LFS grad film LEIDI wins Cannes Palme d'Or for Best Short Film, plus prizes for MR TURNER and THE SALT OF THE EARTH.

Press Release - 24/5/2014

 

London Film School graduation short LEIDI, directed by Simón Mesa Soto, wins Cannes Palme d'Or.
Prizes for Mike Leigh's MR TURNER and Juliano Ribeiro Salgado's THE SALT OF THE EARTH.


LEIDI, the London Film School graduation film of Simón Mesa Soto, was today awarded the highest honour at the Cannes Film Festival, the Palme d'Or for Best Short Film in Competition. The jury was headed by Abbas Kiarostami, supported by directors Noémie Lvovsky, Daniela Thomas, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun and Joachim Trier. Shot in Colombia, the film was edited by fellow LFS graduate Ricardo Saraiva.

MR TURNER, written and directed by LFS Chairman and graduate Mike Leigh, garnered a Best Actor award for Timothy Spall and the Vulcan Award of the Technical Artist for cinematographer Dick Pope. THE SALT OF THE EARTH, directed by LFS graduate Juliano Ribeiro Salgado alongside Wim Wenders, was awarded the Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize.

Ben Gibson, Director of the London Film School, said "The School is so proud that its newest star Simón Mesa Soto, and one who graduated a decade ago, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, and the work of our chairman and 60s graduate Mike Leigh, come together as Cannes winners. There couldn't be a better expression of our philosophy: a tradition of of innovation. Well done to them all and also our other three graduates selected for Cannes - Panos H Koutras, Newton Aduaka and Aygul Bakanova."

Panos H. Koutras's XENIA was selected for Un Certain Regard.  Newton Aduaka was selected for the tenth edition of the Cinefondation Atelier co-production showcase, with his latest feature OIL ON WATER. Aygul Bakanova, who was a participant on the Cannes Residence programme, was screening in Directors’ Fortnight, with the Nordic Film Factory short film VOID. 

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LEIDI