Mijke De Jong during the presentation of his film at Cines Babel during the Humans Fest
The Valencia International Film and Human Rights Festival, Humans Fest, organized by Fundación por la Justicia since 2009, has closed its 13th edition with its corresponding awards gala, in which Mijke De Jong y Roser Corella have been winners of the Official Section from feature films. The event took place on the night of Saturday, June 18 at the MuVIM, where nearly 200 people from the cultural and social sphere gathered to accompany the presentation of the awards.
ABOUT THE WINNERS IN FEATURE FILMS
Mijke De Jong, of Dutch origin, has been awarded multiple awards as a director, screenwriter and producer. She has more than 20 films on her resume and is especially known for films like bluebird (2004), Friar (2014), Layla M. (2016) and God Only Knows (2019). In Humans Fest he has participated with Along the way, which tells the story of two 19-year-old Afghan sisters who lose their family on the border between Turkey and Iran and, from there, face tough decisions.
“I wanted to portray their story as migrants, but also as young people simply, with their aspirations and their doubts, as we all have been, so that we can identify with them and empathize better,” explains De Jong, who has not been able to be present tonight because she is immersed in a casting process for her next job.
Specifically, the jury in this category has highlighted De Jong's proposal “for its narrative structure, which combines documentary elements with a fictional story; by the construction of characters, played by non-professional actors and actresses who, in many cases, recreate situations that they have personally experienced; and for the values it transmits, related to the critical situation that the migrant population is going through.”
For its part, Roser Corella, who currently resides in Berlin, was also unable to attend due to work reasons. She began her career as a journalist for Catalan television, but her interest in the human stories behind global problems prompted her to self-produce in the documentary field, where she has excelled. In fact, their works machine man (2011), Prisoners of Kanun (2014) or Grab and run (2017) have been screened around the world.
At Humans Fest, Roser Corella has projected Room without a view, a documentary that addresses the slavery of foreign domestic workers in Lebanon, a situation that highlights how capitalism intersects with gender, class, and people's origins. “I would like to thank the festival for creating a space for debate around the working conditions of domestic and care workers not only in Lebanon, but also in Spain,” says the director.
Majo Siscar, director of Humans Fest, together with Roser Corella during her visit to Valencia
OFFICIAL SHORT FILM SECTION
The award to Best Fiction Short Film has fallen into All nights, directed by Latifa Said. Addressing the complex universe of migrations from a feminine perspective, delving into the conflicts of migrant women who are forced to practice prostitution and incorporating the difficulty of conciliation have been determining aspects for the jury.
On the other hand, Miragesof Alfonso Palazón, has been the Best Documentary Short Film. This is a work that collects the testimony of several refugees, who talk about their situation, their unfulfilled projects and their dreams.
RECOGNITIONS IN VALENCIAN KEY
The Official Section of Humans Fest includes two awards for Valencian creations. Thus, the award to Best Valencian Short Film has been awarded to Ecoutez-Moiof Paula Armijo, “for the intensity of a real testimony that demonstrates the hardness that many women live in the shadows, without future or present, without hope; and for all those abused and mistreated,” in the words of the jury. For his part, the Best Valencian Short Film Script has been for Table for 3of Alvaro G. Company y Meka Ribera, a work that denounces human selfishness and the poor distribution of resources through satire.
THE RECOGNITION OF THE YOUNGEST TALENT
Traditionally, Humans Fest has had the “1 minute, 1 right” section. Given that the thematic axis of 2022 has been migrations and refuge, the festival organization has proposed the category “1 minute, 1 border”, in which the students of Comenius Center Educatiu have participated. Among all the proposals received, which have been screened before each Official Section showing, the festival public has decided by popular vote that the award goes to white liesof Mario Lledó Climent.
SPECIAL MENTIONS
This year, three works from different categories have received special mentions. This has been the case of the Valencian short film The whore's chair, by Mar Navarro, “for the staging, the complexity of the theme and the sisterhood between women in an environment hostile to themselves”; the fiction short film Casablanca to return, by Pedro Sara, “for offering an integrative message about relationships between people regardless of their origin”; and the documentary feature film Parallel 35º 50', by Sergio Rodrigo Ruiz, “to remind us that the Spanish government must ensure compliance with Human Rights and international asylum and refuge standards.”
The jury of the 13th edition of Humans Fest has been made up of 20 professionals from the cinematographic and social field: Lina Badenes, Eduardo Guillot, Angela Nzambi, Fran Ruvira, Laura Garcia Andreu, Raúl Riebenbauer, Eileen Truax, Javier Vilalta, Asaari Bibang, Rosana Pastor, Lucila Roal, Freddy Mas, Déborah Ekoka, Miquel Ramos, Elena Belenguer, Paloma Chen, Giovanna Ribes, Elena Escura, Juanjo Moscardó and Ana Ramón Rubio.
AN EDITION OF QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE GROWTH
Humans Fest has screened more than 60 films and documentaries in its 13th edition, which was held from June 9 to 18. In addition, in these ten days, multiple activities have been held in which 30 diverse social entities have collaborated and a total of 55 activists have participated. Likewise, the festival has completed its program with an exhibition of photojournalism against hate speech, a work carried out by Ruido Photo and Revista 5W. Among the new features this year, the free “al fresco” sessions that have been organized for citizens in the neighborhoods of Patraix, Nazaret and Orriols have also stood out.
Screening of the European premiere “La Pampa” in the fresh session of Humans Fest in Orriols
The Humans Fest festival, organized by Fundación por la Justicia since 2009, has held its 13th edition thanks to the support of the Generalitat Valenciana, the Valencia City Council, the Valencian Provincial Council and Caixa Popular; as well as a large team of volunteers. À Punt, the Valencian regional radio and television station, is the official media of the festival.