After 12 years, an Italian director has been awarded the Golden Gentian - “Gran Premio Città di Trento”, the most prestigious prize awarded by the International Jury at the 55th TrentoFilmfestival. Among 40 films in the competition, the prize has been awarded to the Sicilian documentary-maker Stefano Savona for his film Primavera in Kurdistan, which deals with the war of the male and female PKK guerrillas in the Iraqi Kurdistan mountains, where they are defending the freedom and self-determination of the Kurdish people.

In presenting the most prestigious award, the Jury of the TrentoFilmfestival, comprising the actor Giuseppe Cederna, the mountaineer Alessandro Gogna, the English producer Mick Csaky, the Brazilian director Monica Schmiedt and the German Heidi Gronauer, highlights the approach of director Stefano Savona. Assisted by excellent photography and editing, he looked without ideology and with intimately deep, but at the same time light eyes, into the soul of the young Kurdish guerrilla boys and girls, who gave up a normal life and ran all risks in order to defend their cultural identity. Savona’s documentary film has also been awarded the Press Special Prize.

The Jury’s Special Prize was awarded to the documentary L’isola deserta dei carbonai, by the director Andrea Fenoglio, set in the Pinerolese region of Italy.
The other Golden Gentians have been awarded as follows: the “Città di Bolzano” Prize - Golden Gentian for the best film on alpine sport, exploration and adventure to The prize of the Pole by the Danish director Staffan Julén; the Italian Alpine Club Prize - Golden Gentian for the best film on mountain and mountaineering to First Ascent by the American director Peter Mortimer.

The three Silver Gentians were awarded as follows: for the best artistic technical contribution, to Am Limit, about the Huber brothers’ speed climbs in the Yosemite Valley, by the German director Pepe Danquart. The Silver Gentian for the best television production to the documentary Loop by the Norwegian director Sijur Paulsen. The Silver Gentian for the best short film to Firn by the German diretor Axel Koenzen.


Two Audience’s Prizes have been awarded by the TrentoFilmfestival audience: the “Lancia Prize” for the best fiction film has been awarded to Madeinusa by the director Claudia Llosa; the “Alp&ism” Audience’s Prize has been awarded to the Argentinean film Cerro Torre Ritmo latino en la cara oeste by the director Ramiro Calvo. Finally, the prize for the best travel documentary has been awarded to the new satellite channel Nat Geo Adventure for Swept away by the Belgian director Filip de Rycke.