oceans" by Eva Pervolovici, "Carbon" by Ion Bors, "Between Two Dawns" by Selman Necar, "Spas" by Maksym Nakonechnyi; special mention to "Athlete". 

Eurimages Coproduction Development Award: "Democracy, Work in Progress" by Mihaly Schwechtje 

FIPRESCI Prize: "Ora de religie/Clergy" by Wojciech Smarzowski 

Shortest shortfilm in "Umbre/Shadoes" section: "Roata" / "The Wheel" by Carlos Baena; special mention: "Corbii" / Ravens" by Tom de Ville 

Public's Prize: "Copilul problema/System Crasher" by Nora Fingscheidt 

Public's Prize for most popular film at section "Romanian Film Days": "Morometii 2" by Stere Gulea 

"Romanian Film Days" Prize for shortfilm: "Opinci/Peasant sandals" by Anton and Damian Groves 

Romanian Film Days' mentions of the jury for shortfilm: "Telefonul / The phone" by Anca Damian, and "Minion" by Anghel Damian 

Romanian Film Days' Prize for Debut: "Monstri / Monsters" by Marius Olteanu 

Romanian Film Days' special mention: "Timebox" by Nora Agapi 

Romanian Film Day's Prize for feature: "Arest" by Andrei Cohn 

Best performance prize: Ingvar Sigurdsson for "A White, White Day" 

Jury Special Prize: "Un om fidel/ A Faithful Man" by Louis Garrel 

The Festival's Excellence Prize: Marcel Iures 

All Career Prize: Oana Paunescu 

Prize for Directing: May-El-Toukhy for "Dama de cupa/ Queen of Hearts". 

"Transilvania" Trophy: "Monos" by Alejandro Landes 

The Transilvania International Film Festival TIFF 2019 closes on Sunday.