Autism, refugees, Van Gogh, conversion or the day-to-day life following the death of a mother, themes that underpin the 11th edition of Punto de Vista

Nine feature films and nine short films (one more than in 2016), from 20 different countries will make up the Official Section - The Central Region of the eleventh edition of the Punto de Vista Navarra International Documentary Film Festival , which will be held from 6th to 11th March 2017.

The presence of two titles by filmmakers who have grown or developed as artists in the shadow of the festival can be highlighted: David Arratibel from Navarra in feature films and Aitor Gametxo from Vizcaya in short films.

This year, the official selection illuminates today’s crises, instabilities and political resistance in Europe, United States, Tunisia or Brazil; where the recent past of the trains to Treblinka works as a counterpoint to a radio from another film that reports on extreme right demonstrations in Greece; an official selection in which the way of filming disability and childhood is rethought, where tentative dialogues between apparently opposite cultures are put to the test, where words and images are put to the universal pain of losing a mother, where the drama of the refugees in the Mediterranean is tackled. 

Each of the 18 films has been selected for its aesthetic quality, and is thought of as a formal unique and complementary formal contribution to the others, within the field of experimental documentary. The Central Region feeds off films based on reality and contemporary and poetic things. These works are varied in terms of themes and the formal side, but debate how to fight against and deal with the search for a new point of view.

The Selection Committee has seen a total of 1,290 films, 654 feature films and 636 short films, and has chosen the following films to make up the festival’ s competitive section, The Central Region.  

FEATURE FILMS

• Converso. David Arratibel (Spain). World premiere
• We Make Couples. Mike Hoolboom (Canada). Spanish premiere
• 5 October. Martin Kollár (Slovakia, Czech Republic). Spanish premiere
• Land Within. Jenni Kivistö (Finland, Colombia). Spanish premiere
• The Host. Miranda Pennell (UK). Spanish premiere
• Europe, She Loves. Jan Gassmann (Switzerland)
• La deuxieme nuit. Eric Pauwels (Belgium). Spanish premiere
• Normal Autistic Film. Miroslav Janek (Czech Republic). Spanish premiere
• Treblinka. Sérgio Tréfaut (Portugal)

SHORT FILMS

• Colombi. Luca Ferri (Italy). Spanish premiere
• Green Screen Gringo. Douwe Dijkstra (The Netherlands, Brazil). Spanish premiere
• Waste nº2 Wreck. Jan Ijäs (Finland). Spanish premiere
• Cidade Pequena. Diogo Costa Amarante (Portugal). Spanish premiere
• Foyer. Ismaïl Bahri (Tunisia, France). Spanish premiere
• L'Abcdaire de l'amoureuse d'un photographe. Anahit Simonian (France, Spain). World premiere
• Islands of Forgotten Cinemas. Ivan Ramljak (Croatia). Spanish premiere
• From Vincent´s House in the Borinage. José M. Fernandes (Portugal, Belgium). World premiere
• Cicha Symfonia. Aitor Gametxo (Spain, Poland). World premiere

The Selection Committee has been made up of Oskar Alegria (the festival’s artistic director), Koldo Almandoz (filmmaker and journalist), Ozge Calafato (programmer and writer), Alexei Dmitriev (filmmaker and programmer) and Guillermo G. Peydró (filmmaker, professor and programmer).

The Official Jury will present the official awards:

• “Punto de Vista” Award for the best film, which will receive €10,000. The award will go to the film chosen by the jury as the best in the festival’s official section, irrespective of its duration or origin.
• Jean Vigo Award for the Best Director, which will receive €5,000. The award specifically pays tribute to Jean Vigo and will be granted to the film in the official section that best represents the ethical values and formula that make up his work.  
• Award for the Best Short Film, which will receive €3,000. This award is granted to the best short film with a duration of 35 minutes or less.

There are also the following special awards:

• People’s Choice Award, which will receive €1,650. 
• Youth Award for the best film, which will receive €1,500.