On Saturday, the 24th of June, the 19th edition of Grossmann Fantastic Film and Wine Festival came to a conclusion. At the closing ceremony, the following awards were given:
HONORARY VICIOUS CAT for outstanding contribution to genre cinema
The Honorary Vicious Cat was received by director John McTiernan.
VICIOUS CAT for best feature film:
MEGALOMANIAC
Belgium; 2022
Directed by: Karim Ouelhaj
The award was received by director Karim Ouelhaj.
Best Fantastic Feature Chosen by John McTiernan
IRATI
Spain, France; 2022
Directed by: Paul Urkijo Alijo
The award was received by director Paul Urkijo Alijo.
NOISY CAT for best music documentary:
WHAT YOU COULD NOT VISUALISE: REMA-REMA
Canada; 2022
Directed by: Marco Porsia
Special Mention:
ITALO DISCO: THE SPARKLING SOUNDS OF THE 80S
Italia, Germany; 2021
Directed by: Alessandro Melazzini
SLAK'S VICIOUS CAT for best short film:
PERFECT CITY: THE MOTHER
USA, China; 2022
Directed by: Shengwei Zhou
Special Mention:
FLESH OF GOD / CARNE DE DIOS
Argentina, Mexico; 2022
Režija: Patricio Plaza
MELIES D'ARGENT, the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation award for best European fantastic short film:
SANDWICH CAT
Spain; 2022
Directed by: David Fidalgo
Special mention:
THE SABOTEUR / LE SABOTEUR
Finland; 2022
Directed by: Anssi Kasitonni
AUDIENCE AWARD for best feature film:
IRATI
Spain, France; 2022
Directed by: Paul Urkijo Alijo
The award was received by director Paul Urkijo Alijo.
VICIOUS CAT WINE CHAMPION for best wine:
PLATEIS
Sauvignon Selection 2021
The winning film of the Little Workshop of Horrors:
BEFORE THE CURTAIN / PRED ZAVESO
Slovenia; 2023
Directed by: Bernard Rebernik
Jury motivations:
VICIOUS CAT
Jury: John McTiernan, Cristoph Huber, Zoran Smiljanić
What happens when serial killer's children grow up? Will they try to live a normal life or is their father's sin irreversably burned in their blood. Is it possible to fight against it?
Answers to these numerous questions are given by this breath-taking, soul-shattering and brutal film, full of dark beauty, threatening atmosphere and profound story that successfully achieves to avoid all cliches of contemporary horror films. An instant classic and cult.
NOISY CAT
Jury: Igor Vidmar, Jordan Vudrag, Mimi Inhof
The music documentary Rema-Rema innovatively uses the Bible fable of an unknown band - the everyman - and his, in its short life overlooked innovation and inspiration, comes to life through the interviews of much more relevant protagonists of the first post-punk wave in the UK. Rema-Rema is a sincere tribute to the short, but globally significant second »big bang« of alternative popular culture.
Special mention of Noisy Cat competition goes to the documentary Italo Disco: The Sparkling Sounds of the 80s, which shows the testimonies of nearby coincidental origins and development of (Italo) disco music, which is easily recognized, and even more important, the film shows the influences of sound and vocal effects of the genre on the entire contemporary pop and electro production.
SLAK'S VICIOUS CAT
Jury: Severin Fiala, Igor Stanojević, Robbie Davidson
Through stunning stop-motion animation, the winner of the Slak’s Vicious Cat award relates a story of a rather peculiar motherhood that nonetheless communicates certain universal truths about the perils of parental intensity and the line between mothering and smothering. This jury is pleased to award the Slak’s Vicious Cat to Perfect City: The Mother by Shengwei Zhou.
Special Mention:
This hand-drawn animated rollercoaster through the psychosexual world of religious guilt at once thrills and contemplates on the folly of holding on too firmly to any supposed belief. The Special Mention of the Slak’s Vicious Cat competition goes to Flesh of God (Carne de Dios) by Patricio Gabriel Plaza.
MELIES D'ARGENT
Jury: Severin Fiala, Igor Stanojević, Robbie Davidson
The winner of the Melies d’argent award manages to effortlessly blend the absurd with the serious. It's impossible to not feel involved whilst placing yourself within the situation of saving the human race from extinction (from an Alien masquerading in the form of a cute cat with a Sandwich on its head). This jury is pleased to award the Melies d'argent to Sandwich Cat by David Fidalgo.
Special Mention:
This film manages to simultaneously display both the 'making of' and the narrative parts, with the use of split screen in a way that seems distinctly unique, highlighting what may look like primitive special effects offscreen - but onscreen the results are incredibly well executed. The Special Mention of the Melies D'argent competition goes to The Saboteur (Le Saboteur) by Anssi Kasitonni.
