The thriller Caini (Dogs), directed by Romanian Bogdan Mirica, is the big winner of this year’s Transylvania Film Festival (TIFF) organized in Cluj-Napoca between May 27 and June 5. The movie won the Transylvania Trophy and a cash prize of EUR 15,000.

In May, Caini also received the FIPRESCI award of the international film critics in the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section. The festival announced its winners on May 22, with Romanian Cristian Mungiu and Frenchman Olivier Assayas sharing the Best Director award.

At TIFF, the Best Directing Award went to Israeli Avishai Sivan for Tikkun. This included a EUR 1,500 check.

The Special Jury Award of EUR 1,500 was won by Icelandic director Rúnar Rúnarsson’s Sparrows, and the EUR 1,000 Best Performance Award went to David D’Ingeo for his role in De l'ombre il y a (Where there is Shade).

Neon Bull, directed by Brazilian Gabriel Mascaro, won the FIPRESCI Prize offered by The International Federation of Film Critics for a film in Animal section, and The Open Door/ La Puerta Abierta, directed by Argentinian Marina Seresesky, won the Audience Award.

Famous Italian actress Sophia Lauren received the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s TIFF. Orosz Lujza, a well-known actress of Cluj's Hungarian State Theatre, also got a Lifetime Achievement Award while Romanian actress Carmen Galin received the Excellence Award. Moreover, the Special Award for the Contribution to the World Cinema went to British producer Iain Smith.

Romanian director Cristi Puiu, who also competed at this year’s Cannes Festival with his drama Sieranevada, won the Special award – Transylvania 15 Trophy.

Ultima zi (The Last Day), by Gabriel Achim, won the Romanian Days Award for Best Feature Film, in amount of EUR 6.000 (in post-production services), and Ion Indolean got the Romanian Days Award for Best Debut, and a check of EUR 1,000. Also, O noapte în Tokoriki (A Night in Tokoriki) directed by Roxana Stroe won the Romanian Days Award for Best Short Film, cashing in EUR 1,500.

TIFF announced its winners during a gala organized at the National Theater in Cluj-Napoca on June 4. See the entire list of winners here.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: TIFF on Facebook)