’Scary Mother’, ’Dede’ sweep Beijing Film Fest awards

Films by Georgian directors swept nearly half of the awards at this year’s Beijing International Film Festival, with actors, directors and cinematographers from the country leaving the occasion with prizes.

The event’s principal award for best feature went to young filmmaker Ana Urushadze’s Locarno Film Festival-premiered drama Scary Mother.

Held just outside the capital city on Sunday, the celebratory awards ceremony saw the director collect the prize for what is her debut feature work.

The awards ceremony hosted cinema professionals and honoured guests outside Beijing on Sunday. Photo: Georgian National Film Centre.

Urushadze also collected another of the festival’s major recognition for Nata Murvanidze, the actor cast as the lead protagonist of her film.

Murvanidze was named best actress for her portrayal of a woman plunging into her passion for writing and facing pressure and confusion from her family.

Followed by around 250 million viewers on television, the awards also saw another work by a Georgian director take plaudits.

Mariam Khatchvani was revealed as best director for her story of romance and customs in Georgia’s remote mountainous Svaneti province, told through the feature Dede.

For the same film, Konstantin Mindia Esadze claimed the award for best cinematography, rounding off the Georgian representation at the festival.

For Scary Mother and Dede the latest acclaim follows prizes bestowed to their directors and actors from events including the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, known as ‘the Asian Oscars’.

Directors running for awards at the Beijing event included filmmakers Aki Kaurismaeki and Kim Nguyen.

Marking its 8th edition, the festival ran between April 15-22.