The winners for the virtual 2021 Berlin International Film Festival have been revealed, and Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude’s satire “Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn” received the Golden Bear for best film. The competition jury celebrated the film as “a rare and essential quality of a lasting art work,” adding in a statement, “It captures on screen the very content and essence, the mind and body, the values and the raw flesh of our present moment in time. Of this very moment of human existence.”
This year’s Berlinale competition jury was made up of six former winners of the festival’s top prize, the Golden Bear: “There is No Evil” director Mohammad Rasoulof, “Synonyms” filmmaker Nadav Lapid, “Touch Me Not” helmer Adina Pintilie, “On Body and Soul” director Ildiko Enyedi, “Fire at Sea” filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi, and “Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams” director Jasmila Zbanic.
The Silver Bear for Best Director was awarded to Dénes Nagy for the Hungarian World War II drama “Natural Light.” The jury said in a statement: “Appalling and beautifully shot, mesmerizing images, remarkable direction and a masterful control of every aspect of the craft of filmmaking, a narration that transcends its historical context. A portrait of war in which the observant gaze of the director reminds us again of the need to choose between passivity and taking individual responsibility.”
Below is the full list of competition winners for the 2021 Berlin International Film Festival:
Golden Bear
“Bad Luck Banging Or Loony Porn,” dir: Radu Jude
Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize
“Wheel Of Fortune And Fantasy,” dir: Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Silver Bear Jury Prize
Maria Speth, “Mr Bachmann And His Class”
Silver Bear For Best Director
Dénes Nagy, “Natural Light”
Silver Bear Best Leading Performance
Maren Eggert, “I’m Your Man”
Silver Bear Best Supporting Performance
Lilla Kizlinger, “Forest – I See You Everywhere”
Silver Bear Best Screenplay
Hong Sangsoo, “Introduction”
Silver Bear Outstanding Artistic Contribution
Yibrán Asuad for the editing of “A Cop Movie”
And here are the winners for the Encounters section:
Best Film
“We,” dir: Alice Diop
Special Jury Award
“Taste,” dir: Lê Bảo
Best Director – Tie
Ramon Zürcher, Silvan Zürcher for “The Girl And The Spider”
Denis Côté for “Social Hygiene”
Special Mention
“Rock Bottom Riser,” dir: by Fern Silva
This year’s Berlinale competition jury was made up of six former winners of the festival’s top prize, the Golden Bear: “There is No Evil” director Mohammad Rasoulof, “Synonyms” filmmaker Nadav Lapid, “Touch Me Not” helmer Adina Pintilie, “On Body and Soul” director Ildiko Enyedi, “Fire at Sea” filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi, and “Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams” director Jasmila Zbanic.
The Silver Bear for Best Director was awarded to Dénes Nagy for the Hungarian World War II drama “Natural Light.” The jury said in a statement: “Appalling and beautifully shot, mesmerizing images, remarkable direction and a masterful control of every aspect of the craft of filmmaking, a narration that transcends its historical context. A portrait of war in which the observant gaze of the director reminds us again of the need to choose between passivity and taking individual responsibility.”
Below is the full list of competition winners for the 2021 Berlin International Film Festival:
Golden Bear
“Bad Luck Banging Or Loony Porn,” dir: Radu Jude
Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize
“Wheel Of Fortune And Fantasy,” dir: Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Silver Bear Jury Prize
Maria Speth, “Mr Bachmann And His Class”
Silver Bear For Best Director
Dénes Nagy, “Natural Light”
Silver Bear Best Leading Performance
Maren Eggert, “I’m Your Man”
Silver Bear Best Supporting Performance
Lilla Kizlinger, “Forest – I See You Everywhere”
Silver Bear Best Screenplay
Hong Sangsoo, “Introduction”
Silver Bear Outstanding Artistic Contribution
Yibrán Asuad for the editing of “A Cop Movie”
And here are the winners for the Encounters section:
Best Film
“We,” dir: Alice Diop
Special Jury Award
“Taste,” dir: Lê Bảo
Best Director – Tie
Ramon Zürcher, Silvan Zürcher for “The Girl And The Spider”
Denis Côté for “Social Hygiene”
Special Mention
“Rock Bottom Riser,” dir: by Fern Silva