The winners of the 19th Monte-Carlo Comedy Film Festival
The 19th edition of the Monte-Carlo Film Festival de la Comédie, directed by Ezio Greggio, from April 25 to 30 in Monaco came to an end.
The jury, Paul Haggis (President), Tom Leeb, Clara Ponsot and Pierpaolo Spollon have finally decided the prizes.
The Canadian Film Babysitter receives 2 awards for Best Picture and Best Actor for Steve Laplante.
Award for the best film BABYSITER ©MCFF S.Chiappalone
The Spanish director Dani De la Orden he is the best director for Mamá o papá, a film that also receives the award for best actress for Miren Ibarguren.
HelloMonaco’s editorial team attended this unique film event and spoke with some of the guests who participated in the 2022 Festival. Dani De la Orden, the Spanish director who released Mamá o papá (You Keep the Kids), shared in an interview how the film was made and what inspired it. The plot of his comedy revolves around the story of a family where the parents are divorced and no one wants to take care of their three children.
Hello Monaco: What was the inspiration behind your film? What is this story about for you?
Dani De l’Ordre: The inspiration for the film was our original film and we did a remake. The story was so unconventional because a film about a mother and father who have a bad relationship and treat their children badly is unusual as a plot for a comedy. I thought it was very quirky and even a little politically incorrect. Usually when you tell a story of divorce and separation, you’re trying to make drama or you’re trying to make it so the kids don’t suffer and stuff like that. So I thought it was a very interesting plot for a good comedy. And then I was lucky because the producers gave me a lot of freedom during the making of the film. For me, it was a message about family. A normal family is not a family where there is a couple who are necessarily married; a normal family is a family where they love each other and it doesn’t matter if they get married or divorced.
Hello Monaco: How did you decide to be the film director and screenwriter of this film? What led you to this?
Dani De l’Ordre: From a very young age, when I was only eight years old, my mother took me to the cinema and showed me different films. There were also films with an 18+ rating. I was watching them too. So I started watching a lot of movies when I was a kid. I liked comedies. When I was a kid, I was obsessed with Tarantino. It’s very typical when you’re young and you want to make movies. I have favorite styles, I love movies that make you forget your normal life, try to entertain you for two hours and make you disconnect from real life. And I love comedies.
Hello Monaco: What do you expect from this year’s Monte Carlo Comedy Festival?
Dani De l’Ordre: It’s an amazing city and an amazing festival. I’m very happy that there is a festival dedicated to comedy because it’s not that common. Because usually comedy doesn’t occupy a place among the awards and doesn’t get recognition at the awards.
Best Film Director Dani De La Orden MAMA’ O PAPA’ on stage with Ezio Greggio©MCFF S.Chiappalone
Special prizes
Danish film Miss Viborg receives the Special Jury Prize for Outstanding First Feature.
Film of the special jury prize Miss Viborg ©Martin Munch
HelloMonaco also had the opportunity to speak with Marianne Blitcher, who presented the international premiere of her film “Miss Viborg” with Ragnhild Kaasgaard, Isabella Møller Hansen and Kristian Halken. He shared his emotions about being at this incredible festival and explained why the casting of his film took two years.
Hello Monaco: So tell us, what was the inspiration for the idea of this film?
Marianne Blicher: I grew up in a social housing area, where the movie is actually shot. So the scenes where I grew up were shot. There was always a lot of prejudice against people growing up in social housing. I wanted to show another side of this area: that it’s not all rough and tough growing up there. It is also full of love and hope for a better future. So I wanted that to happen in my film and the characters in my film. When I was little, I was a very observant girl, so the characters are inspired by real people. In particular, there was a lady called Miss People in my area when I was growing up, a real person who was a former beauty queen. I didn’t know her, but I wanted to imagine what her story would have been like if she had met a character like the one in my film. So the roles are inspired by real people, but at the same time it’s completely fictional. But it’s from my childhood.
Hello Monaco: Was it very difficult to find the right actors for the characters in the film? How was the casting?
Marianne Blicher: Yes, I was doing it for two whole years. The amazing thing is that it’s my directorial debut in a feature film, but it’s also actually the debut of the two main characters on the big screen. And the old lady debuts on the big screen at the age of 60. It is the first time he acts in front of a camera. I cast street people and professional actors, but none felt right for me. I wanted to have someone you haven’t seen before. And I wanted it to connect really well with the Danish audience, not necessarily just the typical audience around the world. And then I wanted someone whose emotions I felt were really real and especially how her emotions come out while playing her role. So finally, I found her after two years.
Hello Monaco: So you saw her and knew right away that it’s her?
Marianne Blicher: Yes. There was a good friend of mine. He called me and said, “Have you seen this actress in this children’s theater?” And I called her to come to a casting. And when she walked in, I was immediately sure she was the one.
Hello Monaco: How does it feel to be a female director in an industry still dominated by men?
Marianne Blicher: What I like most is directing. It’s a male-dominated world, so of course you have to fight a little harder to earn respect. But I’ve been fighting all my life. I am from the social housing area. I had to fight all my life. So I’m still fighting for my voice to be heard and I think it’s really important for female voices to be heard more. So, even though it’s difficult, I have a lot of respect for my female directors. Because they work a little harder to make their voice heard. And then we also have to be better at negotiating. We have to be better, there is no choice.
Hello Monaco: What do you expect from this comedy festival?
Marianne Blicher: It has been an incredible experience. I’ve never been here before. The people are incredibly sweet and super professional and they know how to watch movies in a different way than I’m used to before. So you talk about film in a different way and this is the first comedy festival I’ve actually been to. And I think it’s very respectful because I think with a little humor we can move mountains. The world is crazy, so we need to bring some hope to our world. And that’s what this festival can do. So I think it’s amazing.
Also, He The jury of the Monte Carlo Film Festival wanted give an award to Odd-Magnus Williamson for best screenplay with nothing to laugh at.
The Italian comedy Una Boccata d’aria directed by Alessio Lauria get the Audience Award (Popular Jury Award).
Prix du Public Aldo Baglio film A breath of fresh air ©MCFF S.Chiappalone
Finally, the Short Comedy Award goes to A guide to dining out in Nairobi (Kenya).
following the motivation of the 19th Monte-Carlo Film Festival de la Comédie.
Can Yaman Charity Award ©MCFF S.Chiappalone
best movie: KANGAROO
The prize for the Best Comedy of the 19th edition of the Monte Carlo CFF goes to Babysitter for its originality, for having obtained it through crude and politically incorrect irony, extraordinary staging and incredible dialogues. For the courage with which the director has chosen to explain misogyny and the power with which she manages to reach the viewer.
best director: DANIEL DE L’ORDER (Mother or father)
Dani De la Orden has been able to build an extraordinary story through images, managing to tell with a fast pace and perfect shots a story capable of making people laugh and move.
Best actor: STEVE LAPLANTE (journalist brother of Babysitter)
In an extremely difficult role to play, Steve Laplante was able to control his performance perfectly without ever falling into exaggeration. An actor who accompanies the emotional change of his character throughout the film, who takes one position before and the opposite one after, to finally return to the starting point, thus excellently narrating the stereotype of the male gender.
Best Actress: MIREN IBARGUREN (mother or father)
Miren Ibarguren is magnetic, real and intense to the point of falling in love. In the role of a mother at the time of separation, she was able to convey anger and desire for revenge, explained joy and tenderness, mood swings and everyday life in a sublime way. A fun, spontaneous, extraordinary performance.
best script: ODD-MAGNUS WILLIAMSON (Nothing to laugh at)
This special prize, desired for the first time by the Monte Carlo Jury, goes to the writing of “Nothing to Laugh About” for having been able to explain hope through a surprising development of a story that, despite the sadness of the events narrated, manages to convey joy and offer a new point of view on the meaning of life.
Special Jury Prize for an outstanding first feature film: MISS VIBORG
“Amazing movie, we were blown away by this movie.” A work that is a masterpiece.
Next Generation Award Under 30 Lorenzo Zurzolo and Giancarlo Commare © MCFF S. Chiappalone
Guests, Gala Night and Winners
Ezio Greggio, along with Cristina Marino (The Talent of the Hornet, Holidays in the Caribbean), will host the prize-giving gala attended by international talents, winners of this edition of the Festival. Stefania Sandrelli (Italian divorce, we love each other very much, ham, ham) confirmed his presence as special guest, awarded with the Movie Legend Award, at the same time as Luca Argentero (Doc-a les teves mans, The ignorant fairies – the series, Like a cat on the ring road – back to Coccia de Morto) will receive an award for his entire career. The talented actress Ludovica Martino, known for the famous TV series Skam, together with the teen idol Lorenzo Zurzolo (Baby, Summertime, Eo) will receive the Next Generation Award for Best Performer Under 30. In addition, Giancarlo Commare (Skam, Ancora più bello, Semper più bello, Maschile Singolare) will be honored as the winner of the New Generation Comedy Award at the Monte Carlo Film Festival for his performance in the film Ancora più bello. Jury President Paul Haggis (Crash-contatto fisico, Million Dollar Baby) will receive the prestigious Movie Legend Award. Among the protagonists attending the gala, the showman Piero Chiambretti, the famous journalist Cesara Buonamici, the ex-Juventus footballer Andrea Barzagli, the histrionic presenter Alessandro Cattelan and the charming Turkish actor Can Yaman, who we will soon see on television in “Sandokan”. .
During the night the member of the jury Tom Leeb sang the song Sun.
Performed by Tom Leeb ©MCFF S.Chiappalone
The act, in collaboration with EFG Bank (Monaco), has always been held under the High Patronage of H.S. Prince Albert II of Monaco and the Italian Embassy
