Carlos Saiz’s ‘Lionel’ Wins Top Prize at Transilvania Film Festival

Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saiz took home the top prize Saturday at the Transilvania Intl. Film Festival, as the jury awarded the first-time director the Transilvania Trophy for “Lionel,” a drama about a young man who embarks on a journey with his father, attempting to repair a relationship marked by years of absence and misunderstanding.

Accepting the award on stage at the historic National Theater in Cluj, Saiz said: “This is a film about family and second chances, but above all, it is a film that brings to the forefront people whose stories rarely make it to the screen. Thank you for helping us give them visibility and for honoring them with this award.”

The main competition jury was comprised of veteran Irish actor Aidan Gillen (“Game of Thrones”); Romanian filmmaker Noaz Deshe (“Xoftex”); Polish distributor, producer and festival founder Roman Gutek; Netherlands Film Fund CEO Sandra den Hamer; and Serbian Romanian filmmaker Ivana Mladenović (“Sorella di Clausura”).

In other awards, the prize for best director went to Greek filmmaker Konstantina Kotzamani for “Titanic Ocean,” a fantastical pop odyssey about adolescence, love and the freedom to imagine other worlds that premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The Special Jury Award went to “Our Father,” by Serbia’s Goran Stanković, about a drug addict who falls under the harsh guidance of an abusive priest at a remote monastery commune.

The best performance award went to the entire cast of Muriel d’Ansembourg’s “Truly Naked” — Caolán O’Gorman, Andrew Howard, Alessa Savage and Safiya Benaddi — for a film that explores vulnerability, intimacy and the ways people try to reconnect with one another.

In the Romanian Days competition, the award for best feature film went to “Y,” directed by Maria Popistașu and Alex Baciu, which delves into a dark and largely unexplored chapter in Romania’s recent past. The award for best debut went to Cristian Bota’s “Back and Forth,” about a young actor who’s forced to confront the past while traveling with his authoritarian father.

A special mention from the Romanian Days jury went to Valeriu Andriuță’s “The Circle,” while the section’s award for best short film went to “County Captain,” by director Dan Panaet.

In the What’s Up, Doc? section, the top prize went to “Memory,” by Vladlena Sandu, a deeply personal hybrid documentary in which the filmmaker revisits her childhood experiences during the Chechen War and the traces they have left on the present. The film, which won the People’s Choice Award in the Venice Days sidebar of last year’s Venice Film Festival, continues a torrid streak that includes a jury prize at the Marrakech Film Festival and the best feature award at SXSW London.

A special mention from the What’s Up, Doc? jury went to “Variations on a Theme,” from South African directing duo Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar, a docuficton about a rural community burdened by history which won the Tiger Competition at Rotterdam this year.

Lastly, Hungarian filmmaker Gábor Holtai won the audience award for the dramatic thriller “Feels Like Home,” while “Wild Delta,” from director Dan Dinu, was named the most popular Romanian film in the festival.

In other highlights from Saturday’s closing ceremony, the TIFF.25 Trophy — a special award handed out in honor of the festival’s 25th anniversary — was given to Corneliu Porumboiu, one of the leading figures of the Romanian New Wave.

The Transilvania Intl. Film Festival runs June 12 – 21.