9th Green Film Network Awards 2023
The Green Film Network is the most important global association of Environmental Film Festivals. Founded in 2013, it currently consists of 32 member festivals of extraordinary and international reputation.
In 2014 the Network introduced the GFN Award, honoring the most inspiring and impactful works of environmental cinema.
Nominated by the world’s leading green film festivals and selected by an international jury, they are competing for the titles of:
Best Short Green Film and Best Feature Green Film
The Excellence of all GFN Festivals!
The Awards highlight the best of all selected films of the previous GFN cycle:
each GFN member festival is eligible to propose nominees of their own annual selection; this procures a most exquisite range of diversity and represents the strength of environmental film creations from around the world.
All nominees are evaluated and the winners are elected by the multinational jury, based on the expertise of highly estimated film and
environmental professionals.
Since 2023 the annual Film Awards are based on a dedicated cooperation between IUCN CEC (International Union for Conservation of Nature – Commission on Education and Communication) together with GFN. That partnership safeguards the highest quality standards of all procedures involved and the award’s global relevance.
The GFN Award Ceremony travels the world and visits well-chosen GFN member festivals.
In previous years the GFN Award was hosted in Paris (France), Zaragoza (Spain), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), San Francisco (USA), Toronto (Canada), Seia (Portugal) and Innsbruck (Austria).
The 2023 Awards have been celebrated with a Gala on December 7th at CINE MORELOS, Cuernavaca, MEXICO.
presented by CINEMA PLANETA, Mexico’s International Film and Environment Festival.
On December 7, the Cine Morelos was transformed into a gala stage with beautiful decorations, all made from recycled materials in allusion to nature. The award ceremony was attended by distinguished guests, including Eleonora Isunza Gutiérrez, co-founder and president of the GFN and co-founder of Cinema Planeta with Gustavo Ballesté. Also in attendance were Katherine Bruce, director of Planet in Focus, Canada and member of the GFN board of directors, Ursula Parrilla, Regional Director for the Americas, Central America and the Caribbean of IUCN, among others.
Both winner films were screened during the event and delighted the audience with their unique cinematographic approach.
Proofing once and again the powerful impact of film to reach and inform global audiences and raise awareness about the conflicts that affect our world.
MEMBERS OF THE JURY 2023
JURY FEATURE FILMS
Katherine Bruce
PLANET IN FOCUS, CANADA
Valéria Burke
FILMAMBIENTE, BRAZIL
Antonio Bellia
SICILIAMBIENTE, ITALY
George Pessis
DEAUVILLE GREEN AWARDS, FRANCE
Petra Holzer
BOZCAADA INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL, TURKEY
Alberto Gutiérrez
RURAL FILMFEST, SPAIN
Jose Miguel Rueda
CINEMA PLANETA, MÉXICO
Virginie Guignard
FESTIVAL DU FILM VERT, SWITZERLAND
Lia Furxhi
CINEMAMBIENTE, ITALY
Sean Southy
Chair of IUCN CEC
Luis Alberto Camargo
Co-Chair & South America Regional Vice Chair IUCN CEC
JURY SHORT FILMS
Katherine Bruce
PLANET IN FOCUS, CANADA
Valéria Burke
FILMAMBIENTE, BRAZIL
Sheila Melosu
SICILIAMBIENTE, ITALY
Pilar Parodi
DEAUVILLE GREEN AWARDS,
FRANCE
Beyza Aksoy
BOZCAADA INTERNATIONAL
FESTIVAL, TURKEY
Jaume Quiles
RURAL FILMFEST, SPAIN
Eleonora Isunza
CINEMA PLANETA, MÉXICO
Diana Garlytska
Co-Chair & West Europe Regional
Vice Chair IUCN CEC
NOMINATIONS (10) FOR BEST FEATURE GREEN FILM
GEOGRAPHIES OF SOLITUDE
Director: Jacqueline Mills
Nominated by: PLANET IN FOCUS, CANADA
IL TEMPO DEI GIGANTI
Directors: Davide Barletti, Lorenzo Conte
Nominated by: SICILIAMBIENTE, ITALY
THE RAVEN’S TALE
Director: Michael Schlamberger
Nominated by: DEAUVILLE GREEN AWARDS, FRANCE
EDNA
Director: Ervk Rocha
Nominated by: BOZCAADA INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF TURKEY, TURKEY
GANADO O DESIERTO
Director: Francisco José Vaquero Robustillo
Nominated by: RURAL FILMFEST, SPAIN
HEROES OF THE SEA
Director: Katrin Eigendorf
Nominated by: CINEMARE, GERMANY
VENTO NA FRONTEIRA
Director: Laura Faerman, Marina Weis
Nominated by: FILMAMBIENTE, BRAZIL
EARTH PROTECTORS
Director: Anne de Carbuccia
Nominated by: CINEMAMBIENTE, ITALY
LOW-TECH
Director: Adrien Bellay
Nominated by: FESTIVAL DU FILM VERT, SWITZERLAND
SANCTORUM
Director: Joshua Gil
Nominated by: CINEMA PLANETA, MÉXICO
WINNER BEST FEATURE GREEN FILM:
SANCTORUM
Director: Joshua Gil
Nominated by: CINEMA PLANETA, MÉXICO
NOMINATIONS (8) FOR BEST SHORT GREEN FILM
NUISANCE BEAR
Directors: Jack Weisman, Gabriela Osio Vanden
Nominated by: PLANET IN FOCUS, CANADA
QUAND LES HIRONDELLES S’EN VONT
Director: Sébastien Pins
Nominated by: FILMAMBIENTE, BRAZIL
UNA VOLTA ANCORA
Director: Giulia Di Maggio
Nominated by: SICILIAMBIENTE, ITALY
THE WATER WALK
Director: Nacer Maash
Nominated by: DEAUVILLE GREEN AWARDS, FRANCE
OUR ARK
Directors: Deniz Tortum, Kathryn Hamilton
Nominated by: BOZCAADA INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF TURKEY, TURKEY
AGUAS NEGRAS
Director: Maira Bautista Neumann
Nominated by: CINEMA PLANETA, MÉXICO
ESTRELLAS DEL DESIERTO
Director: Katherina Harder Sacre
Nominated by: FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE CINE AMBIENTAL, ARGENTINA
DO YOU MISS ME?
Director: Blagota Marunovic
Nominated by: MONTENEGRO INTERNATIONAL FILM FEST, MONTENEGRO
WINNER BEST SHORT GREEN FILM:
QUAND LES HIRONDELLES S’EN VONT
(WHEN THE SWALLOWS FLY AWAY)
Director: Sébastien Pins
Nominated by: FILMAMBIENTE, BRAZIL
WINNER BEST FEATURE GREEN FILM:
SANCTORUM
Italy, Mexico, 2019, 1h23min
Directed by Joshua Gil
In a small village, on the edge of the war between the military and the cartels, a little boy escapes to the forest to plead to the gods of nature for his disappeared mother’s safe return.
Only a small rebel force known as “Sanctorum” stands in the way of an all powerful tech based company
LINK IMDB & TRAILER:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10658198/
LINK TO FACEBOOK/META:
https://www.facebook.com/Sanctorum.movie/
GFN JURY STATEMENT/S:
“Impressive cinematographic experience, powerful symbolism and magical realism, the land itself as the protagonist force in a story of injustice and war against the eternal guardians of the earth.”
“Great photography and impeccable direction, pure and hard cinematography, desolate reality of the defenders of the land, a new war for the native peoples who since the conquest continue to resist and fight battles against giants.”
This portrait is enriched with an apocalyptic fantasy that gives the film a touch of mysticism and serves as a way to escape reality through the hope of the rebirth of a different world.
LINK TO GFN ANNOUNCEMENT ON FACEBOOK/META:
https://www.facebook.com/greenfilmnet/videos/1501754357063887
WINNER BEST SHORT GREEN FILM:
QUAND LES HIRONDELLES S’EN VONT
(WHEN THE SWALLOWS FLY AWAY)
Belgium, 2021, 19min
Directed by Sébastien Pins
In a small rural village, a young boy befriends Fernand and Andrée, a farmer couple who, at 80 years old, find themselves at trouble feeding their remaining livestock.
LINK TO WEBSITE:
https://www.hirondelleslefilm.com/fr
LINK VIMEO:
Sébastien Pins about his film
https://vimeo.com/545411037/033de18f89
GFN JURY STATEMENT/S:
“A film that moves us – through longing and melancholy mixed in an extraordinary way. Timeless images that remind us of what is truly important. A film that does not pretend to be military, but puts on the table what is behind every kilo and every weight of meat consumption, far beyond the already much talked about animal abuse. Poverty, inequity, injustice and loneliness are some of the many colors of this moving short film presented in a subtle but forceful way by Sebastien Pins through the voice and eyes of a child.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF NOMINEES AND WINNERS (FEATURE FILMS) ON FACEBOOK/META:
https://www.facebook.com/greenfilmnet/videos/1501754357063887
ANNOUNCEMENT OF NOMINEES AND WINNERS (SHORT FILMS) ON FACEBOOK/META:
https://www.facebook.com/greenfilmnet/videos/342492938416688
FLTR:
Ursula Parilla/IUCN CEC Regional Director for Mexico Central America and the Caribbean
Eleonora Isunza/CINEMAPLANETA, MX and GFN Chair of Board
Katherine Bruce/PLANET IN FOCUS, CAN and GFN Member of Board
Ramón Perezgil Salcido IUCN CEC member of Council Meso and South America