Memoir Of A Snail takes top prize in London

On Falling and Mother Vera among winners

by Amber Wilkinson

Memoir Of A Snail took the Best Film title in London
Memoir Of A Snail took the Best Film title in London Photo: Courtesy of London Film Festival

Adam Elliot’s Memoir Of A Snail has won the Best Film Award in Official Competition at the 68th BFI London Film Festival.

The stop-motion sees a woman (voiced by Sarah Snook) recall the unfortunate events that have peppered her life with tragicomic verve. It continues a winning run for the Aussie director, who also took the top prize in Annecy in June. The film is due for release in the UK and Ireland next February.

Rungano Nyoni’s On Becoming A Guinea Fowl received a special mention.

Laura Carreira’s UK debut On Falling, about a migrant working as a picker in a Scots fulfilment warehouse, which already took the directing Silver Shell in San Sebastian, won the LFF Sutherland Award for Best First Feature. It will be distributed in the UK by Conic.

The Grierson Award for Best Documentary went to Cecile Embleton and Alys Tomlinson’s Mother Vera, about a young Orthodox nun makes a life-changing decision.

Rehab Nazzal won Best Short Film for documenary Vibrations From Gaza.

The audience awards will be announced at the end of the month.

Full list of winners:

  • Official Competition Best Film Award – Memoir Of A Snail, dir Adam Elliot
  • Special mention – On Becoming A Guinea Fowl, dir Rungano Nyoni
  • Sutherland Award for Best First Feature – On Falling, dir Laura Carreira
  • Special mention – Olivia & The Clouds, dir Tomás Pichardo Espaillat
  • Grierson Award for Best Documentary – Mother Vera, dir Cecile Embleton, Alys Tomlinson
  • Special mention – The Shadow Scholars, dir Eloise King
  • Best Short Film – Vibrations From Gaza, dir Rehab Nazzal
  • Special mention – Dragfox, dir Lisa Ott

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