In a first edition that almost never happen, and took place online amidst a global health crisis, we wanted #QueerWave2020 to serve as a strong reminder that a festival can only exist thanks to its audience. We wanted to know which films you connected with the most, which LGBTQ+ realities you thought were most worth sharing, and give a voice to your cinematic preferences. Thank you all so much, for being a part of this simple but highly symbolic act of voting for our Audience Awards, and being present as a collective during Queer Wave 2020.
We had originally planned to announce only two Audience Awards for our inaugural edition, but we thought it necessary to make slight adjustments given the love you all showed to a very special film! Here are the three winners in full:
BEST FEATURE FILM
Genderblend (2017) by Sophie Dros
This exceptionally honest documentary, about five individuals both unable and unwilling to define themselves using binary genders, serves as a necessary and universal reminder: that no matter how we may deviate from what is accepted as normal, first and foremost, we are human.
BEST SHORT FILM
The Distance Between Us and the Sky (2019) by Vasilis Kekatos
Through the serendipitous encounter between two strangers at a gas station, the first short film from Greece to win a Palme d’Or is a beautifully written and sensitively enacted piece, reminding us that intimacy can always be found even in the most unlikely places.
SPECIAL MENTION
Top 3 (2019) by Sofie Edvardsson
The sense of normalcy with which gay love is presented in Top 3 feels as fresh as queer cinema could ever hope for. Gorgeously illustrated and hilariously written, this colourful portrayal of young love breathes new life into the bittersweet complexities of human connection. Defying categorisation as either a short or a feature, we thought it important to give a Special Mention to this gem of mid-length animation, which our audiences so unanimously expressed a love for.
Queer Wave would like to congratulate this year’s winners, as well as every single one of our 25 participating titles! It was genuinely a privilege to be able to share so many diverse stories that we loved with a new audience, and to see them all being so very well received. To all participating filmmakers and to our wonderful audiences, we express our deepest gratitude. This festival could not have happened without you!
Before you go…
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