MON AMOR, MON AMI(France/Italy ), directed by Adriano Valerio, as the winner of GoE’s 2018 Bridging the Borders Award, presented by Cinema Without Borders at the Palm Springs International ShortFest.
This year’s award ceremony festival was held at Grand Ballroom of Riviera Hotel in Palm Springs. The Editor-in-Chief of CWB, Bijan Tehrani, filmmaker, jury member Susan Morgan Cooper and Adam Shepherd from GoEnergistics (Award and prize sponsor) presented the award for this year’s GoE Bridging the Borders awardwinner. The winner received a cash award of $2500 from our generous sponsors.
The 16 nominees for the 2018 GoE Bridging The Borders Award were: After/Life – USA, All that We Carry – USA, And Still We Will Walk On – France/Belgium, Beneath the Ink – USA, Bonobo – Switzerland, The Caregiver – Israel, Crisanto Street – USA, Kimchi – USA, The Last Refugees – USA/Jordan, Magic Alps – Italy, Mon Amour, Mon Ami – Italy/France, My Best Friend’s Shoes – India, Open Your Eyes – Israel, Rupture – Canada/Jordan, Scaffold – Canada, and Signature – Japan.
In an introduction to the Bridging The Borders Award Bijan Tehrani said: “GoE Bridging The Borders Award offered by Cinema Without Borders goes to a film that is most successful in bridging and connecting the people of our world closer together. Now we are pleased to offer a cash award of $2500 provided by our sponsor GoEnergistics”
Next Susan Morgan Cooper mentioned nominees and the two honorable mention by the jury members, The Last Refugees and Scaffold.
Adam Shepherd read the jury statement and announced the winner of the award: ” It’s my honor to announce the Go Energistics Bridging the Borders Award. First let me say, our company would like to congratulate all of the filmmakers highlighted here at the Palm Springs Shortfest. It is your storytelling that helps to open our eyes, minds and hearts through your art. It is truly magical and inspiring to be a part of and witness the differences you are making in our communities, our countries and the world. We applaud and appreciate each of you sincerely.
The winner of the GoEnergistics Bridging the Border Award is a film that unveils a tender, unique relationship between a man and a woman from totally different cultures. The film masterfully illustrates how we can bridge all differences and come together. The winner of the GoEnergistics Bridging the borders Award is Mon Amour , Mon Ami …directed by Adriano Valerio”
“Though Mr. Valerio was unable to be here, he did send along these words to share with you” Said Adam Shepherd ” I’m very grateful and very honored to receive the Bridging the Boarders Award. The relationship between people and boarders is a very contemporary issue. Local stories, like the one that inspired my film, can resound all around the globe because immigration is nowadays a very global issue. An Italian young co-operant who lately died in Gaza Stripe left a very simple testament: “ Restiamo umani – “ Let’s stay human “ ‘ This “staying human” is the common ground who has to connects us, and cinema is the way to make the local become universal. Bridging the boarders. A big thank you to the Jury and to Palm Spring Festivals who have presented my films for the third time and awarded me for the second time.
Hope it’s just the beginning of a much longer story.”
Mon Amour, Mon Ami
An Italian woman and a Moroccan man, brought together by their past hardships and present struggles with addiction, forge a deep, abiding relationship in this most touching and unlikely of love stories.
Country: Italy/France 2017
Director: Adriano Valerio
Producers: Lionel Massol, Pauline Seigland, Marco Alessi, Giulia Achilli
Principal Cast: Daniela Brandi, Fouad Miftah
Cinematographers: Diego Romero Suarez-Llanos
Editor: Alice Roffinengo