At 19:00 France time on November 9, 2024, the Awarding Ceremony and the Closing Ceremony of the 8th Golden Tree International Documentary Film Festival was held in Club de l’Etoile, accompanied with a piece of Pipa music composed and played by Chinese Pipa master Liu Tieqing. The sound of Pipa, the magnificent four-stringed Chinese lute, immediately transports us into a world rich in emotion and history. This composition was especially inspired by the themes and stories we have shared throughout the festival.
Then, the host announced the list of award winners as follows:
“Golden Tree Award”: Rojek directed by Zaynê Akyol from Canada
“Best Documentary Feature Award”: Alone directed by Jafar Najafi from Iran
“Best Documentary Medium-length Award”: Maryam directed by Elnaz Zhalehchin from Iran
“Best Documentary Short-length Award”: Will You Look at Me directed by Huang Shuli from China
“Best Director Award”: Les Chenilles directed by Michelle Keserwany and Noel Keserwany from France
“Best Cinematography Award”: Rojek directed by Zaynê Akyol from Canada
In addition, the Proposal Jury has also finalized the three best proposals for the 8th Golden Tree International Documentary Film Festival:
The First Prize: "The Naked Truth" by Yessica Hurtado Martinez from Spain
The Second Prize: "Living in China" by Qin Xiaoyue from China
The Third Prize: “Ni A Yong” by Gao Longjiang from China
“Special Mention” also named two more proposal projects:
"Come On! Girls!" by Liu Yitong from China
"More than Statistics" by Borislav Banjac from Bosnia and Herzegovina
On behalf of the jury, the president Nicholas Deschamps said, “This festival is above all a meeting point: the meeting of passionate filmmakers and producers with a curious and engaged audience. Thank you for sharing this adventure with us and for bringing each screening, each discussion to life with your energy.” He remarked these films “that have moved us, challenged us, and inspired us”.
At the last, the speaker of the awarding ceremony Frédéric Auburtin said, “As we reach the end of the 8th edition of the Golden Tree International Documentary Film Festival, I would like to warmly thank you for your presence and support. This festival has been a true celebration of documentary cinema, with films that made us reflect, moved us, and sometimes even challenged our view of the world.”
Thus, the Awarding and Closing Ceremony of the 8th Golden Tree International Documentary Film Festival has finished.
